The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-05-01

work his brains as we'll as his heels.
The result of his modern effort is an
object lesson to the world. 1t reproVes
the old philosophy that rivalry and
competition are the great sustaining
forces of nature in any path of human
endeaVor. What has Holland not done
IN thls period of free trade along ag-
ricultural lines? =
When the government refused any
longer to allow the farmer this lower
mold on competition in the form of
protection, he began to catch as catch
can in the tussle for existence. In
stead of giving him an unfair advan-
tage, the policy of teaching him to
fight his W battles was adopted.
government aid was also forthcoming
in the nature of appropriations for
schools and commissions to help get at
the real cause of rural ~backwardness.
When once left to his own fortunes
he soon became initiative and began
TO perceive certain natural advantages
that he had but that his foreign COM
petltor had not. His was a good geo.
graphical situation in Europe; he had
a system of cheap water carriage and
the SOIL of the lOWlands was the most
productive in the world. Behold, these
were advantages hat had not occur
red to him before. Perhaps he could
even produce products and sell them
in a foreign market, n thus by sell
ing more, even at a lower price, make
more money T
Agriculture FIourishes. j
He began putting his ears to the
ground, n before a decade had pass
ed he himself was selling in the prin-
cipal markets Of the old world. He
wanted no tariff then; it would have
created foreign antagonism. He want
ed free trade with the world. Today
the agriculture of Holland had become
SO f1ourishing hat the farmer has
ceased srumbling, and as a writer
shameful chuckle, admits that he is
doing very well.
, Free trade did two great things fol
the Dutch farmer. It forced him tC
adopt intensive agriculture, and it in.
sured him a friendly foreign market
Nowhere outside of China have
greater miracles of soil transforma.
ton been wrought than in Holland
The wonder of bu~lb-growing, for ex.
ample, is not the kaleidoscope miles
Of garnish bloom about which tour.
lists and guide books prattle, but the
patient n foresighted way in which
the sand dunes have been excavatet
in order that bulb-felds might b,
made on the peat below. All else O
Hollands present prosperous state il
the result of skilful and patient plod,
ding, as well.
Alsmeer, Holland, where there ar,
5000 n~urserymen, consists like tina
other Dutch Venice, Boskop, Of extra
ordinary looking little squares and oh,
longs Of gardens, divided by littlt
canals of water. Those gardens hav'
been made either by draining off waite
or by laying canal-boat load afte
canal-boat load of earth on top of TIL,
bog. The front door of almost ever,
growers house and office at Alsmeer
the same as at Boskop, is reached b,
a drawbridge.
The essence Of successful culture q
plants for transplanting is that the,
shall have well-balled roots; and Ii
order that these may be produced
there is mixed with the soil at Bosko]
peat brought from the north Of Fol
land.
As trees are sold out of the gardens
the precious soil is naturally reduce,
by the amount clinging to the roots D
the plants that arc dug up. Tha
! must be replaced by bringing gras
NAHW@ N4 AE#