The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1940-06-27
Farm News
From the County Agent, St. Cloud -.

Luella Lackey, Kimball; 8. Bett,
Bromenschenkel, st. Cloud.
/ Shoe Race, Boys 10 to 90
Leonard Male, Cold Spring; 2. Les
lie Snyder, Paynesville; 3. Bill,
Ablen, Holdingford.
! so Yard Dash, Girls IA to 20
1. Evangeline Didier, st. Martin
2. Adeline Sperl, Albany; 8. Mar
celia Scheffler, Albany.
Time Throwing Contest. A
Thole, Luxembourg; 2. Victor Krebs
Albany; 3. Orlando Weivoda, AL
bany.
Ladies Shoe Kicking Contest
1. Mary Kaschmitter, st. Martin
2. Elizabeth Didier, st. Martin; 8
Lorraine MANI, Paynesville.
Girls Legged Race, 10 and I'm.
der-1. Dorothy Simon and Bern.
ice Bohnen. Q. Ida Maile and Lad.
ina Wall: 3. :iucetta and Constance
Gilk.
Three Legged Race, Boys IA to
20. Norman Bork and James
Conner; 2. Conrad Botz and Victor
Krebs; 8. Alex and Joe Didier.
Rolling Pin Throwing Contest
1. Virginia Didier, st. Martin; 2
Marcella Minette, Sank Centre; 8
Mrs. Clarence Theis, Eden Valley
Pole Race. Orlando Weivoda
and Victor Krebs; 2. Everett Kulas
and Ben Auer.
In the tug-of-war the men from
the west beat the men from the
eastern part of the county.
In the kittenball game in the
morning between the eastern and
western All clubs, members Of the
team made up of the boys from
the eastern part of the county beat
the boys from the western part of
the county. A year ago the team
from the west beat the boys from
the east.
Farm tenancy, while it affects
a large number of farmers in
Stearns county, does not carry
quite the degree of importance in
Stearns county as in some other
Minnesota counties, according to
the county agents office at St
Cloud. At the present time about
one-third of the county are oper-
ated by tenants. In some sections
of Minnesota the percentage is
much higher. Close contact with
the AAA activities in Stearns coun-
ty has given the county agents
office a splendid opportunity to
determine who the owners of the
tenant-operated farms are. While
in Minnesota as a whole the Fed
eral Bank, Federal Farm Mortgage
Corporation, and the State Depart
ment of Rural Credits own 7%
of all the farm land, their holdings
in Stearns county represent a much
smaller percentage. Not more than
go of the Stearns county farms are
now in possession of these three
agencies. Insurance companies own
only about 10 of the farms of the
county. The bulk of the remaining
number of rented farms are owned
by people who live right in the
county: i. e. businessmen, retired
farmers, and farmers who perhaps
operate one of their farms and rent
out another one.
In Stearns county however, the
reason for the increase in the num-
Der Of tenant farms is probably the
same as for other sections of Min
nesota. Falling land prices would
be perhaps the first in this group
Farms were bought and mortgaged
when land was high. Later farm
incomes and land values fell, wip-
ing out the owners equity. Alb
sence Of rainfall in this territory
the last eight years is probably an
other important reason. A success
sion of severe drouths were exper-
fenced in this section of the state
closures mounted rather rapidly
Variations in soil types also had
something to do with it. In Stearns
county the soil varies great deal
The best and the poorest in the
county are often very close togeta.
er. In many cases lending agen-
cies made excessive loans on poor
soils or on farms with a small per-
cent of tillable cropland.
While cheaper interest rates
might be of help to some present
owners desperately in debt, a more
important consideration is the size
Of the principle that is owed to the
creditors. AS yet very little pro-
gress has been made in getting
principle scaled down. Unless that
is done higher farm prices will
probably be the only salvation for
such individuals.
Corn growers in Stearns county
interested in knowing how well
their corn yields stack up with
other good growers in the county
and over the state are urged to
enter the Minnesota Five Acre
Corn Yield Contest. This contest
sponsored by the Minnesota Crop
Improvement Association, accord
ing to the county agents office,
accomplishes very definite place
in corn production in the state.
Last year there was but one entry
from Stearns county-that Of Ar
mold o. Wegner, of Paynesville, and
Mr.. Wegner's yield on a basis OF
IA percent moisture was ISL BUSH
els per acre. All yields in this con-
test are calculated on the basis
of IA percent moisture in order
to have a uniform basis on which
yields can be determined.
Inador kho ,lan ON anfr,r Foo Of