Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-08-22
Fine PROGRESS
IN Wells COUNTY
Improved Farming Adds Greatly
to Corn Acreage and Raising
Of Live stock.

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Wells County is making good prog.
ress in improving its farming. The
corn acreage is being rapidly increas-
ed. alfalfa fields are scattered all
over the county, and the number OF
live stock, and especially hogs is In.
creasing fast. This Improvement is
largely due to the work Of the Coun-
ty Representative OF the Better
Farming Section of the North Dakota
Experiment Station.
A. J. Gaumnitz, located at Fessen.
den, has the eastern part Of the
county, and T. IL. Clarke, at Harvey,
the western part.
Alfalfa is one of the most valuable
crops that has been introduced into
North Dakota farming, but because of
its having to be planted and handled
differently than the grain crop, slow
progress has been made In introduce
ing 1t till the county agent went to
the farmer, told him about alfalfa,
It's advantages and requirements. In!
many cases he would help the farmer
sow the alfalfa. This has resulted in
success. Before the coming Of the
county agent, some had tried alfalfa
and in many cases had failed to get
e. good stand due to emitting some Of
the conditions that the alfalfa need
ed. When the alfalfa trial resulted
in a failure, the blame was laid on
the alfalfa, and not on the way 1t
had been sown, or cared for. This
has been n of the hard things that
the county representative has had to
overcome. But when one, ,3or two
successful alfalfa fields are establish
ed in e. locality, and two OF three
tons Of hay are cut from each acre,
the value of the crop begins to be
appreciated. Those who have the
four or five acre patch, the next year
increase 1t to ten to fifty acres.
"A good illustration of the care that
is needed in sowing alfalfa was seen
in Wells County. The county repre-
had helped inc farmer put
in some alfalfa, and a splendid stand
was secured. A neighbor decided to
sow some alfalfa, but did not want
any help from the county representa-
tive. The seed was sown at the
same time and in a good deal the
same way, but nothing but q weed
patch resulted. Some important
point had been omitted. A few in
from the county agent
have made this field a sue
cess. The lack of them resulted in
a loss of the seed, the labor, and the
use Of the land, as well as the chag-
rim of failure when his neighbors
know about it. All. who cooperate
with the county agent secured good
of alfalfa.
Many fine fields of corn were seen
all over the county; most of this
corn was we'll advanced for the sea-
son, and will ripen on or before
Sept. list. One of the secrets is that
a good deal of the seed corn was Sc
lected in the field last fall. Gaum-
nitz and Clarke spent considerable
time not only urging farmers to Sc
lect seed corn, but they actually
helped do it, and called attention to
the points that make good seed corn.
A good deal OF corn will be hogged
The number of hogs is being rap
idly increased. In many cases the
is fenced in for the hogs, as
well as scme of the corn. The corn
and alfalfa with some barley or
give all the feed needed
for producing the hog crop. One far
mer cleared 100000 on feeding hogs
in this way. Corn and alfalfa both
improve the land and especially SO
when pastured with hogs and the
screenings, If left in the grain, bring
returns. This means that the re-
turns from the hogs is largely clear
gain. ~.
The increase in corn, alfalfa, hogs
and cattle are doing much to improve