The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-10-03
OPTIMISM Is
VOICED HERE
ATA.C. FORUM
DR.. Coulter of Agriculture
College and ]. M. Devine
Tell of States Possibilities
MANY OUTSIDERS GUESTS
Burleigh County Business
Men and Farmers Talk of
United Effort In Boosting

United Effort in Boosting
Messages Of confidence in North
Dakota's future were brought to
members of the Association Of Com
merce and two score farmers and
business men from various parts Of
Burleigh county, at the first Forum
dinner held in the Grand Pacific
hotel last night. More than ITS men
and women were present, the atten-
dance being so large that 1t was ne
cessary to make additional seating
arrangements after the dinner mad
begun.
President John Lee Coulter of the
State Agricultural College and Com
missioner Of immigration J. n. De-
vine, speaking r. Bhrlcigh county
and North Dakota, breathed a whole
some confidence and optimism into
the big gathering, and Association
members and visitors from other part
of the county met one another ard
discussed informally plans for pre-.
senting a united front in urging
Burleigh county's resources to the
attention Of the rest of the nation.
]. L. Bell opened the meeting,
President Webb being unable tc be
present because Of illness and Geo1ke
Duemeland, manager of the Patter-
son Land Company, presided. The
decorations for the occasion consist
ed Of stalks Of corn at various places
about the banquet tabr, with long,
firm ears as q silent reminder that
Burleigh county IL in the corn belt
with a vengeance.
Found What Would Grow
President Coulter, speaking in a
happy vein, went buck to an exper-
ience on the "old home farm" down
on the Red River where his parents
settled more than 40 years ago. It
was popularity supposed that only
wheat and other grains would grow
there, he said. His father, however,
planted few potatoes each year.
Then one year some Congressman
sent lot Of free seeds. The chill
dren played with them. There hap
pened to be little patch Of unused
ground at the end of the potato
field. His mother suggested they
scatter the seeds around there "just
to see If they'd grow" They did
grow. The result was An amazing
and Prolific variety of vegetables
and flowers, DR.. Coulter said. They
learned that almost anything will
grow in North Dakota.
But today, even in spite Of the fact
that freight rates are high and the
cost is great, North Dakota il inn
porting canned goods which can be
produced on the farm, he said.
DR.. Coulter said he went TO a Bis
marck grocery store. First he asked
that all things sold in the store that
could not be grown in North Dakota
be set out. The clerk set out ba-
nanas, grape fruit, oranges and lem
ons.
Then DR., Coulter asked for the
things that can be grown I'M North
Dakota. Before he got through one
basket was not enough, he said.
There was in the basket celery,
Icabbage. corn, head lsttuce-some
of the finest head lettuce in the
world is grown in North Dakota, he
said-cauliflower, watermelon, par
snip, turnip, pumpkin, Rocky Ford
canteloupe, egg plants and peppers,
onions and potatoes, tomatoes, car
rots, sweet potatoes, beans, apples
"a score Of other vegetables and
fruits.
Finest Soil In Wsrld
+ "Our soil is the finest in the
world" DR.. Coulter said. II have
seen soil in northern Italy and
sunny France that has been farmed
1000 years. You can't tell me this
soil of ours has worn but. We are
not treating it right. We do not
give 1t chance to produce one thing
one year and another thing another
year." -
DR.. Coulter said that until so
years ago North Dakota literally
teemed with wild life. There was
the finest grass in the world for the
buffalo to feed on. The Indians
raised corn. Prairie chickens
abounded.
"There were no fences" said DR..
Coulter. "They didn't have to stay
here. But they did stay because in
all the world it was the finest place.
I'VE are all plungers-we've been
plunging. The people who want to
use the natural resources Of North
Dakota must study the possibilities
and make use of them"
DR.. Cou1er suggested divsrsifica-
tion, and a committee Of business
men in the cities and on nthe farms
to study, the best results Of crops,
marketing, expansion Of growing and
similar conditions. Such . commit
tee with good level-headed young
county agent to organize pig clubs,
corn clubs, etc. could be- Of great
value, he said.