The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1915-07-28
Redwood Men Are
Told of Work of
Demonstration
Prof. Baker of State Agricul-
tqral College Interests Many
- by Explaining Work
STATE HAS MANY FARMS
Land Offered by C. o. Gilfillan
May Be Managed and Wis
tied by State Experts

of the Commercial Club last
Wednesday evening and gave a
most interesting talk on demon
Myration farms, their purpose
and organization. Prof. Baker
who has charge of the demon
stration farm department, came
to Redwood Falls at the instiga-
ton of C. o. Gilfllan who has
offered to the state portion OF
his Redwood County farm to be
used for demonstration pur-
poses.
Prof. Baker explained that
the state has adopted the plan
of selecting farms throughout
the state to be run under expert
supervision and managed the
best possible way under the ex-
listing conditions. The farm pre-
ferred is the farm of moderate
size which presents some real
problem the farmer has not
been able to solve. The farm
may be overcome with quack
1Iprass or the drainage may need
!, attention, or the farm may not
be bringing proper financial re-
turns or any one of several
things may be the problem OF
this particular piece of land,
which the state aims to remedy
through making the land a place
for the demonstration of the
principles of agriculture. The
object of these farms is to not
only better the one particular
piece of land but to encourage
the entire community, and to
, better farming methods.
One to County
ONLY one farm in each county
is selected, there now being
twenty-nine scattered through
out the state. AS soon as a
farm has been selected it is sur
veved and plated without too
great attention to minor details,
and the necessary drainage ar
ranged for. There are certain
objections to the erection OF ex-
$ 9..pensive buildings, at the start
md a farm is usually selected
where no improvements or mex
}pensive ones are necessary at
the start.
After the measuring and plat
ting of the fields a rotation, us,
ually for five years, is arranged
and the work started. The farm
is visited from twelve to four,
teen times year by a member
of the corps from the Unlver,
sity farm whose visit may last
from a few hours to an entire
day. During this time the ad
wiser and the farmer discuss
problems and plans, examine
crops and stocks, and from time
to time certain demonstration
which may be of interest to tn
community are given on tn
farm. These may be in the ma
t11re of seed selections, stool
selections, the discussions O.
: xeIaps and field charts and re
- :gns. followed by a visit to tn
=, lids themselves, or whateve
? ne community and the seasol
may demand.
Must Keep Books
The running of a demonstra
tion farm demands a simple an
exact system of bookkeeping o.
the manager. A daily tim
card. showing the time devote
TO each particular work, Jus
where on this farm this wor
was done, and the horsepowe
'aeused forms a part of this rec
Erd. A cash account is kept an
III financial statement rendere
each month; a daily record G
the milk produced by each co,
and a monthly milk test is kept
. strict account of poultry fee'
eggs and chickens is also KEEP
These records are gone over o
q The manager of the farm an
a the inspector not for purpose
q of criticism but in a spirit {
helpfulness to the manager.
"a Make Good Returns
\ During the discussion wh e
allowed Pro. Bakers talk II
\ natter of the financial return
." from these farms was Drougi
out. It was made plain tn;
farms of about five years wei