Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1914-07-17
Attendance At
Institute Good
Wind Blew With Considerable
Force But the Meeting Wa. a
Success Notwithstanding.

Yesterday was the day set for
the open air institute session in
D. ]. Steiner's grove. and not
withstanding the fact that the
wind blew almost a gale all day,
many of the people of the Gold
en- Valley assembled in the grove
and had a picnic dinner in the
shade and shelter of the trees.
Prof. Randlett, who now has
charge of institute work over the
state of North Dakota, and Mrs.
Randlett were present from Far
go, as was also. Prof. c. B. Wald-
ron of the Dickinson station. 90.
After dinner the men went
over the several fields at the sta
ton, which are devoted to ex-
perimental work and from which
much information was gathered
as to rotation of crops and the
successful treatment of them.
During the time thus occupied by
the men, Mrs. Randlett gave an
address to the women upon
household duties and such sub
jects as would naturally be inter-
esting to women on the farm.
After the several fields had
been inspected the men sought
the shelter of the trees and lis
tened to very able discussion
of the hay crop or roughsge feed
for stock during the winter
months by Superintendent c. B.
Waldron. While the method Of
sowing oat hay each year made
it somewhat expensive, he stated
that personally he preferred oat
hay, with all the extra work and
expense that it entailed, rather
than the results which had been
obtained with clover and timothy.
His experience in North Dakota
had grounded him in the belief
that there were but two crops of
hay that were above compari-
son with other hay crops, name
ly, alfalfa and bronze grass. Both
Of these being perennial plants
lessons the cost of production
and are very satisfactory foods
for stock of all kinds.
Prof. Randlett then gave a
short address on corn, emphasiz-
ing two important points: First.
that a variety of corn should be
selected that will mature; and
second, that corn should be cut
in the glaze period or when the
ears have commenced to ripen.
He illustrated these two points by
giving the result of an expert
ment made by Prof. Ladd, the
state pure food Inspector, before
he came to North Dakota. He
was then resident of York state
and gave the result of FIVE tests
of the same field of corn at differ
ent stages of its growth. Just
before the silk appeared on the
corn the test secured by Prof.
Ladd showed that an acre of
corn contained 1000 pounds of
dry matter or feeding value. A
few days latter when the silk had
appeared the same field tested
5000 pounds of feeding value.
When the corn was in the milk
the same field tested 1900 pounds
of feeding value. When the corn
was in the glaze or just when it
began to ripen and the husks
showed their first signs of de-
terioration, the same field tested
1900 pounds of dry matter, and
when completely ripe tested
1000 pounds. Prof. Randlett
advised. however. that to avoid
the element of chance which OBJ
tanned at about that time of year,
danger of frost. ETC.. that the
corn be cut in the glaze period.
He also stated that crops
were grown for their feeding
value and appeared to be just a
little out of patience with the
man who raised corn and ".didn' {
care whether it got ripe or not;
just used it for fodder" He
demonstrated clearly that thi.
was the wrong idea by stating
that the corn contained 50 per
cent of feeding value while the
stock and leaves contained only
81 per cent. In this way he en-
deavored to empress upon those
present that it was necessary to
select such corn as would get ripe
in this locality and then give it a
chance to get ripe. He advised
early seeding, personally favor
ing May 10 to IS. The three
things. he claimed, that were now
demanding the attention of
farmers all over the state of
North Dakota. were cattle. corn
and alfalfa. 1t was suggested
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