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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 1912)
THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE association, Dairy Cattle Breeders' association, State Live Stock Breeders' association, State Swine Breeders' association, Aberdeen-Angus Breeders' association, State Red Polled Breeders' association, State Shorthorn Breeders' associa tion, State Hereford Breeders' association, State Bee Keepers' association, State Home Eco nomics' association, Nebraska Pure Seed Breed ers' association, State Grange, Agricultural Ex tension Annual Conference, Farmers' Union, State Grain and Live Stock Co-Operative Ship ping association, Good Roads association and State Conservation Congress. Clearing House for Legislative Action For purposes of mutual federation these various organizations are represented by the Nebraska Farmers' Congress. This organiza tion serves as a clearing house for legislative action on measures of individual or mutual in terest which are of state concern. The purely fundamental work of investigation and economic study of agricultural conditions In the state is in charge of the Nebraska Rural Life commis sion, acting directly by authority of the legis lature. There is directly concerned in the purely business and educational promotion of agricul ture, therefore, a total of over 600 local and state associations in Nebraska, all of which have demonstrated their efficiency in the special field which they are organized to 6erve. This makes the strongest and most effective group of forces for this purpose now existent In any state in the union. The Value of Organized Effort An article of this nature would be Incom plete without a brief survey of the relation sus tained by the business interests of the state to agricultural development. The high rank held by Nebraska agriculture is due in no email measure to the active interest and co-operation of business interests, both state and local. The dominant position of agriculture in the business relations of the state makes its success a mat ter of individual concern to every citizen. This is fully appreciated by the business men of the state, who, both individually and collectively, spare neither money or individual effort to promote successful fatming. A striking instance of this form of practical co-operation was furnished during the last win ter in the seed corn campaign which was con ducted by the publicity bureau of the Omaha Commercial club. Through the assistance and active co-operation of the business interests of Omaha and the railways the department of agri culture extension was enabled to run six special educational trains, reaching 52,000 farmers in eight days. This result was accomplished in the worst weather known in years and will probably aid in saving several millions to the state In an Increased corn crop this year. The entire cam paign was conducted without a penny of expense to the state. Local business men are invai.ably found to be the most enthusiastic boosters for a farmers' institute or short course, providing most of the money and a large amount of e necessary en thusiasm. During the last winter about 125,000 farmers and their families attended the insti tutes held over the state under the direction of the extension department. The Rural Life commission directed a series of four district conferences during the last win ter which reached a total attendance of some 20,000. These were made possible only by the financial contributions of local business men who assumed all local expenses incident to these important gatherings, the appropriation given to the commission being insufficient for this purpose. Including the annual sessions of the various organizations enumerated and other opportuni ties for Immediate contact, it is conservatively estimated that nearly one-half of the entire farming population of the state was in attend ance at some form of meeting directly con cerned with the promotion of agriculture and community development during the last year. The active participation of business men in all these gatherings insures closer contact and bet ter understanding of the needs of the farmer. It is work of this character which has con tributed materially to the remarkable develop ment of Nebraska agriculture and which ensures still greater opportunity an 1 prosperity in the future. FRANK G. ODELL. ft '7 I1111 " 5 - 1 ' ,y . ' , '' ' V I o a; 0 i" fell V -ill -,. fyl : -1 " II 1ST", ' ' ' ar" ... t - ' I .' i i AN EXAMPLE OP WHAT THRIFT AND NEBRASKA SOIL DOES FOR A MAN EXAMPLE of Nebraska thrift I when applied to the common citi I zen farmer who early pinned his iaitn in tne aonuy oi we sou iu solve the proposition of acquiring wealth. Henry Kuehl of Douglas county, Nebraska, native of Germany, came to America in 1873 and located in Omaha as a la borer, a bricklayer by trade. In 1877 he decided to try farming and rented forty acres of land. In 1881 he bought eighty acres, paying $12 per acre for it. This land was six miles west of Omaha the Dodge street road. In 18S8 he leased 160 acres west of the land he owned and sold his eighty acres at $62.50 $5,000. In 1889 he bought his present home farm at $50 per acre and moved on It the following year. In 1892 he sold his first pur chase of land eighty acres and bought 120 acres near by, paying $55 per acre for it. In 1899 he bought 160 acres south of his home place and now owns four farms 160 acres, 120 acres, 100 acres and 80 acres all in the same neighborhood and practically adjoining, making 460 acres. He has no land for sale; it is all well improved and worth from $50 to $200 per acre, and all acquired by his start as a renter of forty acres. Mr. Kuehl is a plain, hard-sense German who knows what farming is and who knows how to get crop yields out of his land. He is one of the practical, old-time Nebraska farmers who studied economy as he pursued his labors. He was a grain raiser and stock feeder. He has been engaged for eighteen years in feeding steers and hogs. He has retired as a steer feeder, but still raises a large herd of hogs, which he handles In conjunction with his Hol stein dairy herd. His full-blood and high-grade dairy cattle he believes makes him more money than feeding steers. He cannot supply the de mand for his Holstein cattle. His milk is dis posed of to the Douglas County Milk Producers' association.