Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1871-10-05
The Most Money.

IL IS Claimed that wheat IS ready
money. Undoubtedly it is so. Wheat
in the Northwest is kind of goose
that lays the golden egg. 1t readily
brings the greenbacks, at some price or
other. As soon as threshcd, it is
ready for market. The return is made,
the cash is in the farmers pocket, and
quick return it is. Let US sec how
quick. The grain was sowed in April !;
it matured and was harvested in .Au-
gust; early in September it was thrcsh-
cd, sent at once to market, the money
for it safely in the farmers hands, and
all accomplished in five months. This
is 5usiness-a good and profitable bust
ness. We will say nothing in regard
to the impovcrishmcnt of the soil, the
wear and tear in many different forms
and ways that will creep in while max
ing the crop. 1t is handy, to be sure,
to have such quick return. Debts are
paid, the farmer feels easy. He in,mc-
diatcly goes to work blowing his grouud
and preparing f'r his next years crop.
Wheat squares his bills. The next
years crop will go where the last one
did, viz. square up the bills. 1t goes
where all Of them have gone, where all
will go. It pays off immediate and
pressing debts. Wheat IS money. 1t
stops the bowling of creditors. 1t puts
stop to dunning letters. Wheat buys
calico for the children's frocks. Il is so
handy. 1t is a great staple that never
goes back on the farmer; sure crop
is wheat in the Northwest The wages
for hired help, the tea and coffee, the
tobacco bills, the necessaries and lux
urics of life, all squared with wheat.
Certainly, this is convenient crop, but
is there the most money in it?
Let us look at some other crop. Sup
pose we take the corn, o. barley, or fax,
or cat crop. No one will dispute but
that more than living return is made
from these crops, and made, too, about
as quick as wheat A good farmer
won't place his whole pile on one crop,
but he will diversity.
But the most money is in-what !?
Not wheat, not oats, not corn, not bar
ley, or fax, but in stock. Raising stock
requires time. One, tro, three. it may
be four years will roll round pefore
there are any returns, but when the
time does come the return is big. 1t is
a poor colt that won't bring two hun
dred dollars at four years OF age. That
is fifty dollas year on his growth If
wheat is cash, SO arc horses. Thou !
sands Of them, to our shame, are i'm
ported into the State every year. Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and
Missouri have, for the past five years,
furnished tens of thousands Of horses
for this State.
Neat stock pays. Cows from thirty
to fifty dollars Two-year-old steers
and heifers bring thirty to forty dollars.
Here is money. There is always a
ready sale. Butter and cheese arc
money. The dairy product prings a
good round price more in proportion
than wheat. The cost of wintoring
COWS, horses. or young stock in the
Northwest, is not so much as in any
part of New England, and no more
than in Northern Ohio.
There is money in wool. True, for
the past two or three years that staple
his ruled low: and as consequence,
the production Of the article has great
ly decreased in the valley Of the Mis-
sissippi from year to year. Like wheat,
it has its ups and downs, but like wheat,
too, it is always money at the door of
the producer. 1t is up now. 1t will
probably be up for two or three years
to come. The universal cry at this time
is sheep. One extreme follows another.
Cotton was king once; corn is king
now, but probably wool will ascend the
throne for the next yeay or two, and
rule as king.
Pork is western staple. The great
agricultural States Of Illinois, Iowa and
Wisconsin, have grown wealthy out of
the swine herd. Minnesota alone has
hot given the attention to the pork crop
that its merits demanded, but the omis-
sion can be laid at the door Of wheat
Pork is ready money.
Now, We would not like to see any
one farmer give all his attention to
horses or COWS, or wheat, or corn, OF
sheep, or oats, or pork, or barley. 1t
would not be wise. Past experience
abundantly proves that the exclusive
wheat crop has not been a benefit tc
the farmers. 1t has kept body and
soul together, it has furnished living
it has paid debts but it has kept tho
nose to the grindstonc. 1t is time tc
stop. Evidently there is the ..mos'
money in diversity of crops. Every
farmer should have his wheat-Gclds
He should plant corn and SOW oats. lie
should raise colts, calves and lambs. liz
should fattcn good pen of hogs. HI
should milk COWS and sell butter and
cheese A few hundred pounds o.
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