The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1925-10-28
Todd County Reveals
Farm Object Lesson
Charles B. Cheney

One of the most progressive dairy.
ing counties in the state, Todd couu'
tv is an interesting object lesson in
several respects. The county exceis
IL high grade dairy herds. in co-opera.
tive creameries, in alfalfa and swee!
clover production, in hog and poultr.
products, and has a fine corn record
One of the best corn crops in the his
tory of the county is being harvested
this fall, largely because the progress
sive Todd county farmers have de-
veloped and are using a seed variety
suitable to their conditions.
Todd is a 100 per cent cooperative
county. It's ID creameries are all CO.
operative. Every one of them has =
cooperative livestock shipping asso-
citation as an adjunct and nearly al
have egg shipping associations. The
IA cooperatives shipedd $685. 1853 lbs
Cf butter last year, and that is not .
fair measure of Todd county produc-
ton. Creameries in Sank Center
Osakis, Swanville, Motley and Ros.
City, all in other counties, drew
heavily on Todd county dairy farm
for their operation.
Thanks to dairying and what goes
with it, the farmers Of this county who
have stayed on the job and did no
get caught in the land boom, hardly
knew there was period Of depres-
sion. Their monthly cream checks
came in just the same. Their hogs
and poultry brought in a good in
come. Banks did have their troubles
for a while with newcomers who paid
high prices for land, and some of those
farmers have given up, but a great
many have remained and have wealth
cred the depression period. The con-
ditions now are sound and are &c
per cent better than last year, local
bankers say. Bank deposits are
much larger in spite of lower rate
on time deposits. The banks are
carrying large part of their assets
in high grade securities, and ha ye
no use for outside money. Financial
ly, Todd county is independent
Majority Are Dairymen
The great majority of Todd county
farmers are dairymen. The minority
are coming into line as fast as they
can. 1t is the concensus Of opinion
that under present prices and cOndi-
tons the only successful farmer is
the dairy farmer.
Recent progressive moves in agri
culture are being made under direction
Of the Long Prairie Leader, whose
proprietor, Rudolph Lee. is interested
also in banks and other enterprises
and has a large stake in Todd couu-
ty prosperity. He has employed w
w. Brooks, practical and success
sul farmer, as farm expert who i.
giving his services free tC the farm
ers of the county.
Mr.. Brooks tours the entire coun.
ty, corvering it twice year and visit
ing each farmer at least once during
the year. He points the way to be-
ter farm and dairy production, in
itiates new projects, and preachc.
modern methods weekly through /;
special farm page. Through thi
farm department the Long Prairi,
newspaper has helped Todd count,
formers buy seed and fertilizer, co!
lect and sell surplus dairy stock, ex
change pure bred sires and organize
cow testing associations.
Our Todd county programs sal,
Mr.. Lee, is for more intensive dair,
farming, for hog and chicken raisins
to go with the dairying, and for ra;s
ing practically all feed on the farm.
Under the last head, they have beel
pushing alfalfa and sweet clover
Last year Mr. Lee bought and dis
tributed at cost carload of alfalf
seed and car of sweet clover see.
to 500 farmers. The county now IA
some 5000 acres in alfalfa and 1.50
to 1900 in sweet clover, The alfalf
is a benefit especially IN the north
west part of the county, with it
sandy soil, which fortunately need
no lining. The sweet clover mosti
is being pastured and also has it's va
lie as soil builder
Phosphate Bought for Peat Soil
There is considerable peat soil i
the county which needs fertilizin
clements especially phosphate, t
make it highly productive. Mr.. lie
induced DR.. F. j. Away and Pro
f<eoo. n II Mason, coil av,oar4c :,