The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-07-03
ABERDEEN ANNUAL
FIELD DAY DRAWS
NOTED EDUCATORS
Faith in Idaho Keynote
OF Speakers at Farm
Bureau Picnic

Aberdeen experimental station Tues
day was of unusual interest an,
very successfully carried out. TIL
visitors were assembled at the hig
school building where a picnic luncI
was spread, after which addresse
were given in the auditorium befor
going out to take up the field work
Colonel Fugate presided and Dea,
Iddings of the university extension
department gave the first address
reviewing briefly the service rem
dered by the department of agricul
ture and the important place helt
In the national and state program
by the Aberdeen station. He said IL
part: 1T Is the policy of the fedora
government to carry on experiments
and secure new information in agri.
culture, and it Is done through ex-
detrimental stations and agricultural
colleges. In our own state the work
was originally done at the univers-
1ty, but because of our varied eli
mate, north Idaho could not make
tests for south Idaho, and the dis
tr1ct plan has been adopted. An
experimental farm is operated at
Caldwell where all questions of stock
feeding are dealt with. Another
station at Felt, in the Teton basin,
makes tests for all the higher aIti-
tudes, while the Aberdeen station
handles all questions of farm crops
for the medium attitudes, both for
irrigated and dry farm crops. Dry
farm problems have been pretty we'll
disposed Of, and the station is now
devoting its energies chiefly to ques-
lions of new varieties and testing
to see which are the best This kind
Of work is always in progress, and
the Dicklow and Marcus wheat and
Trebi barley developed at Aberdeen
were first given to the world through
local farmers, and added much
wealth to agriculture. The actual
work Of testing Is always done at
loss, but when the facts are given
to the public or when the improved
products are placed with the farm
'ers for reproduction it places adj
vantage with the people and those
living near such a station have the
first chance at these benefits.
"In such states at Illinois, Mime
sofa and Nebraska where conditions
do not vary much, one station can
make tests for whole states or sew
country with its varied climate and |
soil conditions and irrigation intro |
ducing strange conditions as COM |
pared with rain fall, the federal gov
eminent has found it necessary to |
maintain a testing place to solve
problems for all agricultural areas
similarly situated. Aberdeen is such
a testing ground, and the federal
government pays half of the cost of
operating. The department of agri-
culture sends men all over the world
to gather products, and when seeds
are brought from the arid and semi
arid countries of Europe and Asia,
with climate similar to ours, they are
sent to Aberdeen, Idaho, to be tested.
So Aberdeen forms an important
link, not only in our state but in the
and worldwide survey Of
agricultural possibilities. When a
hundred good kinds of grain or a
dozen good kinds of forage grass are
brought to us to find out which are
The best suited to our conditions,
Aberdeen is assigned the task of
raising them side by side and con-
1ucting the study and making the
report. 1t is now testing hundreds
If varities and this field day is for
he purpose of enabling citizens to
Zee what is being done and to con-
lect with its benefits"
DIR. Upham's Address.
DR.. A. H. Upham, president of the
of Idaho, was next intro
Iuced as the big chief of educational !
york and head Of the department
# agriculture and agricultural ex-
ension of this state, and he said
n part:
'I am glad that Mr.. Iddings ex-
,lained the important position oc-
upied by the Aberdeen station. it
3 in a strategic position in our agri- {
ultural development in this state, |
nd in our work we realize that fact
erhaps more than you who live here t
" II. his ID my llTSt NlSIt " aDOi-
cen and in my present tour OF the t
outhern part of the state have been
xpecting to find dire effects from
,ater shortage, but so far, I find
rops doing well and people assum-
NJ that there are crop losses but F
ways it is just little farther on; v
yer in some other country or some a
Their section, and happily do not ii
yertake any such situation. "a
"I think Idaho has had its prin-
Ipal damage, and is on its way to RI.
etter times If people would talk tt
,ss of their troubles and expected e
.oubles, and more Of how they are A
Ding to utilize their resources, the 6
Improvement might come along more r.
lpidly. Let me illustrate by story.
Continued on Page Eight Il