St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-13
GEN. C. C. ANDREWS.

Diversified farming means the raising
OF some other crop or crops besides
wheat. With reasonable prices wheat
growing is the most attractive branch
OF farming. because it affords the farm
er more leisure time than any other.
In raising wheat the farmer harrows
his field, SOWS the seed. and harrOWS it
IN just as early i'll the spring as the
ground will admit For the two follow
Ing months or more, or until the latter
part of July, when the crop is ready to
harvest, he is not i'll the habit of doing
anything more TO it. After 1t is gaht
cred and stacked he again, early in the
autumn, plows the field; then comes
the threShing and hauling to market,
and the whole work of the crop is done.
How different it is in such branch of
farming as the dairy, in which careful
work must be done continuously every
day In the year.
When farmer is equipped for wheat
raising and lacks the means tor procur-
Ing the buildings and implements for
successfully prosecuting some other
branch OF agriculture, it may be diff
cult, and III some cases impossible, for
him to diversity. But it should not be
ditncnlt for him to change from wheat
to potatoes or to corn and hog raising
Still, successful raising OF corn in
wolves liberal manuring of the soil,
which, again. requires live stock. Tie
average yield to the acre among good
farmers is thirty-five to fifty bushels Of
SheIled c0rn-the yellow dent variety.
Ten bushels of sheIled corn will pro-
duce loo pounds Of pork, live weight.
The average selling price of hogs, one
year with another, is about four cents
per pound, live weight. For profit
they should be sold in the autumn,
when seven to eight months old, and
the best farmers make a net profit of
about s. per hog.
Diversified farming means a rotation
of crops. which is essential to maintain
and improve the fertility Of the soil.
The most simple rotation is wheat from
one to three years. then corn with
manure, then grass and pasturage, fol.
lowed again by wheat. Another good
rotation is wheat. cats. com aud then
wheat. Still another is wheat, barley,
oats, corn. grass. The best farmers
practice rotation Of crops, and their
average yield of wheat is about 90 bush
els per acre, OalS IL ami barley G3 BUSH
els per acre, know Of many farmers
Ill this state VINO average very good M {
profits from their business, and who are
leading lives Of independence, dignity
and comfort
Recently have made some inyeStiga-
ton of the sheep and dairy industries
in Minnesota. from original sources, and
have found the situation very proms-
ING. There are a number of sheen
raiserS in our state who are clearing an
annual net profit OF 81 per head OF their
tiOckS. Cur climate is very favorable 10
sheep raising, but the industry is only
slightly developed. Said Mr.. Steven
son, an able English agriculturist u
the British committee that visited Min.
nesota last summer: There ought to
be tens Of thousands OF fine fiocks of
sheep III Minnesota" \ recent United
States special report on sheep industry,
while acknowledging Minnesota's great
advantages for sheep raising, says that
there are more dogs than sheep in the
state"
There are many dairy farmers in the
state who are annually making a net
profit OF $50 per COW; and vet it is true
That on2-half of the COWS in Minnesota
do not pay for their keeping, being bet
ter suited for beef than tor the dairy.
L suppose that 60 per ceut OF the
farmers in Minnesota do not read any
agricultural paper nor attend the lee
lures OF the Farmers institute. dow
then can useful and inspiring agricul-
tural information be ditTGsed among
them? How can desire for better
methods be impaired to them and their
energy be stimulated? We lack in
Minnesota some things for the DrOmo-
ton of agriculture which they have in
the New England states, and / would
like to see an impartial and statesman
like committee of the Legislature ap-
pointed to Investigate what ought 10 be
done to promote agriculture in this
state, and report at this session.
4. L. 1znol1S<~a, |