Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-10-14

AANfusANG
The figures given in the clipping
below are calculated TO make Western
farmers think They indicate some
very handsome profits, How were
they obtaineda is a question Missouri
! farmers would like 10 have answered.
Is it possible TO get such here? No
4 one will for moment assume that
our natural conditions OF soil and
4 climate are not equal to those OF
I Massachusetts Why then can't we
4 produce as big crops2 Are we lack
\ ing in intelligence and skill? l fear
/ we are, but not necessarily so.
Western farmers have not heretofore
4 felt the necessity Of extra mental ex-
I ertion in making farming pay AS
4 they come TO realize their needs in
this direction they will acquire as
/ fully as do their Eastern brothers
! that technical information which
I success demands shall DO used in
! farming as in other callings. and TO
give this will patronize the agri-
cultural college, attend farmers in.
stitutes and read agricultural papers
But these crops were obtained
from Very small acres; can such be
got from large acres2 asks Levi
Chubnuck in the Rurag World Upto
I a reasonable limit there Is no reason
why the same skill and expenditure
Of proportionate amount OF labor
should not produce proportlonate re-
suits from large as from small acres;
indeed, there are advantages ia econ.
omy OF labor and value OF machinery
In the large over the small farm
The trouble with the great majority
Of farmers. particularly here Ia the
West. is that they are trying 20
spread given amount OF labor over
too large an area spreading ii out so
thin that only thin crops result, for
getting that big profits come from
getting TOO bushels of corn from one
acre rather than from three, and
saving interest and taxes. and labor
Of planting, etc, on two acres Look
~ some ot the figures showing cost
Of producing the crops mentioned III
the clipping. When would we think
OF eXpending $500 IN producing az
acre TT corHa don't think VS. need
TO eXpeud anything nea- that amoYnt
in value 10 give maximum crops. Tor
II IL was necessary there would Ia no
profit 70 Us with tho low prices OBJ
tanned here.
But why. we may ask. arc prices
for farm products 50 much lower
here than in the East2 Only that
there are more 70 feed there in pro.
portion 10 producers than here This
then seems 70 be tho problem 10
solve, so far as concerns profitable
Western farming, how 10 Increase the
number Of home consumers 81 our
products We can DO this. in effect.
III ono way. aud that Is by Initiating
the example Of many Eastern farmers
and abandon" some OK our farm
land, ~ least for season; seed X
down TO grass. Much has been said
in recent years about abandoned
New England farms. when the mat
ter i investigated, IL Is found that
the large part Of this "abandoued'
farm land Is such that Missouri
farmers would never have thought
OF trying 70 farm, it Is SO poor and
rough, and IS now being allowed 10
grow up to timber. and the farmers
are putting their time and labor on
o reduced area Of the best land. with
such results as to prove the wisdom
Of the policy, and silence tho.e who
have been saying that farming in
New England did not pay.
We hear in the West might learn a
lesson from this:
Some Prize Massachusetts, Crops
+. G. Little, Hayerhill. Mass, raised
the premium crop Of potatoes. 25l
bushels, on one-half an acre worth
$3.50. 20 at cost Of $jg 50 The pro.
fl was $l3l.I0 or S2G2.SJ per acre.
The same gentleman raised 40 bush
els Of mangel beets on lO6 rods OF
ground at q cost OF $S5. 81 and values
the same at 1913; profit $1S7.3J. The
only reason this man Gas well az
many othcrsJ Is not millionaire is
because he does not do business
enough. ID. A. Carleton, North
AndOvcr, Mass. raised one.half acre
Of cabbage worth $3.50 at cost cf
SOL; profit per acre, $i98. G. G.
Blunt Of Andovcr raised ono half
acre OF carrots worth 1862 50 at cost
Of S5l.7j, profit per acre $2ij.5O; also
one-half acre Of parsnips worth az sl
per bushcl 1926 al cost or s6G 50.
profit por acre 1897, and one-half
acre Of turnips yielding $50 bushels
worth Sl15 at a cost Of $l5 80; profit
per acre s3i930 II. NJ. Killam.
West Bedford, grew one acre OF corn
on which the corn and stover was
worth Sl07.S0 at cost of $s7. 30;
profit so. 30. N T. Farmer.
Success aud Grass.
In every system Of farming. vol