Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-03-29
SUCCESSF JJII IA RMl NG
PRACTICAL ExPERIENCEs OF DA-
FkOTA FARMERS.

PRACTICAL ExPERIENCEs OF DA-
KOTA FARMERS.
Dlvcrsity In Farming FOund to be
the Most Successful Mcthod-Farm-
ing IL n Profession that Requires
Drnin as Well as MYscle.
The following essay was awarded
FIRST prize in the Dakota Farm compete
ton, it was written by ]. 3. Hartman,
Of Potter County South Dakota:
In March, 1887, l settled on the north
west quarter of section 20, 1877. Pot
ter County, South Dakota, with team
of old horses, wagon, plow, drag, feed
and seed enough to put in sixty acres
of wheat and about $125.O0 in cash.
I had family consisting Of wife, lit
tie girl and grown up son. The son has
been away three years out of seven.
No hands have been employed except
in harvest.
The soil here is black loan, slightly
yellow when first broken; the subsOil Is
Of nature we'll adapted for the reten-
ton of moisture and Is full Of lime.
The land is nearly free from stone and
gravel beds and is Il solid mat of bunch
grass roots which makes the breaking
very hard. 1t takes four. good horses to
break two acres per day with SIX
teen inch plow while the ground Is in
good condition. Every acre broken Is
worth $500. 1t is well known that the
tougher the sod the better and harder
the quality of wheat it will raise.
The first year, 1887, I had in 60 acres
of wheat; 'SS, % acres Of wheat; 80,
16O acres of wheat; 80, $50 acres Of
wheat and 40 of flax;'91, 40 acres Of
wheat and 20 of flax; '92, 80 acres of
wheat and % Of flax. Each year l
have had in from Is to As acres Of oats
and barley for feed. Have never had
good crop in the seven years, but have
always made little profit. Have made
money cutting with my header for
and in 80 did about $4,000
worth of work on the Il. G. & S. c. Ry.,
near me, which gave my farming
much needed lift.
have bought but two horses and sold
two. Now have five high grade and
three common work horses, and four
high grade two year old colts. I raise
none but the best grade and find that
it pays. Many farmers have made the
of buying horses on time, in
stead of raising them. My mares work
side by side with geldings while raising
their colts.
The second year here my son worked
three months at $1,000 per month for a
two-year aid heifer without the calf.
The next. year bought another one.
During 1890 we MIXED three cows.
Made the mistake of selling the calves.
Last year had six milch cows Sold
enough butter to furnish the table well
from them. In justice to the cows
should add, that in November '92, lost
my house and all supplies by fire, and
in July '93, my garden by hail, thus
necessitating the purchase of everything
eaten by us for over year. Butter
making qualities is my test in the pur-
chase of COW, although size is not al
together lost sight of. have learned
that large COWS are just as liable to be
good mixers as small ones, and should
their calves be steers, are much more
profitable on that score. OF my nine
mich cows eight are at least fifty
pounds heavier than the average cows
of the neighborhood; the ninth is
high-grade Jersey. I have in the past
fed my COWS nothing but wild hay or
oat straw, but shall feed chopped feed
hereafter as it will pay every time
when fed to good cows. Good warm
quarters and plenty of pure water di-
sable for both cattle and horses. We
feed our calves fresh milk until they
are three or four weeks old, and after
that skinned milk slightly warmed
Tin winter). They are as large at
twelve months Of age as many that
have run with the cows and represent
a great deal more Of profit. have
learned that cows should come fresh
about September list. Butter is nearly
always 20 cents during the fall and 25
during the winter months. At this sea-
son the cows require more or less care
anyway, and believe the profit to be
much larger than at any other season.
Anyway the men folks have more time
to milk and look after them then than
during the spring and summer months
A few spring COWS are handy to have
over the period the others are dry. I
never began to get ahead until began
paying my grocery bills with butter
and eggs; since then 1 have found it
much better shedding
The hen is the farmers friend in need
and a friend indeed. My five dozen
hens are worth probably Is or 16 dol
lars and the best horse on the farm
$4,000 yet the hens net me more pro-
fit than two or three horses. Our fami-
ly have not been out Of eggs for years
except for short time last year when
all our chickens were roasted alive.
From nine hens last spring we raised
five dozen pullets and probably as
many cockerels, which we have eaten,
besides about three dozen killed in a
hail storm. Dakota Is the poultry
mans paradise. No disease, no stag
nant water, or other deadly enemies.
Warm, well lighted quarters and plenty
Of whole wheat and good fresh water
will make hens lay at all seasons of
The year. The refuse from the table
and some sour milk can be probably
fa1 fham XVa shall dnvotn c0nSf6nr.