New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-04-14
Albin Correspondence.
Corn Versus VIII cat.

we would like to call the attention
of farmers to the propriety of planting
more corn and sowing less wheat than
they have hitherto done. The mania
for large wheat farms, with their ne.
cessary appendage Of costly machin.
cry has always been the ban of Mime
sofa farmers. At this day most farm.
ers are convinced that a variety Of
crops is better than to give all atten-
ton to wheat.raising. It is claimed
by some that we are too far north to
make success in contrasting. We
admit the seasons are short; and, per.
haps, we cannot, successfully. raise
some of the very largest varieties; yet
we can, usually, raise fair crop OF
medium varieties.
In the past, the palmy days of
Minnesota wheat growing, corn was
thought to be a less sure crop than
wheat. The opinion, however, was
unwarranted. Experience has proven
it to be false. An experienced farm.
er of Viola, Olmstead Co., has al.
ways said 81 find corn to be just as
sure crop as wheat
We believe that every man who
properly cultivates corn will be forced
to the same conclusion. But if the
above opinion be correct, in one Of
the very best wheat.producing sec.
tons in Minnesota, how much more
of our county, with soil SO much
better adapted to corn than that OF
Olmsted County. The fact is, there
is no mistake in this matter. The
farmers-are being ruined by overdo.
ing the wheat business. The whole
thing is out of joint and preju.
dicial to the farmers best interest.
We assign a few reasons for our
views:
LIST, It takes too much land to
make a wheat farm.
end, As a wheat farm is never a
stork farm it impoverishes the land
without due returns.
3rd, It takes too much seed to run
a wheat farm.
18th, Since land continually sown
to wheat will become very foul un.
less stirred as soon as the crop is har.
vested; it takes too many teams to
plow it in season.
5th, Above all, the harvesting with
it's exorbitant wages and costly ma.
chinery takes off most of the profits,
even Of good crop.
9th, The threshing, like every
thing else about the wheat business,
costs too much and comes all at once.
No possibility Of mans doing his
own work. He must hire or change.
9TH, price does not renumerate the
farmer for his labor and outlay. Few,
if any, of these objections can be
urged against corn growing, either in
whole or in. part. Itproduces more
to the acre, hence requires less land
It requires.but little outlay for seed
and as to proving, planting, cultivat.
ing and gathering there is plenty D
time, and all can be done with Blu,
few teams, and little machinery. II
leaves the land in good condition fol
the next crop, while the stalks fur
nish good cattle range during the fal
and mild part Of the winter. Thi
will pay better than anything els,
and at the same time furnishes profit
able employment for the white,
months, good cows and horses vii
usually bring fair price, and "a
cattle, Of all ages, will sell at an,
season Of the year. The experience
of the past may not show that maj
will become suddenly wealthy in thi
way, but it has clearly proved that
man can live well and keep out Q
debt, with far more ease and certain
y than by exclusive wheat. growing
and at the same time bring his farm
to the highest state Of produc tiveness
farmer .