The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1914-01-15
limited and does very Well with water
traffic. while the rough highlands are
practically impsssable for wheeled
Vehicles.
HEAR
ABOUT EXPERT
PROF. S. u. VAN BENTHUYSEN
ADDRESSES SESSION OF
PROSPER TOWNSHIP
CLUB.

Support of the plan to employ an
agricultural expert for Dawson coun.
ty was strongly urged last evening
by Prof. S. ID. van Benthuysen
speaking before the Prosper Town.
snip Farmers club. The meeting was
held in the school house, five miles
south of the city, and was packed to
the doors.
This is a county of great nat
nral resources said the professor.
I'VE are wealthy in the soil that can
produce the finest corn, dairy cattle,
I'VE stock, hogs and alfalfa, but Sc
far we have not begun TO realize on
the wealth that is in the ground.
1T is for this purpose that | pur-
pose that | want to see this county eX.
pert engaged by u county commits
sioners, that we may more fully have
what is ours. In the state of North
Dakota, 100000 is annually spent
for this purpose, and Dawson county
should share in this great forward
movement among the farming class"
PROF. van Benthuysen declared
shat the half-mill levy to finance the
plan was hardly worth considering.
so great were the benefits which
;ould be derived. He stated that he
hlmsell would have to pay 40 cents
N property worth $4,000, and the
)enellt to the farmers would be
greatly multiplied over the residents
OF Mitchell.
The proposed expert would have
10 he a practical farmer first of all,
declared the professor. He stated that
ne should be an all around man, can
able OF speaking at farmers meet
ings and conducting contests, able to
make soil surveys and suggest the
proper rotation OF crops, and above
Ill, help the farmer to market hls
h~foduction in the most profitable
manner.
in l.ne with the employment OF "a
county expert, Prof van Benthuyseu
declared that IL cooperative packing
plant in Mitchell would greatly solve
ne hlgh cost OF living for the resi-
tents OF the city and ut the same time
AFFORD a more profitable and access
lble market for the farmers. He es.
peclally urged The cooperation of the
armer with the business men of
Mitchell, Ethan and Mt. Vernon. One
advantage of cooperation, he stated
was shown by the receipts of the
tarmers' elevator at Ethan, which
last year did Il business of -S4S1. 600.
The speaker declared that if the
'ounty voted the half-mill for the
county expert, $4,000 would be rails
en- by taxation and the federal gov
srnment would add $1,000 to this
sum. Congress has made an annual
appropriation of 100000 to help in
he county expert movement.
Following a vote OF thanks to Prof.
an Benthuysen, members of the CLUB
discussed the coming corn contest,
ne OF their annual features. j. G.
Hoffman, who Won the first prize last
ear, announced that he would turn
ne money back to be used for the
purpose again, The club also
ioted to take 4 membership in the
proposed South Dakota Rural Life
3etterment association, which will
De amalgamated into a federation at
he time of the stae meetings. in Nit
he'll the last of the month.
The officers of the Prosper organ
cation are Carl Hoffman, president:
Charles Hendrickson, vice-presidens.
and Miss Agnes Scheick, secretary.