Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1914-10-22
OUR METHODS
HIGHLY LAUDED
CANADIAN MEN MAKE FULL RE-
PORT OF INSPECTION TOUR
PRAISE HALL

and farming methods are unusually
good and successful is indicated by
the complete report Of the tour OF
inspection made last week by a num-
Der of Canadians. The report, which
appeared in The Winnipeg Free Press
is:
North Dakota-towns and country
side alike-now rings with the slogan
of Better Farming" Nor is the cry
merely one of the moment. For three
years or more it has been growing Inv
volume, and in practical expression.
On the initiative of the Canadian
Credit Mems association, an informal
Commission of inquiry" went from
Winnipeg last week to study the
methods of the Better Farming asso-
citation of North Dakota, and also.
such other betterment factors as the,
agricultural demonstration and ex-
tension work of the Great Northern
railway, the Northern Pacific railway
and the International Harvester COM
pany. More and more working to-
gether for good" on the part of the
farmers themselves with these insti-
tutions and the federal and state gov
ernments is in evidence-and North
Dakota has hopefully entered upon
a new agricultural era.
1t was from We're Brown, chairman
of the Winnipeg subsection of the
Canadian Bankers association, that
the suggestion of such an excursion
was first made to the Credit Mems as
sociation. Mr.. Brown naturally was,
much interested in the active part
taken by the bankers of North Da-
kota in the movement, and at a gath
ering of business men which enter
tanned the Winnipeg party, set forth
the logic of the situation whereby
banking and commercial interests
must cooperate in practical fashion
with the farmers themselves if per-
.manent and economic veal is to be
achieved by the west.
In the matter of banking accomo-
dation to farmers in North Dakota, s.
r. Tarr, editor of Canadian Finance,
found on careful inquiry that bankers
are lending much more readily TO-
those who are "co-operators" with the
Better Farming association than to
their more Indifferent neighbors. In
stances were found where this had it,
very practical bearing upon the grad
ual acquiring of live stock.
The "Better Farmer" too, has an
advantage over his fellow in the mat
ter of interest rates. Incidentally, It
was noted in this connection that ten
to twelve per cent is the recognized
bank rate in the newer districts, and
nine to ten per cent in the oldest set
tied parts of the state-with OCCASION
al exceptions of eight per cent to es-
pecially good farmers. But the gen.
erality of farm borrowers pay one to =
two per cent higher than they would:
if similarly situated in Manitoba
Mortgage loan rates run normally
from six to eight per cent-but just
at present new loans are apparently
as scarce as on this side of the line
Report in Near Future,
According to Henry Detchon, gen.
eral manager of the Credit Mems as
sociation, and organizer of the ex-
cursion, the report of the Winnipeg
contingent will be made in the near
future at joint meeting of financial
commercial and farming interests,
Mr.. Detchon felt convinced that the
Better Farming movement had given )
an impetus to North Dakota in other
than purely agricultural or even
business Progress. Already it was re-
sulting in better and more contented
men and women-possessed of the
broadened horizon essential to good
citizenship. Mr.. Detchon believes
that in no way can financial and busl--
ness men contribute more to their
own legitimate interests and to the
economic stability of the country's,
progress, than by proferring practical
and actual cooperation with the
farming interests of the west and with
the provincial departments of agrl--
culture.
Wheat Sick State
Until recently, right along from the
days of first settlement, farming in l.
North Dakota had been synonymous
with wheat-mining Wheat-sick lands :
which in years past yielded 20 to ~ =;
bushels per acre now ordinarily give =
only IL to 18-a production which, ex-
cept at famine prices, spells poverty
to the farmer.
Departmental blue books and Agri-
cultural college bulletins had for
years been pointing out the better
way-but too often in such dry-as-
dust fashion that the pamphlets chief
use was for kindling farmers Ignite
fires. The greater effectiveness Of
new educative methods over the old,
is strinkingly shown in the territory
surrounding Williston, where state
demonstration station had been in op--
GRAFTON for some years-although the
district is one scarcely out Of the
homesteading stage, efficiently con-
Quoted though this station had been \
from the first, very few farmers took
of its experiments and find
ings until County Agent Hall, Of the
Better Farming association had BEEN
on the job for awhile.
Line of Least Resistance
Ninety parts personality to teH,
parts agricultural science about make
up the proportions for successful
county agent. Progress is sought al
most always along the line of least