The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-01-16
CROWDSAT GRAIN
SMEETTNG
GREATER TODAY;
INTEREST IS KEEN
Farmers Give Close Atten-
ton to Group of Inter
esting Speakers
FARM LOAN AID
GIVEN APPROVAL
Important Problems Are
Being Given Attention
At Ioday's Sessions

Increased attendance and close at
tention to the speakers were the
features of the opening session of
the second day of the nineteenth an
nual convention OF the Tri-state
Grain Growers convention at the
auditorium, Fargo, this morning.
The operation Of the federal farm
loan system was explained by y. II.
Faast, vice-president of the Federal
Land bank, st. Paul, who came to
the convention in place OF President
u. G. Quamme. Not only did he ex-
plain the plan and answer all ques-
tions, but he assured the farmers
whose applications for loans have
been approved that they will soon
receive their money. He said there
would be approximately $22, 100000
of new money brought into the three
states-Minnesota North Dakota
and South Dakota-this spring.
T. "A. Hoverstad, former secretary
Of the association, was welcomed as
an old friend. He said that not one
of the men who helped to organize
the association 19 years ago could
have dreamed that the discussion of
farm loans would be a feature Of one
of the future meetings.
Addresses were made by Commits
sioner of Agriculture ]. N. Hagan, Of
North Dakota on Forage Crops,
and by Mr.. Hettinger of the extern
sion department OF the Minnesota
Agricultural college on "The Seed
Corn Situation in the Northwest"
The addresses Tuesday afternoon
were by J. e. Eastgate, Of LarimoreI
on Meat Production; DR.. f.. c..
"a WEF~nnwANm TNvvF
college, on Diseases of Potatoes;
Chief Deputy Grain Inspector j. A..
McGovern, on wheat Grades, and
Grading" and superintendent oil
Public Instruction NJ. G. Macdonald,
on Rural Education"
Hagan on Forage Plants.
Forage plants were discussed by
j. N. Hagan, North Dakota commits
sioner of agriculture, at the morning
session of the grain growers conven-
ti0n today. The Importance Of the
hay crop this year was emphasized
and the work necessary to get the
perennial plants growing early were
features OF Commissioner Hagan's
address.
"If the perennial plants make a hay
crop in North Dakota, said Mr..
Hagan, they must have moisture
early and If the April rains come they
will be given a good start. The ad-
vantage OF the perennial over other
forage crops Is that they are already
in the ground ready to grow as soon
as moisture and warm weather come"
A practical suggestion for holding
the moisture on the fields was TO
break up the rubber blanks cover
Ing the soil as the sod was charac-
teriZed by the speaker.
las soon as possible in the spring,
when the ground is dry for three or
four inches on the surface, tear up
the meadows with q plow, disc,
spring tooth or peg-tooth harrow.
This will allow the moisture to sink
in and will help to make a crop. This
Is especially true Of alfalfa. bronze
grass and timothy meadows. An
other great help will be to give the
meadows a top dressing of manure
this winter"
To start new emergency meadows a
top dressing rof manure should be
spread this winter on wheat or other
stubble field, and the work Of pre-
pairing should be done early with disc
and harrow. Oats or field peas should
be soNed early with a seeder. This
will give an early hay crop. Peas
are the better crop, but the seed is
very high and many farmers will feel
that they cannot afford to buy it.
"The pastures need practically the |
sarne treatment as the old meadows"
said Mr.. Hagan. "A top dressing of |
manure and a tearing up of the soil |
to allow the moisture to sink in are |
necessary TO give an early start.
The planting of sorghums and |
Soudan grass was not advised as these |
plants have not proved successful in |
North Dakota. For forage hog mill
let was not recommended as 1t is a /
seed crop. The only millets recon-
mended for forage are those OF the |
fox tail varieties Siberian. Hungar-
ian and German.
In answer to q question as 10 the
amount Of cats to seed for hay, Mr..
Hagan advised seeding from a BUSH
81 TO a husheI and a half to the acre
President Waldron had a word TO /
saw about the wonderful production
promised by some Of the seedmen Tor
Soudan grass, Alaska wheat and 9TH
er new Varieties of forage and grain
crops. Anything that promises an
increase OF over 10 per cent should De
avoided" said Mr.. Waldron.
Hoverstad Speaks.
II A. Hoverstad, former secretary
of the association and now agrtcul-l
tural commissioners for the 500 rail-
way advised the raising on the. farm
of the things that are neeueu lhsLeau
OF sending away for them.
What the farmers should do ts
to put their money into more stock,
buildings and labor instead Of spend
ing il for additional land" said MT.
Hoverstad.
He spoke Of the benefit Of corn
growing and said silage can be kept
from year to year TO guard againstl
crop shortage. An instance was
cited Of silage kept in a wooden silo
FOR 2S years that was still in good
condition.
Mr. Hoverstad said the soil of
North Dakota would continue fer
tile for many centuries, The climate
he said, is all right and the methods
or conserving the moisture were
outlined. Cultivation and deep plow-
ing viii form reservoirs for retain-
ing the moisture; ravines. may be
damned 10. hold the rain for evap-