The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1913-10-24
GOING TO THE FARM HOMES
Nineteen Campaigns Have Been Car
rIed on In Michigan, Ohio and llll-
nois, Alabama and Mississippl-
holden's Plan Meets Warm
Reception With the
Farmers.

cultural demonstration trains, of ag.
r1cultural short courses, and Of many
other effective plans, through the
agency of which millions of dollars
have been added to the agricultural
wealth Of this country.
The latest plan OF Holden is to
place alfalfa upon every farm. There
are three prominent features in his
plans
~ The Introduction of a compare
lively new crop into the Corn
Belt, Southern and Eastern
states and the Pacific North
| west.
(2)- Going direct to the homes Of the
farmers, where meetings are
held in the fields. and success
and failure discussed according
to local conditions.
80 The use Of the most modern We
hicle-the automobile.
Purpose Of Campaign.
| The primary purpose Of the cam
paign Is to show the American farmer
that alfalfa is the most profitable crop
he can grow; that it can be grown
prohtably upon every farm; that it en-
riches the soil; increases farm values;
stimulates live stock growing and dali
rying; produces double that of other
hay crops, and is better feed
Nineteen campaigns have thus far
been successfully conducted in Mich
igan, Ohio and Illinois.
Some Of the Results.
For example. some of the results of
the Kent county .(Mich.) campaign
ara:
% Six thousand farmers visited at
their homes during a five-day
campaign.
(2)'Three hundred and seventy five
miles travelled by the Alfalfa Au-
tomobile Train
~ One hundred and thirty-six alfalfa
talks made by the H olden staff
of alfalfa lecturers.
C5) Many applications for sill nilar CAM
paigrs from all part of the
United States.
The Kent county campaign his been
followed by campaigns in AA'legan,
Parry. Grand Traverse and st Clair
counties, Michigan; Van Vert, Mar, on,
Fulton, Williams. Paulding, Delpho s,
belmont, Richland, Auglaize and
Champaign counties, Ohio; and Sanga-
mon, Stephenson, DuPage and Kane
counties. Illinois, and several counties
OF Mississippi and Alabama.
Great Meeting In Ohio.
J; At one meeting in Ohio upon the
farm of Joseph q. Wing, near Mechan.
icsburg. nearly 1000 people gathered
from all parts OF Ohio and adjoining
states to learn more about alfalfa. At
this great meeting the Ohio State AL
falfa Growers association was organ
lied. Over 300 automobiles made up
the alfalfa train. It is recorded as
the greatest agricultural assemklage
in the history of Ohio. Other Ohio
counties where the work has been
taken up report success on every
hand.
Sangamon and Kane counties I'LL
nois. have both conducted great CAM
paigns. At one meeting in Williams
Vile. ILL.,, over 1900 farmers came to
hear the alfalfa lectures.
In all of these campaigns which
were conducted within a period of
about two months nearly 100, 900 farm.
ers have been reached with the COS.
pei of alfalfa.
AS result also Of the campaign
work 1t IL conservatively estimated
that 100000 acres Of alfalfa will be
seeded during this and the coming
season
Such is the result of the initial work
u campaigning for alfalfa, but vastly
more than this tangible result has
been accomplished. Every farmer
the region where the work
was conducted is talking about al
alta. The cooperation Of the schools
n the territory Is very important
md effective feature.
Professor Holden has expressed
himself as considering It the most
wonderful experience and the most
ancient work from the farm stand
'oint that he has ever undertaken.
But this Is not all-,Xherever the
armers OF any community are inter.
sted in the growing of alfalfa. when
ossible follow-up man, thorough in
Is knowledge Of alfalfa culture. will
q sent out to assist them in getting
start. He will live with the
armers and aid them In solving
he problems at home. He will
0 from farm to farm upon request
nd study success and failure.
Before the coming Of 1914. cam
aigns will have been conducted in
very part Of the United States and ,
anada. Interest is growing SO zap.
ny that many counties fhaxe organic ed
lmpaisns and undertaken the wo.k