St. Paul daily globe., 1894-02-26
DIVERSIFIED FARMING.

Some weeks ago the GLOBE pointed
out the fact that to overproduction was
due In large measure the existing de-
preston in the wheat market, and ad-
Vised farmers to lnaugurate a new
system if they would make their occu-
patton prosperous one. A few years
ago fortunes were realized in season
from good crop of wheat, whereupon
the farmers all over the Northwest
rushed madly for the seed wheat bins
and sowed all their available land with
this cereal. The result has been what
might have been expected. The supply
is much in excess of the demand. The
stock of wheat on hand is sufficient to
supply two such worlds as ours. and the
price has fallen far below the cost of
production. Farmers can scarcely dis
pose of their wheat at any price, while
the market is lower than it has been at
any time in the history of the country.
with no prospect of improvement.
The farmers who have diversified
their crops are In far better condition
than those who bestowed their entire
attention upon grain. That somewhat
vulgar article, the potato. has become
the king of the farm, much to the sur
prise of everybody. 1t is not usual for
Spectators or boards Of trade to deal in
potatoes. There are no options bought
or sold on this esculent; no puts and
calls are offered there is not even a
potato pit OH the floor of single cham
Der of commerce. And yet we see the
farmers who planted a few acres to
potatoes reveling in comparative lux
ury, while their neighbors, who
"plunged' heavily in the more arIsto-
cratic wheat, are industriously scratch
ing poor mems backs. and promise TO do
SO for years to come.
AS rule, the farmers do not reason
as to the crops they shall cultivate; they
simply jump at conclusions We shall
expect an entire change of conditions
when The next crop year rolls around.
Quite probably nine-tenths of the farm
ers of the Northwest will, the coming
season, rush into the cultivation of
potatoes. As a consequence. there will
he an enormous slump in prices, and
year from today they will be too cheap
to offer to the hogs, while wheat, almost
entirely neglected, will be soaring in
the vicinity of dollar to dollar and a
half bushel and hard to get at that.
1t is one great fault of the American
farmer that he is continually rushing to
extremes. If a certain product of the
farm brings good. prices this year he
jumps to the conclusion that it will
bring equally good prices next year, and
he devotes his every energy to its pro-
ductlon. When market day comes
around he finds that all his neighpors
have been of the same opinion as him
self, and there is no demand foruthe
article from which he expected to rea-
lize a fortune. In the meantime the
price of some product that has been
neglected leaps skyward, and he de-
votes his leisure moments to cursng
the stupidity that led him to overlook
this crop. and resolving that he will
atone for it by planting every acre next
season in the crop that had been so
! profitable to few of his far-seeing
neighbors.
This experience of one year is the
history of all among the farmers, and
the same thing will continue till the end
of time unless farming is reduced to a
| better system. The agriculturiSts should
| learn that ''man cannot live by bread
aione," and cease to devote their entire
] attention to wheat culture. They shonld
| diversity their crops. Corn is profita-
bic as rule. If it caunot be disposed
| of in the markets it can be fed to hogs.
and the hogs are always salable at good
! prices. Hemp and flax are good crops,
and broom corn always pays. But if
/ these are overdone loss will follow their
cultivation. Root crops are always
good. Ii they cannot be sold for human
consumption they can be fed to cattle
profitably. The coarser grams pay
well when raised in moderation. Oats
are always in demand, and as long as
men drink beer barley will find an
active market, provided it is of 60 cd
quality and color.
The safest plan of all for farmers to
follow is TO diversity their crops. Diver
slfied farming always assures one of a
comfortable living. If man runs to
| specialties there will be either feast Or
famine continually. 1t is manifest
that no more fortunes are to be made
out OF wheat, but fortunes are being
made every day out Of hogs, cattle and
| sheep. Potatoes are high this year: !:
they may touch the bottom next. OF