The Vashon Island record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1916-1919, 1917-06-21
SCIENCE IN FARMING.
Agricultural Representatives Hslr
Farmers Increase Their Profits.

Farmers Increase Their Profits.
gents, settlers and business men. held
recently at Rhlneander. Wis. agrlcul-
tural representatives were credited
with liberal share OF the development
and improvement In farming which In
the last few years have taken place In
sixteen counties In upper Wisconsin.
ii. L. Russell. dean Of the Wisconsin
College Of Agriculture. reported that
AT the beginning OF the year 1912
when practically all Of Wins county
and one third OF oneldn We're included
In the proposed forestry reserve there
were but around 400 farmers scattered
throughout Oneida county and proba-
bly, ffty in Villas county OF this mum
Der only very few had farms which
would really pass as such, and on mcsi
OF these the system of agriculture
which was being developed was rather
crude.
In 1912 In these counties" said
Dean Russell. "alfalfa was considered
failure, corn n doubtful venture and
potatoes. which were beginning TO be
| grown In some amount were of mixed
varieties There were only eight silos
in Oneida county and less than half
that number In Villas. In the two
counties there were probably not one
dozen pure bred dairy animate. and
worse yet, such cattle we're held In rel.
ntively low esteem Not milk scale
was found In barn. There was but
one creamery In nil Of this area. cover.
ing nearly 100000 acres.
"Today In contrast there IL IN add
ton to the Rhinelander creamery. then
In operation. another creamery which
Ia successful at Eagle River. and Wood
ruff Is considering the establishment Of
one Two cheese factories are now In
operation at Crescent and Robbins. In
Oneida county. The eight silos In
Oneida county have now increased to
about 100 and approximately twenty
five In Villas. There Is hardly com
munity now but boasts of pure bred
dairy sire, and pure bred cows are be-
coming common. An entire change In
attitude with reference TO the better
cattle proposition has developed. Some
of the finest barns in the state have
been erected In the last two years.
About twenty-five farm management
surveys are being conducted by the
college. and up to date business meth
DDS have been introduced. Some of
these farms are showing good profits.
cover one-half Of all the farmers In
these counties are now growing seed
grain. corn and potatoes of pedigree
varieties and are competing success
/ fully with other sections of the state
for premiums at fairs. Alfalfa has
now been successfully introduced in at
least half dozen localities These
counties are producing the highest
grade seed potatoes. and Oneida placed
Wisconsin as the leader OF all the
states in the Union at the national pc
tato show at Grand Rapids. Mich, last
winter by winning the grand sweep
stakes prize. At the state fair this
year Oneida county ranked ninth
among all the counties which were
represented with exhibits. having risen
10 this position in the scale In -four
years from condition where there
was practically no agricultural inter
est. One Oueida farmer secured over
$50 at the state fair this year In cash
prizes on his exhibit Of grain and pc
tatoes, result which has been accom-
pllshed primarily through the consist
ent work of the county representa-
tive"