“The agricultural training of the boy pupils in our schools furnishes ample opportunity for intensive farming. If this training is to be of real value and be effective in accomplishing its purpose, the farming operations should be financially successful and at the same time conducted in accordance with modern methods.
“I am convinced that there is a large field for improvement in the handling of these farms, and I want every field officer who has charge of such a farm to see that its management is of such a nature as will insure its development to the highest degree of productiveness, practical usefulness and object lesson.
“The constantly increasing demands on the various appropriations for the Indian Service make it necessary not only to exercise the most careful economy consistent with the end sought, but at the same time to see that every resource in connection with Indian education and industry is developed to the highest obtainable degree.
“See that employees in charge of your farms are men capable of rendering proper and efficient service, carefully determine the suitable crops for the particular soil of the tillable land of your farm, giving the best attention to the raising and use of these crops.
“Our farms should grow corn, oats, wheat, and raise alfalfa, clover, timothy, etc. You should raise all the potatoes and other vegetables consumed. We should not be satisfied with raising feed for the school livestock, but we should raise everything the farm, garden and orchard will produce.
“I want you to raise livestock to the fullest of your capacity; raise colts from the school mares; let your calves grow into beef for your school. Grow a good herd of hogs to follow the cattle that you feed and use the waste from the table at the school. Make your dairy amply large and of such kind that there will be plenty of milk, cream and butter. Feed the skim-milk to the hogs and grow your pork meat. Where practicable cure your own bacon and ham, make your own sausage and dry and corn your own beef.”
There is more, but this will indicate the earnest effort of the Commissioner to improve conditions.
In recent years, Indian fairs have become very popular, and are held on most reservations, or at schools. The old “Wild West” feature has been eliminated. At Red Lake, Minn., September 19th, 1914, the Ojibwa fair was attended by 2000 persons. The published account in the New York World stated:—
“Exhibits of grain grown by the Indians included specimens of oats, barley and wheat that would average twenty-five bushels to the acre, and yellow dent corn fully matured.
“What was perhaps next in importance was the stock display, which included blooded animals, the registered Holstein and Durham cattle being most numerous. The judging of the stock was done by Supt. C. G. Selvig, of the Crookston School.