Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1879-06-18
FACTS FOR FARM Frs
Some stray Thoughts for Real
Estate owners to con-
slider lust now.

The question with owners of real
estate, and one Of vital importance
to the growth and solid wealth Of
this part Of Dakota especially, is,
how to make the most money out Of
their investments. The hour is at
hand when this question comes with
double force to every owner Of foot
of land in Union County and south
eastern Dakota. and, while several
remedies may be furnished, we feel
like urging and advocating the live
stock interest as the most positive
and profitable.
AS a rule our farmer friends have
been allured and tempted by the Wis
ions of large fields of yellow grain,
but too often this has only been a
phantom both expensive and unsat-
isfactory to those who ventured to
chase its shadow; and, under exist
ing circumstances, backed up by
years of like results, it behooves the
owners of land to turn their atten-
ton to a business that fulflls its
promises, if they would win in the
end. The business Of stock raising
offers a remedy that has been tried
and found assure cure. Thirty years
ago the state of Illinois was bank
rupt. Her people tried wheat rails
ing as a business; as a result a large
per cent. of the farms in the state
were mortgaged for machinery to
carry on their business, and the
yield was never sufficient to enable
them to pay off their Indebtedness.
AS an only means of salvation they
turned their attention to stock, and
to-day her farmers are out of debt
and prosperous. The farmers of
Michigan and Wisconsin starved for
years at wheat raising, and they only
got out of debt with stock. Iowa
farmers are just getting SO that they
can see daylight through the means
of stock.
While it may be true that Dakota
may be better adapted to wheat rails
ing than some of the states we have
mentioned, and it can possibly be
made a financial success in the Red
River country, yet it cannot be fol-
lowed with profit and safety in this
part ofthe Territory. and the sooner
farmers realize this truth the better
they will be off. When they have
succeeded in getting crops the ex-
pense has crippled the profits.
But what is the hope if they turn
their attention to stock raising as a
business, only raising grain enough
for home consumption? it is plain
and promising. The amount ofcap-
ital required to get u start, is very
small. Take, for example, a half
dozen heifer calves. You can buy
them at about four dollars per head
when they are three months old.
At the age Of one year they are
worth 81 apiece, and at two years
of age they have calves, and are then
worth $50 per head with calves at
81 each. At the age of three years
those COWS are worth Sl75, the year
ling calves So and the spring calves
s24,-or a grand total of S271. You
then have eighteen head of cattle,
and with very little trouble you can
have 100 hogs inside of the three
years mentioned. Think of it: in
three years your money invested in
| stock doubles itself over eleven and
one-fourth times. After that time
the ratio increases rapidly.
The expense of keeping an animal
in Dakota is hardly worth mention
ing. Hay can be cut and stacked
for seventy-iive cents per ton, and
cattle can be herded at one dollar
per head. The actual expense for
animal need not exceed S2.15 per
year. 1t is not because the farmers
Of this county have lacked the means
to buy stock, but because they have
been tempted to try wheat from yea,
to year, while if the money spent for
seed that has yielded no returns had
been put into stock, we would now
be a wealthy people.
All we ask is for fyou to try it
Reason the subject with us III all its
bearings, and we know you will be
convinced that we are correct. Ii
should be our aim to profit by thu
experiences of others, and if we dc
not we are not Wise. We know o.
men i'll Dakota and western lowe
who were always in debt and in
trouble before they abandoned try
ing to raise wheat, but so soon a.
they changed and began putting see,
, wheat money into stock they won
, and to-day are well circumstanced
Others can do the same. 1t is ou'
1 only salvation in southeastern Da
kota.
, THE steamer Nellie Peck is nov
lying at Green Point, near Burbank
, having had the misfortune to burs
, a boiler while racing with the c. X
Peck. It will take several DAYS +