St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-13
@. C. GREGG,
of Minnesota Farmers In
OF |

| Superintendent of Minnesota Farmers In
stitutes.
In reply to the query which you pro-
| pound to me as one of your contributors
i'll this issue Of your paper, | will give
YOU some Of the reasons why l would
answer it in the negative in as short and
concise manner as l can.
1t is very evident from the present
! outlook OF the agricultural situation of
| the world, that the markets must, Tor
some time at least, continue to show
! low price for the wheat which has
been and will be produced. This is
mainly true because the wheat area OF
the world has been so rapidly extended.
| as in Russia and India, where the
cheapest of the worlds labor is engaged
in producing it. The rapid extension
of our railway system in America Goth
North and SouthL and i'll Europe as
well, and the Indies, has opened to tn e
world an unprecedented amount Of
wheat lands that are pouring their sup
plies upon the worlds market.
1t does not follow that Minnesota
shall cease to grow wheat, but it does
follow that she must grow wheat upon
different plan from that pursued upon
the cheap lands and by the cheap labor
referred to. Their method may be
summed up in few words, viz: That
by multiplying their acres they increase
their product of bushels. We must Oh
the other hand. increase the fertility Of
the acre, and so increase the bushels
hot hot
must first increase the fertility in the
acreage of our wheat land. This only
can be done by the means of clover
growing and the Introduction OF some
form of animal industry.
Wheat at the present prices does not
pay the farmer for the raising it, when
raised at the present average of bushels
per acre, say from ten to fifteen bushels;
but wheat would pay something to the
grower, even at the present prices, when
the crop is grown in rotation and has a
high average of production per acre.
Good farming in Minnesota will
bring lis a return Of from twenty
five to thirty bushels Of wheat
per acre, and possibly higher. But
wheat at the present prices does not
pay as good profit as other crops which
can and should be grown. While it is
true that Minnesota is naturally good
| wheat state, it is equally true that 1t is
as favorable to the production of corn
and oats, barley, root crops and hay. l
speak Of the state as whole, and there
are but few exceptions to this state
ment in any parts of the state.
Oats is much surer crop than wheat,
and corn is rapidly extending the area
where it can be grown with greater
safety also. 1t does appear that bar
ley is more favOrably grown in the
southeastern part OF our state than in
other portions. The Intelligent farmer
OF today will base all of his farming OPP
erations upon some form Of animal in
dustry, as the dairy with the hog product
as an adjunct. or sheep for mutton pur-
poses, aud in all probability the beef
product will become a factor in the near
future i'll our agricultural prosperity.
Not only do the cash returns from these
sources make very substantial income
that is not affected by the cheap labor
and lands Of other countries. but the
fertility which goes to the soil as a con-
sequence makes it possible for US to
largely increase our crops per acre.
There are no objections in any of the
natural conditions of soil or climate of
our state which will hinder successful
dairying, sheep raising and beef pro-
| duction, as already outlined. If the
limits of this article would permit, we
could give very substantial reasons.
based upon very large experience Of
men in our state, showing that the very
climate of Minnesota, with all its cold,
| gives measure of help to these pur-
suits. There is much prejudice con-
corning the cold Of Minnesota being
hindrance to these forms of animal in
| dustry which has no foundation in fact.
We will close by stating that the
farmers of Minnesota are facing neces-
sity which will compel us to stop the
one-crop system of growing wheat alone.
Not only will the markets compel, but
the exhausted condition Of our soils will
also force such change.