The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-01-23

community must cooperate with each
other in raising uniform types or yari-
cites Of the paruticlar kinds Of crops
which are characteristic of their COM
munity. In this way they a bring,
about crops with uniform periods OF
development and ripen1ng SO that
there may be a uniform or co-opera-
tive effort Of controlling the crop
pests. Under a proper cropping sys-
tenn farmers of a neighborhood should
be working in the same. manner, and
at the same time for the destruction
Of diseases and weeds. Under the
present system farmer fights one
| day and the other fights next week or
some other time and there Is no CO.
operation in point Of time. One man
has his work undone by the winds and
water because his neighbor n lie
did not fight at the same time. Elk
ample: When your neighbor begins
to spray the potato bug, it's time for
you to get busy. This applies equally
we'll in the case Of plant diseases n
weeds.
proper methods Of filling the soil,
proper methods of seed disinfection
and proper methods Of rotation have
great influence in controlling crop
diseases. Crop diseases account for
much more of the deterioration which
is commonly spoken of than does the
| matter of lost fertility. No matter
how fertile the soil may be, IL the
| diseases which are characteristic Of a
! crop nave opportunity to have full
sway. that Is to say, II the farmers
are not united in their methods Of
fighting or controlling the diseases, it
will be impossible for that particular
region to improve it's crop output.
where the fields are often closely con-
tiguous and the dust and dirt Of one
field is continuously blown to an
other. Weed seeds and disease
spores, like other plant and animal
pests are largely distributed by. wind
and water and by the general farm
ing operations. / suggest that the
farmers of a community study the
question of proper cropping n decide
which to cooperate. then work to-
gether to improve seed n cropping
methods with respect to each par
ticular crop. This will bring about a
community interest in cropping which
Is likely to result in crop improve
ment and a condition Of progressive
agriculture in each particular COM
munity. Such method of cooperative
working with the standard CONNER
cial crops will also make 1t possible
for the government or: state. or, in
deed, the farmers themselves to
develop a marketing systemn which is
much less expensive than that which
we are now familiar with. and it Is
possible that even the middlemen may
yet have plenty to do and yet be USE
full to humanity.
ST would especially emphasize
the thought that there is not like
ly to be agricultural improve
ments in any community until the
farmers cooperate in raising
special crops. Under present condi-
tons. 1t is impossible to prevent the
mixing of sorts. especially of cereals.
1t Is thus practically impossible to i'm
prove any variety. Of such crops. One
man improves it while the others de-
teriorate it. Under the cooperative
plan of effort whereby the farmers of
a particular region attempt to ship a
particular variety any improvement
which is made in the proper. handling
Of the seed will be likely to he re-
f1ected in the output from the entire
er finds that a particular quality of
that variety is demanded by the mar
ket and that he cannot share in the
cooperative returns unless he meets
that standard, the standard will be
met just as it has been met by the
cream producers in the best butter
c%enters.
"This will create a demand for
standardized seeds of known quality
and variety. BY cooperation Of the
growers and the seedsmen, such i'm
proved seeds will be obtainable. Our
state has a seed law shaped to aid in
this work of standardizing and seed
improvement, but no wording of law
or sweat-lbegrimmed labor will help
any community in which Zach man
strives to get something different to
sell than that produced by his neigh
officers and Conclusions.
Officers of the Tri-State Grain
Growers association for the ensuing
year were elected before the noon hour
adjournment. President Worst was
unanimously reelected president.
r. A. Hoverstad, who has served as
secretary of the association for many
years, was chosen vice president.
w. G. Palmer was elected secretary
to succeed Professor Hoverstad.
The great convention will conclude
this afternoon after an address by DR..
Charles w. Mccarthy Of Madison,
Wis, the legislative reference librarian,
whose subject was Cooperation in
Europe. 3D..
It was expected there would be a
spirited session this afternoon on &C.
count of the contention between tbs
two forces of elevator men in the
states of Minnesota and North and
South Dakota. The programme was
in charge of the Society Of Equity.