The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1925-04-02
ALFALFA IS IDEAL
HAY CROP FOR FARM
RALPH GRIMM GIVES VERY. IN.
TERESTING AND PRACTI-
CAL TALK
VICTOR KEY WINS PRIZE
BUSINESS MEN HOSTS TO $50
AT MONDAY LUNCHEON
MONDAY

Alfalfa Day in Sank Centre Tues
day was success.
Spring had so far advanced that
many farmers were in the field seed
ing or getting the land ready for
seeding that the crowd was not as
large as had been desired at the Of
ternoon program in the Junior High
School Auditorium.
The bargains advertised by the
Sank Centre merchants for Alfalfa
Day brought a good crowd to the
city in the forenoon, many of them
coming from nearby villages. At
noon the, Community Club under the
direction of Chairman Wedge of the
Club entertainment committee, and
his assistants, served a substantial
free lunch to all Corners at the Club
rooms. The lunch consisted of roast
pork, hot dog and cheese sandwiches,
doughnuts and coffee. In the neigh
Centre has not for some time so thor
who come to this city. The lunch
was served in comfortable quarters
and the food was tasty. A number
o.
lunch with their farmer friends and
their ladies on this occasion and they
got to know each other much better.
The program at the Junior High
School Auditorium at 1 80 was sup
ervised by Mayor William Parker,
chairman of the Clubs Alfalfa Day
Committee After several songs by
the Senior High School Glee Club,
directed by Miss Dorothy Scott,
dozen of Morgan's Colts gave very
interesting physical demonstration
lasting about IL minutes. The vari-
Gus movements were explained by
Edward Kells who called attention to
the fact that any one can keep in
good physical trim if they will but
take the proper exercise.
The Community Club. had offered
three cash prizes to the students from
Sank Centre Public schools who would
write the three best essays from the
subject: "What the Growing of AL
falfa Means to the Farmers of Sank
Centre and Community. The judges
did not know who the writer's of the
essays were as each one bore num-
Der only. The winners were to be an
nounced at the time of holding the
Alfalfa Day program at the Junior
High Auditorium. 1t was found that
Victor Key had won first prize, Harry
Veeder second and Letha Bartell,
third prize. The prize winning essay
was read by Mr.. Key and follows
herewith:
What the Growing of Alfalfa
Means to the Farmers Of Sank Centre
and Community.
Some great statesman has said,
t'No nation is greater than the de-
velopment of its agriculture" Our
statesmen are beginning to realize
this, and more is being done to solve
the agricultural problem than ever
before.
The cost of production has become
so high that in many cases farming
is carried on at loss; and the real
reason, I believe, is, the run down
condition of the soil. We need the
great soil builder, ALFALFA. Bank
ers and business men every where are
advising its spread. Farm papers
every where are putting on great
campaigns in it's favor. The acreage
has increased five hundred and eighty
per cent in five years. Alfalfa means
to Sank Centre community the advent
of one of the greatest soil builders
known. 1t is a legume like other
clovers, and adds nitrogen, very ex.
pensive fertilizer, to the soil.
1t makes sandy soils heavier and
hard clay soils loosen, by the big
roots roofing and adding humus to the
SOIL The humus in any soil helps to
hold the moisture for the benefit OF
IL II -
ton of sandy soil farms where it il
account of drought. Alfalfa sends
its roots down ten, twenty, and even
thirty feet into a permanent water
level and dry weather cannot affect
it.
Alfalfa will produce more value ir
forage than almost any other croI
grown. It can be cut from two tx
four times and has been known tt
produce as high as seven tons OF hay
per acre. 1t is also good cash choI
as seed. and as hay. When we con
slider the cost of clover, the building
up of the land, and the food value
of this crop it seems as if Alfalfa il
going to revolutionize our farming
Farmers who have tried it say tina
alfalfa has no equal as weed eXter
minator. 1t will crowd out Canad;
th;stles, sow thistles. and some say ]
kills quack grass, all of which Saul
Centre, farmers are becoming farnil
lar with.
AS a green pasture for hogs it ha
no. equal. AS high as forty can b
kept on one acre with small grail
ration. The experiment station o
Kansas puts out a demonstration o
two pigs from the same litter. On