Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-01-22
EXPLORER N. E. HANSON
EXPLORES FOR GOOD OF ALL

EXPLORES FOR GOOD OF ALL
We are apt to think that the world
has been pretty we'll explored, but as
q matter of fact most of our explor-
ing in the past has been of rather
small account.
A Stanley works his way across
Africa, muses. up community of
poor savages who do not like his
looks, establishes the fact that
river basin is different from the popu.
lar notion of it. and dies famous.
A Columbus, a Cortez. or Pizzaro
uncovers a continent, or discovers
land rich in gold and silver, and takes
a place In the Hall of Fame
But not all the gold America has
given to the world is of any conse-
quence compared with its gifts of
maize, potatoes, turkeys and tobacco.
The real discoverer of America is
the man who seized and took to the
farms of the world that greatest of
all plants, the Indian corn; and his
rival for immortality in the person
who saw the utility of the potato.
Centuries ago the Spanish Conquis-
tadores, seeking more gold, and more
Indians to enslave, explored Cali
fornia, Arizona, New Mexico, and
even Kansas and Texas. They left
some broken down horses from which
our breed of bronchos has descended.
But the greatest deed of all they did
without intending it. They scattered
the seed of alfalfa. From this acci-
dental seeding has come all the alfal-
ia which now enriches an area great
er than Mexico.
The greatest forage plants in the
world are alfalfa and corn; and the
greatest task of the day is to marry
alfalfa to corn on every farm which
can grow them. That is the solution
of the beef question. The corn fur
nishes the fat. The alfalfa furnishes
the bone and muscle. Together they
make up the most perfect, the most
economical, and the most generally
adaptable plant food out of which
meat for our growing millions can be
made.
Exploration has only begun to fol-
low the tracks of the men who seiz-
ed upon tie potato, the maize plant,
the tobacco plant, and the turkey.
We have just reached the era of the
Explorer of the Common Good.
! can conceive of no nobler task.
The man who. like Roosevelt in
South America, penetrates some
tangled jungle to kill game, and to
map the unknown, has good time,
adds to our knowledge, and shows
courage. But how much greater is
the work of Nils E. Hansen of South
Dakota, who spends years in Siberia,
Outer Mongolia, or Eastern Tulke-
stan, facing ali the dangers of explor-
alton, and seeking only to find and
bring away plants which will benefit
the world.
He has made more than one trip
to Asia on these splendid pilgrim
IMAGES to the shrine OF natures.
Roosevelt came home from Africa
with tons of skeletons and hides; but
Hansen had just returned from ST
IBERIA with what?-a load or two OF
| hayseed!
To be more exact, he has brought
out of those wilds nearly two tons OF
the seeds of the wild alfalfas. He
also has new species of sweet clover
some white seeded millet, some Mon.
golian grass. some Chez grass, sev,
eral hardy fruits, and various other
things which he thinks may adapt
themselves to the conditions of South
Dakota and other western states.
Suppose he finds a variety of alfal
ia which will flourish in the arit
plants of our west-or any Other
plane which will become as stapl,
there as Indian corn low is on Aus
tralia or South Africa? Will his triy
not be worthy of mention among tn.
great explorations of the world?
/ A few years ago it appeared as i
great areas in the Southwestern statel
would be obliged to get along withou
any good grain crop. But some on,
brought in some sorghums from Asi,
and Africa milo, maize, kafir. corn
kaowliang and the like. This yea
there will be seven million acres O
these crops planted. They produc,
about as good yield to the acre o
grain on the average as corn, and i
is almost as good feed. 1t make,
good bread. And these sorghum
will make crop in a season which
burns corn up. They stop growing
when it gets too dry, mark time, apt
when rain comes start off again.
Alfalfa, Sudan grass, potatoes, In
dian corn. hardy wheats, new ant
adaptable fruits-these are blessing
to the race. They make life possibl,
where it would otherwise be lmpos
Esihlo and q hunda : NJ xuhaen - r,n.,i.