The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-06-29
THE FIRST ALFALFA TOUR

pronounced success. 1t was very
busy season, acres and acres of alfalfa
that should have been cut and in the
stack ten days or two weeks ago is
still standing in the field awaiting
the mower; corn needed cultivating
and some are not yet through plant
ing corn, and for this reason the at
tendance by our own people was not
as large as it would have been had the
season been more favorable this spring
end the farmers not so far behind
with their work.
The first day, Tuesday, the tour
started about one hour late and the
tl.,Jt stop was made at the S. A. Hill
n@Im east OF Wood where Il field Of al
oalfa was inspected, and the DIS
utinguiahed visitors were formally in.
troduced to the people. Every one OF
the speakers that had been advertised
TO be present on the tour, with the cX-
CeptiCn Of Commissioner Of lmmigra-
ton Irwin ID. Aldrich, the moving pie
ture cameraman Of the State college
and the representative Of the Interna.
tional Harvester Company. Mr.. Aid
rich was unable to come on account
Of the condition Of the roads between
here and Pierre, and Mr. Scarbro, Of
the State college, was tied up at
Pierre with a BIZ camp OF boys and
girls clubs and was there
fore unable to attend the tour and
take some moving pictures. At the
Hill farm Mr.. Nick Casper, Of Rapid
City, president of the Western Alfalfa
Seed Growers Association, and him
self an extensive grower OF alfalfa,
made a short talk, after which the
party iourneyed to the Hugh Sinclair
farm where a fine field of alfalfa IN
full bloom was inspected, and each OF
the party provided themselves with q
After a few short talks the party
moved on to the NJ. c. COrdcs ranch.
where another field Of alfalfa was IN
spected and his large herd Of cattle
was observed in passing. The party
started an hour behind schedule and
the morning stops had to be brict in
order to get on schedule time. Some
eighteen or twenty ears were in line
when t.ey got back to Wood, and a
very brief stop was made in town.
where the White River Cowboy band
rendered some excellent music. Then
on they went to the Banker ranch north
Of town to view the oldest field of al
talfa III the county-a field that has
been producing fine hay crops since
l9lO-and from present appearances
will continue to produce good crops Of
hay and seed for another ten years
without reseeding. A short talk was
made by Mr.. Banker, the owner of the
ranch, and also by Mr.. Casper.
The party next proceeded to the
Cody Shining farm, where the Cody
community was assembled in gOodly
numbers, and after a few selections by
the band and a short talk or two the
tourist party was given a dandy good
feed, consisting of sandwiches, salads,
coffee and cake. 1t was most boun
teous and satisfying feed, and wa
thoroughly enjoyed by every member
of the party. After dinner the cigars
4 l,n ~,
walked down to +. II. Hamilton's
field of Cossack alfalfa, where very
interesting and instructive talk was
given on alfalfa by Ralph Johnson,
agronomist Of the State college at
Brookings. His remarks were listened
to with marked attention and everyone
present was much interested in what
he had to say about the different va
rictieS OF alfalfa grown IN this state
as he explained them thoroughly. The
party then returned by way of Happy
Hollow, making stop at the Pete
Petersen farm, where a field OF ccrti-
fled alfalfa was inspected and good
talk was made by Mr.. Johnson.
I he next stop was at the
S. R. Langley farm in Rosebud Val,
ley, and here real show had been
provided for the tourists. There was
fine field of alfalfa with two sep
arate and distinct varieties, and Mr..
Johnson again made talk about this
wealth producing plant. A fine herd
of registered Polled Angus cattle next
attracted the attention of the party
and Mr.. w. j. Kennedy, professor OF
animal husbandry of the Iowa State
college, at Ames, Iowa, a man who is
a real authority on fine stock, having
judged stock in some of the large in
ternational stock shows, gave very
interesting talk. Some fine mares
with colts at their sides were next
shown and the good and bad points
were most thoroughly discussed and
pointed out by the speaker, and then