The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1917-05-24

strongly the need of brain as well as
strength along agricultural lines and
if the best quality and largest guam
tity is to be expected there must not
only be manual labor employed but
intelligent management and execution.
This course gives fairly complete
knowledge of the principles of plant
growth in an interesting manner and
the student not only learns what, and
how to do thing, but also why it
should be done.
Among the specific subjects dealt
with are garden vegetables, their cul-
ture and care; fruit growing and the
enemies each variety is subject to, al
so means for preventing disease and
DISCRIMINATING insects ad pests.
The future progress of agriculture
depends on the younger generation
and unless they are better informed
that their ancestors the agriculture in
dustry will suffer greatly.
May Conkey, Class of 1917.
flelQ drops
We often hear this remark: "There
is no great reason why country boy
should study agriculture at school, be-
cause he knows how to farm anyhow"
but, although was born and raised on
the farm l can safely say that my ag-
ricultural studies will be of great bene-
fit to me in the future.
Last fall we started in studying the
classification of field crops, the ele-
ments and other necessities for thrifty
growth of plants and the most logical
ways of improving our crops. The
first crop we went into detail about
was corn.
The history of our greatest and
most promising cereal was very inter-
esting. The classification of the diff
ferent varieties, Importance of the
crop, soil, fertilizers, preparation of
the soil, fertilizers, etc., for corn, it
planting Selection, storing, grading
and testing), planting, cultivating,
harvesting the crop, cost of produc-
ton, value of fodder corn, corn in sill
age, marketing and returns, diseases
of corn, insects, uses and judging corn
was not studied from the text books !;
but, also, thoroughly defined and ex-
planned by our instructor. Wheat was
our next topic.
We studied this grain in details just
about the same way as we studied
corn. Because we had thoroughly
studied and discussed preparation of
the soil fertilizers, etc., for corn, it
did not take US very many days to COW
er this topic. In connection with
wheat, our instructor gave US some
valuable notes on Minnesota Grain
Inspection" which is one of the larg-
est and most important branches Of
our state government, yet is recognize
ed by very few farmers.
When a car load of wheat reaches
Minneapolis or Duluth, it is side track
ed to inspection tracks. A sealer then
breaks the seals and sampler takes
a sample of each year. To obtain a
true sample he goes on top of the grain
and with a probe takes samples at
seven different places in the car. He
empties these samples on blanket
and, after mixing them thoroughly,
fills up a three pound sack which he
takes to the inspection office. The
sealer then seals the car again. To
overcome CONGESTION sub-stations are
established to take samples. Our
nearest sub-station is Melrose. The
samples are graded both mentally, by
the appearance to the eye, and me-
chemically, by scales, sleeves, and GER
tain laboratorical tests to ascertain
the per cent of moisture. The sam
pies are kept SO hours after graded
for references.
About six weeks ago, we gave weeds
thorough combing. We classified
them under ANNALS, biennials and
perennials. We studied the damage
done by weeds, benefits derived from
weeds, how weeds spread and some
methods of eradication. I was sur
prised to find out that methods I
thought would kill all weeds are just
what some weeds need for thrifty
growth. We then came to our sum-
mer friends, the pastures and mead
ows.
Timothy, our standard hay crop, re-
ceived our first attention. Then the
Kentucky Blue Grass, our most relia-
BILE pasture grass, was brought to the
table. Later, red top, broom grass,
orchard-grass and few other grasses
of less Importance received our atten-
ton.
The annual forage grasses, sor-
ghums, millets, corn and some miscel-
laneous grasses, which scientific farm
ers use as crop to throw in if any
of their grain or tame grasses fails
to terminate and get a good stand,
and as supplementary crop, have
not been left under the bench.
Our table diamonds, potatoes, have
not been neglected. Origin and his
tory, preparation of the seed-bed, good
seed, preparation, spraying, harvest
oocf of 1~J bo