Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-05-11

out consplcuously. This man is Professor Perry
G. Holden, undoubtedly the most noted agricul-
tural expert of our time
A few years ago Professor Holden trebled the
value of the corn crop in Iowa. little later he
put millions of dollars into the pockets of the
farmers of Oregon, Washington and Idaho. AS a
final achievement, he induced the farmers of
Arkansas to adopt a system of crop dversifcation
which resulted in,an increase of the wealth of the
state of more than S3OOO0.O0O in a single year.
And Professor Holden says he has only started
that 1t Is his ambition to do much. 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 upft, which In its scope and signifi-
canoe, is without parallel in this or any other
country. What is of equal importance. he is at
the head of organization with practically
limited facilities for carrying the work. Dur
ing the last three 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 10000 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, preacher, n philOsO
pher, a prophet and a 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 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 activi-
ties to be bounded by the four walls of the school
room. but to Holden such thing was impossible
He looked upon corn culture source of pros
perity and happiness to humanity. He had vi
AL hsrx-n
He pictured big red barns, fine dairy cattle hap
by homes.
But he beheld 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 came into being.
Already he had done much for the farmers of
Illinois, but he 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 a 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 1arH-
ers' institutes of the state
Then the Iowa State college beckoned him. AS
professor of agronomy and director of the agri-
cultural extension department of that institution
he continued the work he began In Illinois. He
did more He "beat his own record" which Is a
motto he has held before him since he was boy
I'm n little country school house in the backwoods
Of Michigan.
He inaugurated a 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 i'm person to the farmers at their homes and
Taught them by word of mouth He inocuated
commerce and transportation with the bacteria
of more and better and set a precedent for
everv state of the Union by conducting the hrst
railway train ever run for the purpose of spread
ing the gospel of profitable farming.
"Add what would equal three-ounce nubbin
TO HILL" he s-id, "and the gain VIII De ten oush-
els TO the acre. About nine million acres are
nlonted To corn in Iowa each year. That little
nubhin more I'm each hill will mean an increase or
ninety million bushels"
Tn 1919 after Professor Holden had talked ana
demonstrated and labored for ten years the nub-
hin was added to the hill. The total increase In
the Weld that year was 9S9l4,oo' busheis' WHICH
at 36 cents bushel. the average price OF corn
that year. meant that the market Vaiue Oh 'h's
weld increase was S356O9,24O.
All Iowa was proud of Holden nut Hoideh
fame spread far beyond the borders OF the state.
He became a prominent figure In nationai
progress. .o,,o,,o .,..
There were those who refused TO beileVe that
uo,dan,s activities should be confined to even one
nation. so he was placed at the head OF might!