The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1920-11-18
WHAT WOULD YOUR
~ FARM BE WORTH?

Hatfield, the rainmaker has been
the subject for Magazine articles for
years, and most Of us thot the stories
were the vivid imagination of an am
bilious story writer or reporter whose
cleverly written fiction was at least
interesting tho incredulous, but in
times past we were not particularly
interested, for rain fell with all its
attendant blessings, and Bottineau
County was the most prosperous
County in the State and all was well,
but today after the rains have been
withheld, our land producing but a
small fraction of it's real capacity, and
citizens on the verge Of financial en-
barrasment we are willing to view the
stories in different light, and do a
little Independent thinking.
Many Of us have seen artificial ice
made from warm water, and been in
formed that the Transformation had
been caused by chemicals which lower
the temperature sufficiently to cause
severe frost, and if the temperature
can be lowered by chemicals, why can
not the temperature of the water
floating in the air be lowered suffi-
GENTLY to cause it to fall in the form
Of rain, the question then would seem
to be to get the proper chemicals in
contact with the clouds, which is the
claim Of Hatfield. ,.->.....
The question next arises as to why
our Government weather bureaus and
Agricultural Colleges have not inves-
tigated the claims of the rain maker,
and if found to be founded on fact
had his secrets purchased by the Gov
ernment,. to be donated to section in
need Of rain. Is it possible that the
public institutions are headed by fos-
sils called scientists, who could be so
Indifferent to the welfare of drouth
stricken farmers, as to let them loose
billions in money and suffer untold
hardships because of their unworthi-
ness. If Hatfield is an imposter the
public should know it, if his discovery
is genuine, and practical, he is the
greatest benefactor mankind has ever
known. :..
As to the benefit of the rain, it is
scarcely necessary to recount them.
True it is that rain will not insure
a grain crop, for it might bring rust,
but it would bring clover, alfalfa, for
age and pasture such as is rarely
euualed, rain would rid US almost en-
tjrely of Russian thistles, for they do
not thrive ir. wet seasons. The grass.
hopper plague would be but a memory
for they could not destroy any appre-
ciable amount if the rains gave our
fertile lands chance, besides hoppers
appear to thrive only in very dry
areas. With sufficient moisture drift
ing soil would be unknown.
Why not have our County Commits
sioners expend a sufficient amount of
the $4,000 or more of grasshopper
determination fund in the double mis-
sion Of hopper determination, and in
suring us against drouth, which is our
only serious difficulty. There is no
doubt that we will again be blessed
with abundant rains as of yore but
will the rains come soon enough. AS
Hatfield guarantees rain or no pay,
we would have everything to gain and
nothing to lose. Why not instruct our
Co. Commissioners to enter into I'M
mediate negotiations with Hatfield
for his services for next year, let us
insure moisture that will make our
farms again blossom as the rose.
Il Whitby.