The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-01-25
INDUSTRIAL TOPICS.
Intensive Farming.

lArIueTS WlIH IHC importance OF WnaG lS
understood to be ..intensive farming?"
The many articles in your valuable
paper all point to better farming, of
course, but intensive farming has feat
ures which many writer's overlook, and
beginners, in particular, ought to un-
derstand its character and To adopt it
when it commends itself to their iudg-
ment.
What does it mean? Why, in brief,
the greatest profitable amount Of labor
and expenditure that can be applied
to tho crops on given area. 1t is ex-
actly the reverse of Gland skinning."
That system impels tho owner to own
'all land next 10 him." and then to
scatter his manure and labor over ten
or twenty acres when it had better be
applied to only one acre, or even less.
It is u system which makes tho crops
from q field less and less each year,
and the owner TO keep bawling per-
petually that "farlming don't pay"
But it is great fashion among rou.
tine and unthinking farmers to own us
much land rs is possible, and tho grip
OF fashion in farming is abont as hard
to break as the grip of fashion among
silly young fellows as to smoking or
drinking.
Many promising farmers sons and
other country boys despair of success. at
farming, and shun il for the want of
capital TO start without u mortgage
and they are not far wrong, for IL mort
gage is Il horrible thing. But intensive
farming presents an opening for such.
and were not their ncighbors so sense
less as TO often cry il down and ridieulc
it, it would often DO adopted; but il
is reasonably certain To rcvolulionizc
framing yet, and so no young man
should be discouraged.
What should he do? Buy I. few
acrcs-threc, five or ten, according 10
his capital, but never SO much that the
land absorbs it all. II buildings arc to
be erected, reserve enough from them
(cheap ones ut first of coursc). and al
SO enough in addition to buy what live
stock and tools arc required
The old granny who thinks no farm
should have less than hundred acres
ut least will laugh at the idea of live
stock Ona fivc-acrc or tcn-aclp farm;
but never mind; the intensive young
farmer will not pasture his stock-he
knows better. He has no money TO
throw away on pasturing or fences.
nor on big barnyards were tons and
tons OF manure are each year wasted.
He will begin with one, two or three
COWS ut first according to tho market
he has, or expects to make for his
dairy products, and soil them. He will
know, too, when he buys them. some
thing about their value as dairy animals.
No guess work for him, when facts can
be had.
What will he raise on such u farmp
Why, such crops, of course. as will be
suitable for his locality. The land the
climate and the markets must deter
mine that, in part. In a general way,
however, one can answer fruit. Plant
a pear orchard, say with the rows 30 to
40 feet apart, the space between heavi-
ly manured, and small fruits between,
OF which Strawberries are the most re-
liable. Then, with thorough tillage,
no weeds allowed to make see, and
mulching during the spring. every
thing will "boom" with growth. No
fears need be felt about deep plowing,
ifpracticcd from the start.
Truck, too, will be raised for a crop
rotation, Or principally. if near IL good
| market.
The dairy products, if good and re-
liablc--as they naturally will be under
such m;lnagement-will all find ready
market. All the stable manure that
can be had from the ncighborhood, at
living rates, will be bought and applied
i'll addition to all that is made on the
place. The COWS will be furnished green
fodder from the little farm, if such crop
can be grown for less than green crops
or mill feed and hay can be bought; il
not, the whole of the place will be used
for fruit. A sensible man will not try
to raise soiling crops in case, Oh the
whole, it is cheaper TO buy the feed
1t takes much more labor to raise crops
and TO feed them than to Use hay and
mill feed, and that will be considered.
Under such management, IL few
thousand dollars will not be tied up in
farm machinery and tools. There will
be no continuous outlay of cash and
work in hideOus fences; no time lost in
driving COWS each night and morning,
and no waste by them Of the fodder that
it costs SO much TO raise; no loss of mia
nurc on tho high way or in the barn
yard. There is economy everywhere,
and plenty of work, butno heavy in.
vestmcnt of capital. The one extra
item on such place will be in the room
and comfort provided for the stock
A small capital will start such Il
place, but then, us profits come in and
the way seems open, other acres can be
added. The young wife will not have
to "slavc her life OUT to board a. gang
OF hungry farm hands. Az first. the
husband can do most Of the work alone,
or all. NcXt.a ''stout chunk Of 81 boy"
ora good man, will he wanted; and
then perhaps boys grown on the place,
and nice girls too. will lend % hand and
push things.
These are only general hints, thrown
out to suggest thought. but there is
hope in the system. Young men need
not go west, or shoulder big mort
gage at the east, and bear il until the
burden makes them gray and tottcring.
1t requires good sense and judgement,
but so do all enterprises OF pith and
moment When it has been tried halt
us long and half as thoroughly as the
land-skinning system, tho latter will 60
To its own place.
Raising Calves.
Very often COWS can be purchased at
Il less cost than by raising them. and il
the same quality in all respects could
be secured this would be a better plan.
| Tho nf sinV fhn f.a1vos