The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1921-02-24
ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING
HELD LAST FRIDAY
Club Appoints Committee to As.
sist in Financing Project and
Lends Moral Support to Mo-
vement to Clear 10000 Acres.

That the Washburn commercial
| Club is live institution, ready and
willing to lend it's aid to any pro-
/ ject which has for its object the de-
veopment of the city of Washburn
and the County of Bayfield,, was DEM
onstrated again n Friday evening
of last week when the Bayfield, Coun-
ty Land Clearing proposition was
brought to the attention of the Club
and action taken which will insure
this district holding up it's end of
the mighty movement.
1t was one of the best meetings
which the Club has held in many
day, and those who were present at
the meeting entered into the dis
cussions with vim that is charac-.
teristic of Washburn business men
when they become interested in q
proposition and the Club has pledged
! itself to put the movement over SO
far as this district is concerned.
The proposition of the county
wide land clearing movement was
brought before the Club by County
Agricultural Agent v. E. Brubaker,
who xplained its object and the plan
to be carried out, the amount of
money necessary to raise in each of
the banking districts of the county,
and an outline of the plan.
John Swenehart in charge of the
land clearing division of the Agricul-
tural Department of the University
of Wisconsin gave one of the best
land clearing talks which has ever
been delivered to a Washburn au-
dience. Mr.. Swenehart knows the
land clearing game through and
through, knows the value of clear
ed acre over wild land, knows how
land clearing makes for weather.
communities and better county,
knows the financial gain through a
movement of this kind, and in his
most energetic manner delivered his
message to the audience present and
brought home the facts in such q
manner that there was not a man
present that could not see the value
of the drive to be made.
Mr.. Swenehart outlined the plan
of the organization and had facts
and figures to back up his state
ments.
There is total land area in Bay
field county Of 961,000 acres, which
according to late figures contains
1900 farms, the average number of
acres to each farm under cultiva-
tion being about 18 acres, or per
cent of the land area being cleared
at the present time.
The increase in the number of
farms per township during the last
10 years was II farms. Mr.. Swene-
hart stated that a farmer was un-
able to make any profit when but
|18 acres were under cultivtion and
that any farmer with less acres than
this under cultivation was playing
loosing game.
The cash value of the sixteen
crops raised in Bayfield, county dur
ing 1919 was 81, ,487 $1,000. Figures
showed that the average increase in
farms in Northern Wisconsin per
township during the past ten years
was 18 farms while the increase in
Bayfield, county was II, showing that
this county was not up to the aver
age.
Rusk county where similar land
clearing organization was operated,
showed an increase of 341S new
farms per township during the
same period.
In the Washburn district there was
247 farms with total of 9,487 acres.
During 1920 the Washburn district
cleared a total of 154 acres which
was little over half an acre per
farm. During 1920 the Washburn
district used one and quarter cars
of explosives while this year it is
hoped to increase this to more
than two cars.
Mr.. Briggs, Supervisor of County
Agents for the Northern district,
was next called on and gave one of
the snappiest talks club members
have heard in some time. His talk
was fairly bristling with the bene-
fits to be derived from such land
clearing campaign as is proposed,
and he stated there were none that
would not derive some benefit, even
going as far to include, doctors, dem
lists, newspaper men and even
preachers.
Mr.. Farey then gave short talk
on land clearing, OCCUPYING about two
minutes time.
1t was voted by the club to raise
the sum of $500 as Washburn's share
toward the project and to lend every
moral support possible to make it a
success.
The Club is determined that the
Washburn district will do its part
and the farmers of the district will
join in carrying cot the plan to.
clear more acrea.