Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, December 9, 1915, Page 10

(,700 FARMS IN $35,972,900. In addition thereto the State still has between $10,000,000 and $15,000,000 worth of timber to GUUNTY PnpulATInN be sold and more than 2,000,000 acres IN1914 WAS 23,340 J. A. 0. Preus, State Auditor Writes Article For Pioneer on State Lands; Advises Support For Amendment School Fund Apportioned March 1 and Oct. 1, ‘1915, $25,674.10; Ditches . Benefit Land (By J. A. 0. Preus.) State Auditor. The State of Minnesota stands paramount among the states of the northwest, not alone because of her unusual natural resources, but in her natural re- conservation of these sources for posterity. Since her admittance into state- hood a little over half a centuary ago, Minnesota has led in some economic or industrial endeavor; and she has long been considered as the ‘“bread and butter” State of the Union. Farmers Prosperous Last year she produced 42,000,000 bushels of wheat, 32,000,000 bushels of barley, in which'she was the first in the Union, 85,000,000 busheis of oats' and 95,000,000 bushels ‘of corn. Our farmers had over $60,000,000 worth of farm machinery and ' $170,- 000,000 worth of live stock. "We have 170,000 farmers in the State and they each have a farm of the average value of $10,000. This does not indicate poverty but prosperity among our farmers. State is Fortunate. The State has been forutnate in being well governed. In 1857, Sec- tions 16 and 36 of the public domain of the State were set asaide by the Federal Government for the State of Minnesota, the proceeds of the sales of which were to be turned into a school fund. All swamp lands in the State were also ceded to the State and most of the proceeds of these were turned into this school fund. "The school fund of the state, which :guarantees to our children a liberal education, now consists of more than $32,000,000, invested in other State bonds, county and municipal bonds of our own State, also contracts. These bear interest and the proceeds therefrom are being expended for education purposes only and cannot be diverted under the provisions of our Constitution. Beltrami county received from the school fund, appor- tioned March 1 and October 1, 1915, $25,674.10 This does not embrace the entire school fund. The future royalties that the State will receive, all of which goes into the various educational funds, will amount to land. These lands are being sold at the county seats, where the lands are located, at public auction by the State Auditor. The minimgm price is $5.00 per acre and all that need be paid in cash is 15 per cent of the purchase price, the balance any time within forty years, at four per cent 37,784 acres of State interest. This affords easy opportu- nity for procuring land upon favor- able terms. State Sells Land On August 17 1914, there were School and What’s What in the Pictures Scenes from the Fred J. Schwingel | the farm in the spring of last year. farm two miles west of Nary. Middle picture shows farm Upper picture shows the farm and | home as it is today. home when Mr. Schwingel took over thirty-five acres brushed this sum- and | mer. Mr. Schwingel, came to this county Lower picture shows portion of |from Fort Dodge, Ia. swamp “1ands ‘in" Beltrami county. Since that time the State has sold 4,602 acres. There are approximate- ly 1700 farms in this county and the population in 1914 was 23,340 people. A great deal of the low lands in the northern part of the county have been reclaimed by drainage and have been | made into productive farms. The 803 miles of county and judicial ditches already built have directly benefited 894,572 acres of land, which have been of inestimable value to the development of this county. Costs to Clear Land. The last Legislature submitted a constitutional amendment which will be amendment No. 1. It provides that the Legislature may set aside a |, quarter of a million dollars out of our school fund for the purpose of improving State Lands. It was com- paratively easy years ago for a farmer who had his filing fee and a few dollars in his pocket, to get a start when he homesteaded the prairie lands of western and northwestern Minnesota. It cost him but a few dollars to turn the sod. But to clear northern Minnesota stump lands costs a great deal. It might be esti- mated that the cost of clearing these lands is anywhere from $10 to $50 per acre. These lands must be clear- ed before a man can get returns from his land. If the constitutional amendment referred to passes the State might improve three four or five acres on each forty, eighty or one hundred sixty acre tract, making it possible for a home-maker to get returns from his lands forthwith. Anyone who believes in developing Minnesota should vote for it. About fifty per cent of the State lands is now under the plow and a great por- tion of the balance of it is cutover lands. The State can do its part by making its new lands habitable to the poor settler. If you fail to vote for this amendment you vote against it. PRESIDENT OF POTATQ GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION RESIDENT OF COUNTY The president and a member of the executive board of the Minnesota Potato Grower’s Association are residents of Bemidji and Beltrami county. J. J. Opsahl, land agent, is the president of the organization and W. G. Schroeder, owner of the Alfal- fa Dairy Farm, is a member of the executive board. COUNTY HAS LARGEST NUMBER OF BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ CLUBS Beltrami county holds the destinc- tion of possessing a larger number of Boys’ and Girls’ clubs than any other county in the State of Minne- sota. There are 25 such organiza- tions in the rural districts of the county and 11 have active members. Potato growing, canning and other contests have been held by the clubs. BELTRAMI COUNTY HAS TWENTY-THREE FARMERS’ GLUBS Meetings Are Held Once a Month At Farm Homes of Members; For * Better Farming Encourage Blooded Cattle Raising; .Sell Land Direct to Settler; Estab- lish Creameries and Telephone. Beltrami County has twenty-three well organized Farmer’s Clubs, com- prising an average membership of forty-five members. Meetings are held once each month at the farm homes of their respective members. These meetings are in the nature of social family gatherings, where the farmers and their-families meet to “wine and dine,” discuss current farm topics, arrange short programs and co-operate for the betterment of farm and town conditions in general. Much Is Accomplished. Among the more important things accomplished may be included uni- form crop raising, establishing of creameries, telephone lines, road con- struction and improvements, co-op- erative dairying, cattle raising and shipping. Recently one of the progressive clubs decide to sell farm lands di- rect from owner to settler. Through the efforts of these clubs, farmers have been shown the advant- age of raising similar varieties of potatoes. At present there are about five or six varieties of potatoes grown as against twenty or more several years ago. The same is true of corn, oats, wheat and other crops. Great Dairying Country. This may also be said of cattle’ raising. In many communities club bulls are owned and farmers en- couraged to raise the same kind of stock. The ‘“serub” herds are fast being eliminated and replaced by blooded cattle, with a view to making this the best and most talked of dairy country in the United States. The statement made by Prof. W. M. Hayes, assistant secretary of agriculture at Washington, that this was destined to be the greatest dairying country of the world, is becoming more and more evident. Better Markets Secured. Much has also been accomplished by the clubs in creating better mar- ket conditions for the farmer in the towns and villages of this county. Especially is this true of Bemidji, in which city the merchants regularly visit with the farmers’at these club meetings and plan together the best policy to pursue by all. In this man- (Continued on Page 7) ow Much Do You Each Month? pend People who carry their money around in their pockets seldom know how, when or where it goes, A checking account is the logical thing for you. It prevents the indiscriminate waste that leads to poverty, and at the same X 3eni A. P. WHITE, Pres. -the North e keeps a book account of your expendxtures. ; Bemidji, Minnesota W. L. BROOKS, Cashier bwnted to open an account with us, and there is no time as opportune as today. i "Can't exactly tell,” you say, Of course you can't unless you pay your bills by check. I ! ern National Bank GEORGE RHEA, Asst. Cashier