The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-02-14
farm EXPERT COULD
BUILD UP CROP Y|ELb
From Thursdays Daily.

IIOleSSOI AllulSW DOSS Oh TIE = tdte
Agricultural college, Professor A. ID.
Wilson of the agricultural extension
and farmers institute division of the
university farm and Mr.. Olson, who
is also connected with the state asri-
cultural department, spent several
hours In this city last evening on
their way home from Redwood Falls,
where they attended meeting held
TO inauSurate movement to en-
ploy an expert farmer to cooperate
with the farming community in Red.
wood county The movement was
well started, and Redwood county.
VIII fall in line with Martin county
and the seven counties of the West
Central Development association,
which have already started this
work with great success.
Do Same in Blue Earth.
An effort will probably soon be
made in Blue Earth county to start
similar movement. Everyone feels
that such a thing would be a pro-
gressive step in the right direction.
The expense would be rather large
as a man to conduct the work
should be an expert in his line and
should be a man who would earn a
| good salary. He should be provided
with means for rapid transporta.
| ton, probably an automobile, and an
| office. The expense is generally met
by several different bodies. partly by
the county board, partly by a state
| appropriation, a small federal appro
priation. an appropriation o. $1,000
| for two years from the Council of
Grain Exchanges of Cnlcago, and the
business men and Commercial club
!; o, Mankato would PROBABLY be call
! ed upon to assist in this measure.
The farming expert would visit the
farms Of those who invite coop .ra-
| ton and expert advice, and would
give advice as to the proper rota-
tion of crops. division of fields.
necessity of tile drainage, constitute
ton of farm buildings, selection of
seed, selection Of stock and the best
methods of handling stock and dairy
products. lie would also analyEe the
soil of each farm and consider its
character in making suggestions as
! to it's best use.
I Work of Great Value.
! In the sections where such an eX-
pert is employed his work has been
of great value and in locality
where the land is as high in price
as it is in Blue Earth county better
| returns should be made than here
tofore. A good quarter section of
| land in this county is worth about
! $4,000, which is more than all but
few Of the business houses in
| Mankato have invested in their
stock. The merchants have long
since seen the wisdom of taking adj
vantage of every modern method for
increasing the revenue from their
| investment and the farmers should
not be behind them
! Bert Ball, secretary OF the Chi.
caSo Grain Exchange, will be one OF
the speakers at the coming conven-
| tons. and Professor Boss and other
prominent instructors will be pres
ent. 1t is possible that such a move
ment as here described will be
launched in Blue Earth county at
| these conventions provided it, has
! the sanction and encourageme OF
! the farmers present.
Matter of Importance.
! 1t has been suggested that a room
| be rented wherein could be display
ed the agricultural products of Blue
Earth county. This display should
be under the supervision of the en-
pert and the secretary of the Com.
mercial club. The engagement of
the farm expert is a matter that
should be taken up at once, as the
spring work on the farms will be
put under way soon. '.'...
/ II. e. Hance was instrumental in
| bringing Messrs. Boss, Wilson and
Olson to Mankato and with several
local gentlemen they went over the
situation last night. Professor Boss
went into a discussion of corn rails.
ing in Minnesota, calling attention
| to the large sum that could be real
! lied if but half bushe additional
were raised on each acre.
! Minnesota dairy produce for 1912
! is valued at $53,000,OOO, according to
estimates made by Dean It. l..
Hacker, chief of the division of
dairy and animal husbandry of the
Agricultural college. The output of
dairy products of last year, estab.
lished a record, according to the re-
+; port, and each COW in the state pro.
duced an average of ITS pounds of
butter which sold at an average of
q cents pound, making the aver.
age production from each COW $47.25,
an increase of more than 10 per cent
over the individual record of 1911.
! The total income from poultry for
last year was approximately $780,
100000, an increase of 100000 over
the preceding year. making a grand
total for dairy and poultry products
in the state last year of more than
| $83,000.000.
Creamery Butter Commands High
Price.
! Professor Hacker declared today
that Minnesota creamery butter com.
manded the highest price on the mar.
ket and that product unknown to
the state less than twenty years ago
is one of the greatest sources of rev.
enue. According to Professor Hack.
er there are 1,125,000 cows i'm the
state, yielding an average of 1000
pounds of milk containing $50 pounds
of butter fat, equivalent to IT'S
pounds of butter The state market.
ed during the year approximately g.
100000 pounds of butter. The Stats
tics of 1890, according to Professor
| Hacker, gave Minnesota $4,000
COWS, yielding an average of $500
pounds of milk and 12S pounds OF
butter per cow In the twenty years
the average production from each
COW in the state has been increased
s12.69.