Semi-weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings Co., S.D.) 1894-1898, 1894-12-22
CREAM RIES.
This Is What the Farmers of Brookinps
County Need and Must Have

This Is What the Farmers of Brookinps
County Need and Must Have
The following is a paper prepared by
S. G. Maryland of Fountain district.
Brookings county, which was to. have
been read before the lyceum last week,
but owing to Mr.. Mayland's illness the
date of the meeting was postponed.
Upon the solicitation Of the REGISTER
Mr.. Maryland has given US permission
to publish the paper for the benefit of
the farmers in this locality. 1t is a
pointed production, full of interest
and sound logic, and should be care
fully studied:
1.-The great question that confronts
Dakota farmers more than another. is
How can we make farming pay 2"
But experience is the best teacher.
Every new state has had to solve this
question in one way or another, and
the inevitable conclusion has been.
Exclusive grain growing is not profit
able The first step has been to di-
versify. This is a slow, and at times.
a tedious process, but it has never
failed where undertaken, nor will it
fail us if steadily and intelligently
pursued. and | believe, were we at
this time to make a united effort. the
consequences would be far greater
than the most sanguine anticipate.
| believe there never was country
where the cow was prominent or
leading factor, but that country was
prosperous. | call to mind Jefferson
county, Wisconsin, a county largely
made up Of scrub, black oak and sand.
But the COW has made it a rich, pros
porous county. Ten years ago, south
ern Minnesota was grOaning at hard
times. To-day its people are content
ed, happy and growing rich. Real
estate has quadrupled in that short
space of time. The cows and twenty
one creameries of Freeborn county.
gave it an income Of $1,l25, 100000 in
1893. 1t has only twenty congress
sional townships. and they claim they
have only made good beginning.
We find ourselves precisely in the
same condition as they were eight
years ago. But let us make the next
three years period of transitions
from cereal to dairy, for the change
must come, or ruin and bankruptcy
stare US in the face.
What the cow has done for other To-
calities, she will do for us. She is the
surest and safest mortgage litter with
in the reach of the American farmer
And, wherever the cow gets a foot
hold the hog finds room. In converse
tiOn with patrons in regard to cream
cries run on business principles, all
agree that a good cow, properly fed
and well taken care Of, will bring
from thirty-fve to sixty dollars year.
Let US take the minimum, thirty-five
dollars. There should at least be
twelve cows to every 100 acres.
Twelve times thirty-five equals 420.
Two hogs to the cow is rather under
than over the usual practice. This
would make twenty-four hogs. The
price must be low and hogs small and
poor to be worth less than eight dol
lars apiece. Eight times twenty-four
are 1872; 420 plus 1872 makes the respect
able sum of 6l2 dollars. Nor is this
sum all the benefit; the day has come
that we must fertilize, for there is no
soil, however rich, but will be ex-
hausted by continual cropping, if re-
turns not are made in the shape of fer
tiliZation. But stock on the farm
means increased fertility, and this
means an intelligent system of farm
ing.
But the feed question is the stumb-
ling block to many. Let us see. We
have kept from five to fifteen horses
and colts, four or five scrub COWS,
five or six heifers, breed ditto; that
many lank, long-horned steers, or
about twenty-five or thirty of badly
assorted mongrels, Where did the
feed come from? No, plant one
fourth of our tillable land to corn,
SOW wheat, oats and barley equally.
Sow winter and fall rye for spring and
fall pasture; millet for summer pas
lures. Timothy will catch four years
out of five, but do not feed it too close.
ly. Red top and blue grass do well
ON lnu lands At time We have all