The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1917-01-19
SCIENCE IN FARMING.


Agricultural Representatives Help
Farmers Increase Their Profits.
At a conference of university re-
gents, settlers and business men, held
recently at Rhinelander, Wis, agricul-
tural representatives We're 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.
H. L. Russell, dean of the Wisconsin
College of Agriculture, reported that
at the beginning of the year 1912,
when practically all of Villas county
and one-third of Oneida were included
in the proposed forestry reserve, there
were but around 400 farmers scattered
| throughout Oneida county and proba-
bly, fifty in Villas county. OF this num-
| Der only a very few had farms which
would really pass as such, and on most
of these the system of agriculture
which was being developed was rather
crude.
"In 1912 in these countless" said
Dean Russell, alfalfa was considered
a failure, corn a 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 animals, and,
worse yet, such cattle were held in rel
atively low esteem. Not milk scale
was found in barn. There was but
one creamery in all Of this area, cover
ing nearly 100000 acres.
"Today In contrast there is in addi-
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 a 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 po
t tato show at Grand Rapids, Mich, last
3 winter by winning the grand sweep
e stakes prize. At the state fair this
year Oneida county ranked nintt
4 among all the counties which were
t represented with exhibits, having riser
9 to this position in the scale in foul
s years from a condition where there
Y was practically no agricultural inter
g est. One Oneida farmer secured owe
i $50 at the state fair this year in casl
!, prizes on his exhibit of grain and pc
: tatoes. result which has been accom-
! plished primarily through the consist
t ent work of the county representa-
+ tive"
: