The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-05-11

Is, 3S1 ,O22 bushels; in 1870 to Is, 866, O72.
In 1873 %, 100000 bushels of wheat was
raised, while in 1875, in spite of three
years OF grasshoppers and fearfully
rainy harvest that year, the wheat crop
of Minnesota exceeded thirty million
bushels; the oat crop siIteen million
bushels; the corn crop over eight million
bushels; barley over t.co million bushels;
and last but not least, the hoy crop ex-
ceeded one million tons! / give these
last figures from the circular of the
State Grange Of Minnesota, and they
are believed to be under rather than
over the mark.
NOT EXAGGERATION.
Now, to all outsiders these figures
appear greatly exaggerated-to many
they seem entirely unreasonable; but
they are ecithia the bounds of truth in
every particular. Let us go back over
the same ground little, and quote
simply from the record, too. In 1870
the State had 2,322, l02 acres III cultiva-
ton, the cash value of it's farms WAS
nearly 800, 00O, 900, and its farming i'm
plements and machinery nearly $780,
900. The estimated value Of all it's
farm productions was 0Cer Nlrty-slc
millions of dollars! OF live stock. Min
nesota had in 1870, us follows: Horses,
93.O11 head; mules, $3.50 head; mich
COWS, i21 1867 head; 43, l76 head OF work
ing cattle, and 145, 1876 head of all other
cattle; of swine, 14S.476 head, and of
sheep, 49,, 343 head these last produc-
ing 40l, 1S5 pounds of wool.
MINNESOTA AS A LIVE STOCK STATE.
And this brings me to consider the
"Liye Stock Interests of Minnesota. -
1 have been told everywhere and often
that stock raising cannot be profitably
pursued here; that the long and severe
winters will beggar any man wi no at
tempts to raise stock. DO not the
above live stock figures, which are, us
said before, ,toder the mark rather than
over it, furnish: tile best Evidence that
stock raising in Minnesota is not beg
carly business? Would such 4 number
Of horses. mules: cattle, logs and sheep
he found in the State if their breeding
and raising was Improbable? Any
sensible man can answer these ques-
tions for himself; but want to ''speak
excuse the length of this article.
THE WINTERS FAVORABLE.
list. The ''long cold winters'' are
cold, very cold, hut steady cold aud dry,
and any ordinarily hardy classes OF an
imals, such as the horse, mule, cattle
of any breed that are bred in the United
States, swine and sheep, with the sim
pie protection which the abundant
wheat crop of the State furnishes in
the way Of straw can be wintered here
rs comfortably and cheaply and ao;th s,srea'
freedom from disease than in the States
OF Missouri, Illinois or even Iowa!
MUST FEED ABOUT AS LONG IN IOWA
AND MISSOURI.
And here expect the average Mis-
sourian. 1llinoisian and Iowan to throw
up his hands and roll back hisleyes and
say ''Nonsense!' I have heard them
say it SO often know just how they do
it). But I say it is not nonsense, never
theless. have raised MANY finely bred
animals in the neighborhood of St.
Louis for years. I have given the busl-
ness my careful attention and study.
know the winters there are much
''milder'' in one sense) and open than
here i'll Minnesota. but scarcely Il week
goes oyer there Tin winter) without
u storm Of some kind, most frequently
rain, cold chilling rain, almost always
ending.in sleet, or it may be SHOW, will,
the most chilling temperature that man
or beast can possibly endure. Now,
they must build good barns or tight
shedding to protect their stock from
such storms, and, of course, if housed.
it must be fed just as when housed any.
where Else; and the winter season there
begins about the 1st of November an d
ends about the middle of. April, making
about five months of winter that stock
must be provided with shelter and feed.
This is nearly us long as stock here
must be fed. And assert, without
the fear Of successful contradiction.
that short horn in. Central Iowa rev
Qetl1es as 9nuch grain and care to kee,,
up i good thrifty growth and condition
during the damp, sleety winters whic ,
prevail there as the same animal woulu
| need here in. our dry, even, and sir
prlsingly clear, bright climate.
HEALTH OF LIVE STOCK.
And, again, the same short horn here
s'tle more healthy and vigorous AMI
NAL! The same is true with the horse
| while among tic swine here no sucl,
! thing rs disease is known, In y late
number OF the Country Gentleman. and
I know no more reliable authority in
live stock matters, it is stated that Dy
hog cholera III the county Of Sangamon,
Illinois, during the past year ISIS, If.
tee'e thousand hogs arcrc l0S;! and tic
same writer says that the entire losses
Tor the year by the same disease is ''es-
tlmated by those qualified to judge'' ut
scccn hundred thousand ho,s. having 4