The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-12-16
Raising CIR. and stsek.

oisnooe Enterprise.
Minnesota has always been consid-
cred so pre-emincntly 4 wheat coun-
try, that q large majority of our
farmers have turned their attention
and given their land almost entirely
to the culture of that cereal. We
have always felt that this was a mis-
take, and We believe the experience
of large majority Of our farmers
will bear us out in that idea.
Wheat culture is expensive and
uncertain. Almost everything de-
,,ends on u favorable season. The
fall blowing must be done in proper
season, this must be followed by just
such q winter as will leave the
ground in good condition in the
spring, the seeding must then be done
with the best Of care and the whole
followed by season of proper inter
walls of sunshine and showers to in
sure a good crop. If'any Of these
conditions are unfavorable the
chances of q rcmunerative crop are
materially lessened. But even a
good crop seems often to he almost a
calamity to the average farmer, from
the fact of the exorbitant price of the
necessary labor and machinery to &C.
cure its harvest. In this climate, a.
soon ss the grain fairly ripens it must
be cut ut once, ~ two or three days
often cause serious loss. The farmer
with a good crop is compelled ia
pay prices demanded or lose much OF
his grain.
In view of these facts, it seems ia
us that farmers should have some
thing besides wheat raising ~ their
main dependence, and that ii more Of
them would raise larger crops of corn
they would find it more protiMb BILE
and much less expensive. All the
|necessarywork in producing crop OF
corn may be done in a few weeks, nc
Expensive or complicated machinery
is necessary, it can be more leisurely
harvested and at much less expense
The raising Of more corn would also
bring the raising Of more stock, and
this, we take it, would be one OF the
most sensible moves our farmers
could make. Stock raising is one OF
the most profitable industries in thi.
country, and requires less labor and
expense than anything else that yields
the same profit.
But in this connection, We desire
more especially to speak of hog rails
ing in connection with corn culture
Handling wheat and getting it t.
market is always expensive on &C
count of it's bulk, and the impossible
ity of very materially reducing it
1t must be either wheat or -four and
in either case, cost of transportation
is necessarily heavy. Corn can be fed
to hogs aud then driven to market
with little expense. But the question
may be asked, "Will hog raising
pay?" Unquestionably it will, if thu
right breed of hogs is secured fol-
fatte; ing. As an illustration of this
an exchange tells of farmer who ex
pended 1865 for 2lO hogs and the
corn to feed them. After feeding
them until they averaged s23 pounds
he sold them for So, $40, besides refus
ing 1884 for Ill shoats he had raised
from the lot. Rec: ntly we spoke oil
a pig, eight months old, that weighed
three hundred and ninety pounds
which was raised and butchered by
Mr.. A. r. Newcomb, of this city. II
Mr.. N. can do this others can, and il
is not difficult to figure very hand
some profit out of such cases. W.
believe it pays better to raise almost
any kind Of stock than to devote such
exclusive attention to raising wheat
but that there is more ready none,
in corn and hogs than almost any
thing else our farmers can engage in
we are equally certain.