Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1917-04-20

out cOnSpicuOuSly This man is PrOfeSSOr Ferry
G. Holden undoubtedly the most noted agrlcul-
tural expert of time.
"A few years ago Professor Holden trebled the
value of the corn crop in Iowa. A little later he
put millions of dollars into the pockets of the
farmers of Oregon, Washington and Idaho. AS
final achievement, he induced the farmers of
Arkansas to adopt system of crop Investigation
which resulted in increase of the wealth of the
state of more than $30000,000 in single year.
And Professor Holden says he has only started;
that it is his ambition to do much or more, for
every state in the Union and the chances are he
will accomplish his purpose, for he is today the
leader in movement for agricultural revival
and rural uplift which in its scope and signf-
cance is without parallel in this any other
country. What is of equal Importance, he is at
the head Of an organization with practically
limited facilities for carrying the work. Dur
ing the last three years he and his assistants have
co-operated in organizing and conducting ffty-five
campaigns for agricultural education. have spoken
at nearly 10000 meetings. and in order to meet
these engagements have Travelled approximately
100000 miles by railroad and over 100000 miles
by automobile, while their activities have reached
the enormous total of 100000 people
Professor Holden has been described as the
Burbank of the soil-the man who set King Corn
upon its throne and crowned alfalfa queen. He
has been called missionary, a preacher, phfloso-
pher, prophet and teacher-a professor in the
university of the great outdoors More than any
other man he has set agricultural America to
moving, and to moving in the right direction.
1t was while professor of agronomy at the Uni
versity of Illinois, from 1897 to 1901, that Pro-
fessor Holden's work first attracted attention.
Other men have allowed their energies and activ-
ties to be bounded by the four walls of the school
ROOM but to Holden such thing impossible.
He looked upon culture as a source of pros
perity and happiness to humanity. He had vi
sion of more generous fields more golden harvests.
He pictured big red barns, fine dairy cattle hap
py homes.
But he behe1d these things possible only
through the united efforts and intelligent CO.
operation of the people and organized the Corn
Growers association. He recognized the agricu-
tural possibilities of the sugar beet and the Sugar
Beet Growers association into being.
Already he had done much for the farmers of
Illinois, but he was not content. Men of achieve
ment have little time for retrospection. He saw
the need Of improving the quality Of the corn and
organized both the Corn Growers association and
Americas first corn judging school, He placed
corn upon higher education plane than Latin
and Greek organized the Illinois club for the
dissemination of agricultural knowledge among
Young men and revived and broadened the farm
ers' Institutes of the state.
Then the Iowa State college beckoned him. AS
professor of agronomy and as director of the agri
cultural extension department OF that institution
he continued the work he began IN illinois. lie
did more He "beat his record which is a
motto he has held before him since he was boy
in little country school house In the backwoods
of Michigan.
He inaugurated better-corn campaign that IS
unique and majestic in the history OF agriculture.
He shattered all traditions of extension work by
refusing to rely upon bulletins and other printed
matter to carry his message to the people. He
went in Derson to the farmers eat their homes and
Taught them by word of mouth. He inoculated
commerce and transportation with the bacteria
of more and better corn and set precedent Tor
every state of the Union by conducting the hrst
railway train ever for the purpose OF spread
ing the gospel of profitable farming.
add what would equal three-ounce nubbin
TO HILL he said land the gain VIII De ten push
els to the acre. About nine mHnoh acres are
PLANTED TO corn in Iowa each year That little
nubhin more in each hill will mean an increase OF
ninety million bushels
In 1912 after Professor Holden had talked and
demonstrated and labored for ten years, the nub-
hin was added TO the HILL The total increase In
tho ,inId RAT wear was 9S.914,557 bushels, which
nj 36 cents bushe the average price or corn
that vear meant that the market value OF this
WELD Increase was $35,609,240
All Iowa was proud of Holden. but Holden's
fo,ne snread far beyond the borders or the state
He became a prominent ngufe IN natiohal
progress.
There were those who refused TO beheve tnat
r1oldan,c activities should be confined to even one
walton en- he was placed at the head OF q mighty