The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-07-30
GREAT THINGS ARE ACCOM-
PLlSHED IN COUNTY
GOOD RECORD IS MADE
Help to Agriculture and the
Live Stock Industry; Club
Affairs

ment of agriculture ana an agency
through which the farmers can help
themselves. Its purpose is to main
tain the most profitable and perma-
nent system of farming adapted to
and utilize the best ideas of all far
mers as to what can and should be
done to improve our soil, crops, live
stock and marketing problems, as
well as living conditions in general
The Blue Earth County Farm Bur-
eau was organized and commenced
work March /, 1918, with NJ. r. Bene
dict as county agent. Mr.. Benedict
continued as such until November,
1919, when he was succeeded by L. E.
McMillen who is now county agent.
NJ. H. Coe began work April l. 1918,
taking charge OF Boys and Girls club
work. He is still with the bureau
and is known as the county club
Agent.
At each annual meeting of the Farm
Bureau definite outline or program
of work is adopted. This program
lays out in detail the work to be fol-
lowed for the ensuing year and deals
with most important problems that
have demanded attention in the past
and that should be given conSidera-
ton in the future.
Since the organization of the Blue
Earth County Farm Bureau in 1918
the following have been given major
attention.
Seed Corn-The spring of 1918 was
marked by the most extreme shortage
of seed corn ever known in the north
west. An early freeze the fall of 1917
together with very damp weather and
immature corn rendered much OF the
seed saved unfit for planting. The
Farm Bureau helped solve the prob
lem in three ways: First by locating
corn and directing buyers to il: Sec
ond by establishing a testing station
at the court house where approx
mately 200 bushels were ear tested; ;.
third by putting on campaign OF
publicity informing people OF the SER
ious condition of the seed corn and
urging them to ear test their corn.
The result was a splendid stand of
corn throughout the county. Seed
corn selection campaigns have been
put on each fall and help given in Sc
curing higher yielding and more pro-
fitable strains of corn.
Hog Cholera-This dreaded disease
OF the hog broke out in nine different
communities in the county during the
year of 1918 and in every community
except one was checked at once. Far
mers in the infected communities
trolling carriers of infection and in
maintaining strict quarantine. Chol-
era appeared the season of 1919 in six
communities and similar methods of
control were effective. The yeterinar-
ians gave splendid cooperation and
vaccinated 1923 hogs. Through this
work thousands of dollars have been
saved the hog raiSers of Blue Earth
county. Assistance has been given in
the control of other diseases such as
black leg and NEGRO bacillosis.
Tuberculosis-Over one hundred
herds in the county have received one
or more free tests by federal veter-
inarians. This means much for the
live stock industry of the county and
Is worth many times its cost from the
standpoint of public health alone.
This work is growing steadily and
many applications are being received
at the Farm Bureau office for the fed
eral tuberculin test
Live stock-The county now has
a Beef Breeders association, Guern-
sey Breeders association and Hol-
stein Breeders association. The
county agent is secretary of all three
worth or stock has been sold through
public sales in 1920. The Farm Bur
eau is a clearing house for good live
stock and issues each month an eX-
change list of goo dive stock for
sale.
Cow Testing Association A cow
testing association was organized in
This association is doing splendid
work and is one of the active forces
which are helping to secure more
profitable live stock in the county.
Live Stock Sales Pavilion-A move
ment was started in the fall of 1919 to
build live stock pavilion at Mankato.
Assistance has been given in raising
funds, securing plans and in planning
a building which when completed will
be one of the finest sales pavilions in
the Middle West
Cooperative Creameries-Blue Earth
county is a great dairy county and
ranks seventh In the list of sixteen
counties in the state of Minnesota
wnichs sold over a million dollars
worth of butter fat in 1918. The to-
tai value Of butter fat sold by the
being s1,290,S97.29. An industry rep
resenting such valuation is a very
important one to the people of Blue
Earth county and its continuance de-
ponds upon a satisfactory price being
paid for butter fat. To aid in Gecur
ing a just price for butter fat, four
teen creameries Of the county have
pcSh ChSoui oSCu ~ JUN Will IhO
state dairy council and advertise the
merits of butter as compared. with so
called butter substitutes. 1t is felt
that this campaign of advertisement
of milk and its products will mean
many thousands of dollars to the far
mers of Blue Earth county.
Wool Growers Association Owing
to the demoralized condition of the
wool market a county Wool Growers
association has been organized and it
is planned to market the wool CO.
operatively. Other localities are fol-
lowing this plan with good success
and 10000 pounds of wool Is now
listed with tie county association.
Boys and Girls Clug Work-The
Farm Bureau is especially fortunate
in being permanently organized 10
carry on the Junior lines Of work
with the boys and girls of the county
and this boys and girls club work has
achieved splendid results for Blue
Earth county. Through the county
club agent hundreds of boys and
each year have become interested In
calves, pigs, corn, gardens, canning,
breadbaking, poultry, Judging, and
sewing and the other ordinary things
of life and have found that splendid
opportunities await them on the farm
and in the home. This is making for
he foy nm nf al