Nebraska Newspapers

    -Holt County Soil Conservation District . . .
Narrative Report
Herein is our report of the
1953 activities in the Holt Dis
trict.
In the table (at right) and
m the further account of the ac
tivities and relations we wish
not only to appraise our accom
plishments, but also to clarify
the job ahead.
Summary and Evaluations
The first column of figures
represents the actual accom
plishments of cooperators in
1953. The second column shows
the total work done in coopera
tion with the Holt Soil Conser
vation District since its begin
ning 10 years ago. The figures
under "current needs” though
only estimates are indicators of
the job ahead for the Holt
County Soil Conservation Dis
t'rct. The determination of this
third set of figures was made
in this way. First, the total con
servation needs of the Holt
District in a given practice was
calculated from state recon
naissance surveys and Soil Con
servation District surveys and
maps along with field observa
tions of the local service techni
ti&ns. From this total was taken
the combined total of the work
accomplished by District coop
erators and represents in each
practice a close estimate of the
current needs in the District.
One can further compare the
“on land todate” figure with the
‘•current needs” figure on any
given practice to determine the
degree of speed of accomplish
ment over the past 10 years of
Soil Conservation Service activ
ity in the Holt District.
Cooperation
In 1953, the state fish and
game commission planted five
wild life areas in the district. In
a new and slightly different
project for 1954 the commission
• • t an plant up to six belts of ce
dar trees, four rows per belt, for
game cover in the district. All
that the farmer is required to
do the first year is prepare the
....
ground and fence the area from
livesock.
The district carried on several
successful activities and events
in conjunction with the local
extension service. There were
joint tours and gatherings
throughout the year as well ss
a joint annual meeting last
March. Help by the technical
staff of each service further tes
tifies to a high level of coopera
tion between the Soil Conserva
tion District and the extension
service.
Equipment and Labor
Greater efficiency and output
per dollar machinery investment
and per hour worked marked
1953’s operations. Chief credit
must go to our part-time em
ployee, Virgil Laursen, who
concerned himself with the per
formance of the equipment as
though it were his own. Every
hour’s use of the various pieces
of machinery seemed to account
for some tangible form of out
put. A hired labor total of 2,
238 Mi man hours cost the district
$2,354.06. Sizeable operations
are further indicated by a total
of $3,777.18 worth of seed pur
chased for resale. Most of the
seed was purchased locally. Also
$1,682.32 worth of trees were
bought by the district and near
ly all of them planted.
The seeding equipment was
used extensively with the ex
ception of the Van Brunt grain
drill which was sold.
Nearly all of the equipment
was involved in a new operation
on a demonstrational plot south
of Page. The district is very
proud of the first year’s results
of this five-year project. Much
credit is due one of the Holt,
District’s board of supervisors,
Raymond Heiss, in whose fam
ily estate the tract of land be
longs. (See story of vetch test1
plots elsewhere.)
Business Decreases
In summarizing the Holt Dis
trict operations for 1953, our to
..
tal volume of business shows a
decrease from 1052. Our finan
cial position, however, shows
improvement in that receipts
well exceeded expenditures and
our nt worth statement was $7,
926.08 as of December 31, 1953,
compared to $6,509.07 as of De
cember 31, 1952.
It should again be mentioned
that all the equipment herein
referred to is owned and was
[ paid for by the Holt Soil Con
servation District, a local coun
tywide organization. No state or
federal finance was ever used
in procuring or maintaining this
equipment with the exception of
an F-20 Farmall tractor, a pull
type tree planter, a western
land roller, a small stripper and
a scales. Federal expenditures
are used only for the local staffs
salaries, their equipment and
instruments. The local district
and its equipment is not a part
of the U.S. Soil Conservation
Service, but merely the means
by which the service can extend
tachnical help to farmers and
ranchers.
It might be well to mention
that the activities of the district
are carried ou by a five member
board. The members are: Stan
ley Lambert of Ewing, chair
man; Raymond Heiss of Page,
vice-chairman; Elmer Juracek of
Star, secretary; Clarence Ernst
of O’Neill and Elmer Allyn of
Stuart. The board spends at
least one day per month in ses
sion, plus additional time on
special events involving district
activities. These positions are
filled by a special election in
which all land owners are enti
tled to vote. The elected repre
sentatives serve for a period of
four years without pay.
In addition to the work per
foirmed by the district equip
ment much conservation work
in the form of dam building,
terraces, waterways and drain
age ditches, etc., has been done
by private contractors.
Educational Activities
Many groups and publications
again helped to promote conser
vation agriculture in 1953. Ail
the county newspapers have
gpnerously printed periodic
articles of the district’s acitvi
ties. The Frontier will again
carry this annual report in a
special edition — the fifth year
in a row.
In line with our “program for
greater service” there were nine
educational, informational meet
ings with a total attendanc of
1,460. One meeting was held
with 118 rural teachers present.
A highly successful event was
an “all conservation day” pro
gram for the seventh and eighth
graders of Holt county and their
teachers. .
Assisting the district in plan
ning this entire program was an
eoucation committee consisting
of D. E. Nelson, superintendent
of the O’Neill public schools,
Miss Alice French, county super
intendent, A. Neil Dawes, coun
ty agent, Gene Closson, a rural
teacher, and Clarence Ernst, su
pervisor commitee chairman.
Six interesting demonstrations
were held in 1953—two on grass
waterways, two on terracing,
one on grass seeding, and one
on tree planting. The district or
ganized or helped with four
tours.
Farms and ranches with out
standing conservation program^
were visited and three distri ..t
winners were selected. Making
the tour and judging the uniis
were these people: Judge D. R.
Mounts, Clerk of District Court
lar Moss, Soil Conservation Tech
nitians C. R. Hill and Weston
Whitwer and SCD Supervisors
Raymond Heiss and Stanley
Lambert. The three winning
units were the Joe Wagman
farm north of Emmet, Hamilton
ranch south of Stuart, and the
Lee ranch north of Amelia.
Essay Contest
The newspapers gave full cov
erage to the 1953 grade school
essay contest which was spon
sored by the Holt Soil Conserva
tion District. First place award
went to Brenda Margritz of
district 8, O’Neill, on her essay,
‘My Idea of How Conservation
Can Help Farmers and Ranch
ers in Holt County.”
The essay contest judges had
a very tough time selecting the
three winners from a total of 44
entries from 14 schools.
Highlights
The annual meeting was held
last March in conjunction with
the extension service. The event
featured a very interesting talk
on nutrition by Dr. Doretta
Schlaphoff, chairman of the uni
versity home economics depart
ment. Another feature was a
report by Chris Mack of WNAX
on his tour of service in the mid
dleeast with the point four pro
gram. Mr. Mack’s slides and ac
companying talk were very de
scriptive and informative.
Methods of Accomplishments
Accomplishments of projects
and practices is brought about
by various means. There is an
indispensable means of promot
ing conservation agriculture on
farm or ranch—that is by per
sonally contacting the cooperator
on his unit. The local staff does
a commendable job of making
these contacts, but to accomplish
the desired ends by personal con
tacts only is impossible from
the standpoint of time available.
Other means such as tours, dem
onstrations, special meetings,
etc., have been adequately men
tioned. They indeed help, but
these gatherings too often do not
reach enough people, or at least
those who most need the infor
mation. What is needed is a
burning desire in every cooperat
or to protect the God-given re
sources of soil and its rightful
cover.
Ihe local staff was kept very
busy in 1953. Much work was
done in carrying out duties
vith the agriculture conserva
tion program. The local staff was
charged with determining need,
laving out plans, and checking
performance in all construction
or permanent practices. It must
be emphasized that definite and
final approval on plans for var
ious constructions must be made
by the technicians before wor-c
can be started on a project.
Otherwise the completed pro
ject might not meet PMA specifi
cations for payment. To help the
local staff in ttfis work a five
percent fund (in Holt county in
1954 will be five percent of
$81,000) is provided from the to
tal PMA budget with which the
SCS can hire help to work on
ACP practices.
Enthusiasm Wanted
The List of accomplishments
in the district attests to sound
work of the local staff and tneir
devotion to the ideals of soil
conservation. We hope both old
and new cooperalors pick up
some of this enthusiasm for
conserving their soil resources.
During 1953 the changes in
U.S. Soil Conservation Service
and the possibility of shakeups
in personnel were for a time dis
concerting to the local board of
supervisors as well as to the
technical staff. Few changes
have thus far occurred to alter
the good Relationship between
the U.S. Soil Conservation Ser
vice and the local district. We
sincerely hope that the policy
makers do not contemplate in
ducing the district staff which
is already overburdened. We
must further voice disapproval
of the arbitrary manner in
which regional offices of the
U.S. Soil Conservation Service
were abolished without any so
—a
called “consultation with the
grass roots’’ of the established
conservation program.
The Holt Soil Conservation
District looks forward to ever
greater progress in the task of
conserving soil and water re
sourcs in our county.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Holt SCO Reviews
Its 10-Year Record
Many of you may remember
signing a petition for the forma
tion of the local soil conservation
district during the fall of 1943.
Then followed a period of ad
vertising the petition and the
vote of all land owners and the
formation of the district. The for
mal approval was given at the
statehouse when it was signed by
iFank Marsh, then secretary of
state, on January 27, 1944. Came
the election of the first board of
supervisors. The four elected by
the land owners of the county
were: E. J. Revell of Star, Walter
G. Sire of O’Neill, F. E. Keyes of
Inman and Louis Bernholtz of
Page. D. E. Bowen of Page was
appointed by the state commit
tee. The first meeting of this
board was held March 12, 1944. A
list of all supervisors and term of
office follows:
Dave Bowen, Page, March,
1944-April, 1952.
F. E. Keyes, Inman, March,
1944-March, 1952.
E. J. Revell, Star, March, 1944
March, 1952.
L. G. Bernholtz, Page, March,
1944-June, 1950.
Walter G. Sire, O’Neill, March,
1944-April, 1946.
uarl u.a:nuei i, jawing, npui,
1946-June, 1950.
Elmer Allyn, Stuart, April,
1950-present.
Clarence Ernst, O’Neill, June,
1950-present.
Raymond Heiss, Page, June,
1950-present.
Elmer Juracek. Star, March,
1652-present.
Stanley Lambert, Ewing,
March, i952-present.
Loren Bredemeier assumed
the duties of work unit conser
vationist in April, 1944. As a
matter of interest for those who
knew Lorenz, he moved from
O’Neill to Valentine in 1948
when the Cherry County Soil
Conservation district began op
erations. Since then he has ser v
ed as district conservationist for
Cherry, Brown, Rock, Keya
Paha, Boyd and • Holt counties,
and now is serving as state
range conservationist with head
quarters at North Platte.
Others of the technical staff of
the Soil Conservation Service
serving the Holt district during
the past 10 years are as follows:
Murry Cox, C. B. Crook, Earl
Spendlove, William H. Shorer,
W. D. Whitwer, Orville Indra, C.
,R Hill, A. L. McMaster, Merlyn
Shaw, Charles Sorensen, Harold
Young. Part time employees in
cluded: Dorothy Karo, John
Sorensen, Harold Wilhoit, John
Jardee, Gillmore Estenson and
Virgil Laursen. Two college stu
dents have worked with the
technical staff for six weeks
during the summer for college
credit. They are Louis Reimer,
jr., and Harold Tegeler.
The activities of the district’s
operations have grown steadily
since the beginning 10 years ago.
The service placd on loan a
Farmall tractor, tree planter and
grain drill in 1945. A few years
later in 1949 these were granted
to the district. The district pur
chased a Dunham seeder treader
in 1946, mounted tree planter,
John Deere Van Brunt drill and
A-C combine in 1950, a skew
treader and clipper cleaner in
1951.
In 1946, it rented a small tract
of ground from the Burlington
railroad and erected a frame
buiuding for grass seed storage.
In 1950, they rented additional
storage and warehouse space
from the late R. H. Shriner.
The district has provided an
outlet for much of the native
grass seed produced in the
county and has carried a con
siderable volume of business in
seed and trees. The all time
high for volume of business was
reached in 1952 when receipts
totaled $17,578.88 and expendi
tures were $17,705.71.
F. S. Brittell served as dis-.
trict manager from September,
1951, to October, 1952.
Since that time Virgil Laursen
has served in that capacity on a
part time basis.
In the spring of 1953, the
board organized under what is
known as the program for
greater service. Elmer Allyn,
chairman of the finance com
mittee, appointed the following
on that committee: F. N. Cronin,
O’Neill National bank; J. G.
Brewster. Tri-County bank, Stu
art; John Newman, Newman
Oil Co., Stuart; Robert Keating,
International dealer, Atkinson;
and Harry R. Smith, John Deere
dealer, O’Neill.
This committee approved a
resolution to sell affilliate mem
berships of Holt Soil Conserva
tion District at $10 each or
greater and that all such money
should be used to promote pub
lic interest in the activities ot
the Holt Soil Conservation Dis
trict.
Tho following purchased
memberships in 1953: O’Neill
National bank, O’Neill Livestock
Market, Elkhorn Valley Nation
al Farm Loan association, O’
Neill Production Credit associa
tion, Outlaw Implement Co.,
Harry R. Smith Implement Co.,
Shelhamer Equipment Co., O’
Neill Grain Co., Marcellus Im
plement Co., Wm. Krotter Co.
and First National bank, all of
O'Neill; Newman Oil Co., Tri
County bank, C. R. Myers Im
pxement, Weichman Implement
Cow Wm. Krbtter. Co., all of
btuart; Page Oil Co. of Page,
snd Farmers State bank and
Roekey Implement Co., both of
| Ewing.
A total of $220 was collected i
in this way and has been used
as follows:
National association
dues _$ 50.00
7th and 8th grade cons.
day expenses _ 48.50
Miss Miller’s scholarship
to Doane college con.
short course _ 25.00
1000 “How, What & Why
of Soil Cons. Districts”
pamphlets _ 8.50
Essay contest prizes, 7th
and 8th grades_ 10.00
$142.00
Yesterday still another fea
ture was inaugurated with a 10
ninute tape recording over
WJAG, immediately following
the “Voice of The Frontier.” It
is hoped that this may become
a regular monthly feature of the
district but will depend upon
reactions of the listening public
and the funds available through
additional affiliate member
ships.
Emmet News
Mr. and Mrs. James Foreman
and sons of Battle Creek spent
Sunday morning visiting Mr.
and Mrs. Frank Foreman and
family.
Dewayne Perry gave a party
Friday afternoon at Emmet school
district 20 in honor of his seventh
birthday anniversary.
-
Curtis Peacock gave a party
Monday afternoon at Emmet
school district 20 in honor of his
seventh birthday anniversary.
Gary Buekmaster of Fremont
spent the weekend visiting Nor
ma Lou Foreman.
Donna Perry called on Mr. and
Mrs. W. P. Dailey at O’Neill on
Wednesday afternoon, Februarv
24.
Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Fox and
Barbara and Mr. and Mrs. Fritz
Belzer and Jimmie were Satur
day night supper guests of Mr.
and Mrs. Bill Kelly of O’Neill.
Joe Rotherham of Burlington,
la., was a recent caller on old
friends in Emmet.
Mrs. Harold Givens of Stuart
and her mother, Mrs. George
Pongratz, visited Mrs. Georgiana
McGinnis Wednesday afternoon,
February 24.
G. Owen (“Bud”) Cole and
Robert (“Bob") Cole and Larry
Schaffer went to Lexington on
Saturday to attend a fraternity
meeting.
Mr. and Mrs. John Conard and
Mr. and Mrs. Guy Cole drove to
Omaha last Thursday, returning
the same day.
Rev. Francis Price returned
home from Omaha Friday eve
I—' -
ning after spending several days
there.
Mr. and Mrs. G. Owen (“Bud”)
Cole and M:. and Mrs. Larry
Schaffer returned Wednesday
night, Fehruary 23, from Ara
quippa, Pa.
Mrs. Alvin Kloppenborg and
Patricia were Saturday afternoon
visitors of Mrs. Frank Foreman.
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Bates and
family were Sunday dinner
guests at the Claude Bates home
in O’Neill.
I, • -'J
I 3 DAYS
Thurs. - Fri. - Sat.
ONLY!
I -----1 i
RAYON FABRICS
♦♦
A choice group of fine rayon fab- g
rics. Gabardines, butcher linens, |
taffetas, printed crepes. 39” to 42
width. Sew now for Spring!
SPECIAL.2 Yds. $1 I
i
_ — ::
SACK TOWELS j
Bleached snow-white towels. Per
fects, no holes or stains. Approx.
| 30”x30”. Stock up now! |
4 for . SI
g--i
. •
♦
SUMMARY AT A GLANCE
1953
Accom- On Cur
plish- Land rent
Practice Unit ments todate Needs
Tree planting_AC 212 1,429 12,384
Range seeding-AC 384 5,184 105,472
Stock water dams _No. 14 130 72
Farm drains __AC 775 1,863 93,437
Proper range stocking _AC 15,197 91,553 809,575
Strip cropping __AC 576 11,990 198,046
Seeding permanent hay —AC 1,118 3,218 16,334
Terraces_Mi. 4.5 40 5,277.5
Outlets and waterways —AC 44 180 5,228
Drop spillways_No. 5 55 94
Deferred grazing _AC 3,546 29,764 908,605
Fish pond imbprovement „No. 20 20 77
Conservat’n crop rotating-AC 2,402 110,638 322,295
No. in No.
1953 todate Acres
Initial agreements_93 113 142,102
Advanced agreements -53 96 . 66,273
Basic agreements---20 343 222,034
Total plans on file _ 552 429,149
VERDIGRE
LIVESTOCK MARKET
Report of Mar. 1 Sale
Receipts—1100 hogs; 25 sheep; a few cattle. 180 to 240 lb.
butchers $25.50 to $26.80; 26.60 top. Bulk $26.10 to $26.35.
Over 400 head selling for over $26.00. Only 65 head in this
weight range under $26.00. 240 to 270 lb. butchers $24.50 to
$25.60. 270 to 350 lb.. $23.75 to $25.30. 350 lb. and up $21.50
to $23.60. Sows. $21.00 to $23.60. Feeder pigs. $26.50 to $33.00.
i Loading NINE cars by rail Tuesday morning. Well bred, weil
mated, meat type brood sows selling good; a lot over $100.00
per head. Will have more well bred Hampshire sows next
week.
I SPECIAL
: Dairy Calf Sale — Friday Night, March 5
— 7 P.M. —
CALF GIVEN AWAY FREE
♦
We will have 60 to 70 head of fresh calves, direct from
j Barron county, Wisconsin, the heart of the dairy country,
60 miles northeast of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Holsteins,
I Guernseys, Brown Swiss and Milking Shorthorns; all TB
tested. These calves come straight through, loaded in Wis
consin and unloaded in Verdigre. An ideal time, with spring
and summer coming up to get dairy calves from a state
with a reputation for heavy producing herds. Consigned by
I Rex Anderson and he has a reputation of handling quality
stock.
Thanking you for your business and will appreciate your
future business.
W. LLOYD BRADY
ii Owner and Mgr.
tCooL
}D7X10<Ml
VeJitioa$
^futritioas
OPEN SUNDAYS
10 a.m. to 10 p.zn.
(Unless the weather is bad)
Hornby’s Dairy Queei
1
I
J fv I
I r 'i
•
■•I 1
i 11
_
DR. H. D. GILDERSLEEVE
OPTOMETRIST
Northeast Corner
of 4th & Douglas
O’NEILL, NEBR.
Phone 167
Eyes Examined . Ulaaaea bitted
Office Hours: *-6 Mon. thru Bat
' ' *TI
Easy To Buy
EASY TO PAY FOR
OK
USED CARS
Your present car could make the down
payment
Monthly
Down Paym't
1953 Chevrolet 5-Pass. Cpe. 210. Radio, heater,
low mileage. Like new inside and out_565.00 61.00
1952 Chevrolet 2-door Styleline Deluxe. Two
tone blue with radio and heater. Top
value -398.00 44.55
1951 Chevrolet Fleetline Deluxe 2-door. Radio,
heater, sun visor, spotlight and custom
finish -360.00 51.39
1950 Chevrolet Fleetline Deluxe 4-door. Radio
heater, sun visor, and new maroon paint.
Reliable - 290.00 42.11
1949 Chevrolet Fleetline Deluxe 2 - door.
Heater, one owner, and beautiful raven
black - 265.00 34.90
1948 Chevrolet 2-door. Radio, heater, sun visor,
and comfort for everybody from Grandma
to Junior 215,00 31,84
1947 Chevrolet Club Cpe. Heater and radio.
You'll want to get right in and drive right
out ____165.00 34.37
1947 Ford Super Deluxe V8 2-door. Has the
needed accessories and dean as a Dutch
kitchen- 165.00 34.83
1941 Chevrolet 2-door. New finish, new seat
covers and looks and runs like a '48 85.00 14.46
1950 Ford Vz-ton Express. Exceptionally clean
and used as a passenger car _ 235.00 32.37
1949 Chevrolet Panel. Has large heater and
extra seats. Has a thousand uses_200.00 39.91
Many Other Values to Choose From at —
LEW WHITE MOTOR CO.
“The Showplace of Quality Automobiles”
Phone 100 O'Neill
CHEVROLET — OLDSMOBILE — CADILLAC
DAIRY CALF
AUCTION
75 HEAD
Holsteins — Guernseys — Brown Swiss
O'NEILL LIVESTOCK MARKET
, O’Neill, Nebr.
Friday, March 12
— 8 P.M. —
These will be calves weighing 200 to 300 pounds, all TB and
Bangs tested. These calves are from top dairy herds and purchas
ed direct from the country. Why not purchase quality when you
buy your dairy calves?
FREE - One Calf Given - FREE
ALBERT G. FRIESS
— OWNER —
Rice Lake, Wisconsin
1 Auctioneer: ED EVANS