"If cows are put on the stump land it will yield an income 

 while the stumps are rotting," he said. "Then, after that, 

 the cost of clearing the land will be much less than if these 

 stumps are taken out while they are still green." 



Clearing Land Business of the State. 



"The clearing of land should be the business of the state," 

 continued Mr. McGuire. "If the state cleared twenty acres, 

 or even ten, of every forty, there would be a much greater 

 development here. The land owners who have lands to -sell 

 should follow the same course. Give the settler a little land 

 under to plow and his initial problems will be solved." 



Schools of Instruction Needed. 



D. E. Willard, land commissioner of the Northern Pacific, 

 suggested that schools of instructions be held at central points 

 in each district, where the stump puller manufacturers, pow- 

 der men and farmers assemble to investigate methods of 

 clearing and determine what combination will prove the most 

 effective. He suggested that A. D. Wilson, head of the ex- 

 tension department of the state school of agriculture, be 

 made the head of the movement. 



L. B. Arnold, land commissioner of the Duluth and Iron 

 Range, suggested that there be a proper arrangement of plots 

 of land to be cleared so as to provide a saving in the time 

 consumed in moving from place to place. 



Financing the Big Question. 



"The financing of the clearing question is what will bother 

 the small farmer," said Mr. Arnold. "It is possible that the 

 work could be done in connection with ditch or road construc- 

 tion extending the time of payment over several years." 



Railroads that send out agricultural trains through the 

 northern counties will be urged to send out demonstrators in 

 stump pulling. It was suggested that a land clearing crew 

 could either precede or follow one of these agricultural specials. 



Fred Sherman, immigration commissioner, promised the 



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