The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1919-11-06
raised $4,000 bushels, which sold at
prices ranging from 75s to $500 per
l. -

Frenchweed, mustard and wild oats
could be exterminated by proper sum
merfallowing. His methods were a
follows: First manure the grount
we'll, plow shallow and allow all laten
seeds to sprout but not go to seed. In
the spring plow the land deep-hi
biggest crops were raised from deep
est blowing. Don't manure ground
where you expect to plant Early Ohio
but other varieties put on plenty. He
cultivates very little but is particular
to see that there is good dust mulch
After digging time, if season is dry
he plows, but if wet he sows land tt
wheat. The past season Mr.. Porte
raised 5000 bushels of wheat which
averaged from Is to % bushels pc
acre. His dockage was but 2 pound
per bushel, owing to the lack Of any
foud seed. His wheat weighed 581s
pounds per bushel. He raised mostly
Marquis, but prefers Java Fife, bu
does not advocate raising above 40 O
SO acres of this variety, as it shell
badly. He said that as a general
thing Marquis does best on potato
ground. On the Porter farm, he said
their only drawback was lack Of suf-
ficient manure as but IA horses and
three cows were kept on three quartz
sections. He advocates the raising 0
potatoes on every farm in Ward coun
ty. No fear of flooding the market
The greatest potato growing county
in the United States is the county of
Aristook, Maine, where, notwithstand
ing some 100000 bushels were rails
ed, the products of that county COM
manded premium in the markets Of
the eastern states. He said the begin
ner should start with small acreage
say 20 acres, to thoroly familiarize
himself with the diseases peculiar to
the potato plant. The best way to
make this study was to grow potatoes
and as ones knowledge developed, to
increase the acreage. Once potato
grower, always a potato grower, as
one never quits the game after a
good start. He spoke Of how potatoe
had put the Berthold farmers on thei
feet. He mentioned the immense ware
house erected there which has cap
acity of 100000 bushels. Speaking
of marketing conditions Mr.. Porter
said there was no trouble providing
the right methods were used. He
frowned upon consigning to commits
sion merchants, preferring to accom-
pany each shipment and upon arrival
at destination sell the stock upon mer-
it, demonstrating their quality, if
necessary, by giving samples to house.
wives to test for themselves. The
speaker related incidents where G he
had tried this method with success.
Especially did he emphasize the ship
ment of prime stock and under no cir
cumstances to palm off frosted or in
ferior potatoes as it gave a section a
bad reputation. He said that he ex-
pected to see Ward county become the
banner potato county of the United
States
Mr. Porter's remarks were listened
to with rapt attention by those present
.as all knew here was man thoroly
conversant with the facts and ideas he
presented and that he understood local
conditions and above all had made a
success right here in our own county.
Prof. Puderbaugh, Assistant Com
missioner Of Agriculture, was then
introduced. Unlike many Of the
sneakers who are experts along agri-
cultural lines the Professor is abso-
lutely free from the usual dictatorial
mannerisms so common with speakers
of his class, but advocated making
haste slowly. He stated that altho
thoroly familiar with the potatoe
grown in every state in the Union, he
could say that in no other state were
better potatoes grown than in North
Dakota. He said that the irrigated
potato was far inferior and stated that
the irrigation farmer was always anx-
ious to get seed from the dry belt and
that here would be. found market
for much Of our product. He said he
grew up in Kansas where the farmers
passed thru practically the same con-
ditions we are now facing in North
Dakota. They started with wheat and
when wheat could no longer be rais-
ed with profit they switched to corn
and other cultivated corps. Grain
crops exhausted the nitrogen, phos-
phorous and phosphates of the soil and
that crop rotation was the only known
method Of restoring those elements
satisfactorily. Abundant moisture, he
said, was not necessary, but that our
people should use every endeavor pos
sible to conserve the moisture by
growing cultivated crops. He said the
hardships Of the past few years would
eventually inure to the benefit Of our
farmers as thev were now beginning
to realize as never before the absolute
necessity of crop rotation. Different
plants require different plant foods
and consequently the same crop should
not be grown oftener than once in
four years. Speaking of the work Of
the county agents, he said that their
educational work and demonstration,
would reyolutionize farming. Crop
rotation and dairying together with a
reduction in the size Of farms, result
ing in more intensified farming meth
DDS would give North Dakota within
the next five years not only infinitely
greater wealth but actually result in
the growing Of more crops. He men
toned the Importance the humble sun
flower has now attained as silag
crop, ranking nearly equal to corn for
this purpose. One remarkable state
ment by the speaker was that North
Dakota's corn yield this year was
equal to that Of Iowa on the average
He said that dairying would eventually
become the dominating interest Of this
state and that too within the coming
decade. The past year the increase in
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