The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-01-16

than to prove that 1t will benefit morally.
Unless We can live contentedly as did the
Indians before US, it takes money to make
comfortable and happy homes. 1t may
be true that imam wants but little mere
below, nor wants that little long. stu
when there is a home and family con-
cerned, whatever the man may want, COM
fort demands continuous supply OF
money.
My home is among the wheat farmers OF
the rich Red river valley, and you VIII
pardon me If 1 look at this side OF the
subject too much from that Standpoint.
Wheat farming, even in the garden OF NH
nesota, Is a speculative business. NO
human skill can insure. or human foresight
determine, even approxima tely, what the
outcome of any single crop may pe But
this game of chance has this virtue-you
always draw something. and occasionally
you draw a prize indeed. l know farms
whose acreage in wheat runs up into the
thousands, to yield an average of 80 BUSH
els to the acre. and to sell for over 81
per bushel l know such farms where the
first crop has paid for the land with the
improvements, the labor, the stock and
machinery to work it, and left a handsome
surplus besides; but the effect. like the
great prizes that occasionally drawn
from the lottery, IS demoralizing.
On the other hand have seen men rent
land. plow it, seed it, cut the grain and
thresh out 21a bushels per acre, give half
Of it for seed and rent, and sell the other
half for 40 cents per bushel, and this result
was demoralizing also and demonetzing as
we'll.
/ have watched this process for the last
Is years. The farmer always hopes for the
80 bushels. He always gets something be-
tween this and pc, and price varying ac-
cordngly.
Now, if the business could be conducted
upon basis of 2,a bushels, at an average
of so cents per bushel, it would be a SAFE
| hsc "a
little eff is bigger than mountain. Whlle
the credit system has full play, 1t is safe
to say that this business is more gener-
ally conducted on the basis of ~ busheis
per acre and IS cents or upwards per push
Ell. Thousands of deserted homes and
thousands more destitute of the ordinary
comforts of life, has been the result.
Notwithstanding all this, our farmers in
the Northwest must not give up raising
wheat. They must not leave it to the
| natives of India or Patagonia to supply the
| world with the golden staff of life. But
! for the sake of their families let them sup
pement it with something that will insare
/ to the family some continuous revenue and
| means of comfort. and at the same time
| help to better the crops OF wheat. For that
purpose, the for Minnesota, deserves
| consideration
| There is nothing aside from the milk OF
| human Kindness SO necessary to the COM
| fort of any family as the milk OF GOOD
| Jersey COW. 1t is like oil poured upon the
| troubled waters of family life; it is per-
| feet food for the baby; it is an excellent
| beverage for the children; it furnishes
| cream for the coffee butter for the bread
| and cheese for the lunch. 1t shortens the
pie crust and raises the Johnny cake; ever
| the cat and the dog cry for it. With the
| farmer it goes still farther. 1t raises the
calf; it feeds the pig; it pleases the colt
| and it delights the chickens Yes, and Il
| he will only give her a fair chance, this
| little COW will clothe the children, buy com
| forts for the wife, pay the taxes ana nell
to lift the mortgage. And yet after dem
| onstrating the ability to do all these things
| some ungrateful farmer will turn rount
| and ask for general purpose COW. Min
| nesota would be better off if she had more
| general purpose farmers. | think after
COW has faithfully served her day and gen
era ton as a COW she is entitled to de
cent burial. and if it be true (as some O
| our theologians ASSERT that animals are t
have another life, she will certainly have
| part in the first resurrection.
| l used to think it strange that the Israel
| ties were so tempted to worship the calf
l have come to see that the COW is at leas
worthy of a good deal of veneration.
| Dairying is a most fitting complement u
| wheat farming, because it is an all-the
| year-round business. 1t can be so ar
| ranged that the dairy work will be thu
lghtest during harvest and threshing.
| enables the farmer to utilize his straw an
| fertilize his fields. 1t assists In Othel
| branches of diversified farming; it make!
|-swine husbandry more profitable: it helps
| to make rotation of crops necessary ant
| successful, and in fact, there is no ANNA
| that has so wide range of usefulness a
| the COW. For the family, aside from
furnishing so large a part of the living
| she can be made to contribute cOntinu
| Gus income, and this means Thousand
comforts in the home.
| The proceeds of the dairy seems by com
mon consent to be regarded as sacred t.
the family. a mans creditors look will
eagle eyes at the results of his harvest
and when they are satisfied often there il
nothing left for the family. But if Their
is even a small herd of cows, they will
| work every day and night as though
the whole responsibility was theirs.
| 1t is the almost universal sentiment o
those in the Red river valley who hav
tried the dairy, What would we do with
| out our cOws?
With these rambling observations 1 mus
conclude the subject with the full con
| viction that the dairyman's family is t
be congra tulated and not pitied.