The Bismarck tribune., 1931-10-24
(Official City. State and County
Newspaper)
Foreign Representatives
SMALL. SPENCER, LEVINGS
& BREWER
Uncorporated)
CHICAGO NEW YORK BOSTO]
Real Progress

Real Progress
Residents of North Dakota will have
opportunity to Judge the real pro-
gress of the state when the state corn
show opens its doors here Wednes-
day for the annual four day exhibi-
ton.
For the real progress of a people
is represented by the spirit in the
hearts and the achievements of the
hands OF the common everyday folk
who carry the worlds burdens. The
great may pose, the -lunged may
declaim, the obsequious may bow, the
scientist may discover and the in
ventor may originate but all of these
things may be irrelevant and some
are unimportant. Not until an idea
or q thing has taken hold of the
minds and hearts Of the common
people can it be said that it has real
ly aided progress. Until the people
have accepted them, new facts re-
main merely as possibilities.
For many years the northward ex-
tension of the corn belt was a proved
possibility. Some of the pioneers
had demonstrated that good corn
could be raised in North Dakota
But for a long time the practice was
looked upon as something Of a feat,
as an unnecessary action on the part
OF the men who performed it. Corn
had no popular appeal.
Those were the days of bonanza
wheat, when small grain was not only
easy to raise but profitable as well.
Corn had to be cultivated. A corn
crop represented something more
than mere planting and harvest. It
meant work done in mid-season, in
the heat of summer days.
But the bonanza days passed. Nee
essity has combined with intelligence
to bring corn into the foreground.
The bottom has fallen out of the
wheat market. Corn prices are low,
too, but even under present condi-
tions the average North Dakota
farmer has done better-much better
with corn than with wheat. The
price OF pork is ruinously low but an
acre brings vastly more money when
planted to corn which is fed to a pig
and marketed on the hoof than when
planted to small grain.
This fact and its realization by the
common people Is the real source of
the wonderful corn development
which will be demonstrated at the
show. There are few hopes so per-
sistent in the average mind as the
hope for success. There are few per-
sons so stubborn that they will not
accept an idea after its worth has
been proved.
And so, we see the more progress
sive farmers of North Dakota turn
ing more and more to corn. Not
wildly or in the hope that it will per-
form miracles in their behalf, but in
the certain knowledge that it has an
important place in North Dakota s
agricultural scheme and their own
economic progress. It has been
demonstrated often enough that corn
Is profitable in North Dakota.
Not a little credit for spreading the
gospel Of corn in this state is due to
the annual corn show. There the
doubling Thomases could see for
themselves what has been done with
this great cereal. There they could
learn how it was done and compare
notes with their neighbors.
Trophies and ribbons taken back
from this show by participants have
SsAAAS AA4VS1SoL AL CVCIy rural CON-
munity. The whole business has
served to drive home the lesson OF
more corn" to state which once
laughed at the idea.
Perhaps the best evidence of the
success Of the state corn show is thu
large number of local, county and dis.
trict corn shows which have been helc
IN the state this fall. A score were
held in the vicinity OF Bismarck
alone and at each one the less pro.
gressive and usually the less pros.
porous farmers had opportunity *
see what their neighbors had done.
The pick of the exhibits at ths
local corn shows will be shown here
In addition there will be exhibits O
poultry by All club boys and girl
and q program Of entertainment;
which offers lighter moments to yist.
tors.
Every indication i that the ex'