St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-08-07
Gauge
*Rise. Fall.
,1yERsIFICATToN THE KEY


Every farmer in the state of Min |
nesota should read the views of Prof. |
Thomas Shaw, of the state expert |
mental farm, as published in yester--
days Globe. Prof. Shaw is one of
the most thoughtful investigators
who have given attention to the
progress of agriculture and its pros
poets in the Northwest. His views
are entitled to more than ordinary
weight, and they coincide with the
teachings of experience in every
farming community. He says that
diversified industry is the key of
AGRICULTURAL success. His opening
statement will probably surprise
many people: There is not shad-
ow of doubt in my mind but that
corn is destined to become the most
important crop of the state By
this he does not mean that corn cul-
tivated for the purpose of selling the
mature product will be Minnesotas
most valuable crop, but that it can
be raised successfully in every part
of the state as a food for live stock,
and that it's value to the land as
we'll as to the stock grower makes
its wider cultivation desirable.
This is only one point in the larger
idea of Prof. Shaw that the rotation
of crops is an almost Indispensable
farming There are, no doubt, GER
tain peculiar soils, of great strength,
upon which one variety of grain can
be raised for a long succession of
years without apparent diminution
Of their productive qualities. But
for the average farmer, located upon
the average farm, there is no per-
manent success on the single crop
plan. Not only does his reliance on
one crop expose him to absolute ruin
in case of unfavorable conditions
during the season, but it exhausts
the soil sooner or later, and gives
him a constantly diminishing re-
turn for the same amount of labor.
1t is singular that any one should
be unmindful of this lesson, which
is centuries old. Tillers of the soil
who have never heard of such a
thing as scientific farming, and
know only what has been handed
down to them through unlettered
generations, pursue the system of ro-
tation of crops. The experience of
unnumbered years has taught them
that this is necessary to the best
results. 1t is only in this new coun-
try, where so many have gone to the
soil without knowledge of practical
farming or Of the history of agri-
culture, who have fastened to become
rich by devoting their entire atten-
ton to the product which promised
to bring them the largest amount
of cash in the shortest space of time
that the single crop idea has pre-
vailed. With the exception of Ger
tain limited sections referred tt
above, where wheat may apparent.
be grown continuously without limit
the mere diversification of crops il
itself, assuming market prices to Re
main stationary, will add largely i
a series of years to the cash valu
of the products of farm.
Prof. Shaw gives some strikin.
illustrations of this fact, and show
how long is the list of farm product
to which the Minnesota tiller Of tn
soil may profitably turn his atten
ton. In the instance which he cites
farm of ordinary size is devote
to the raising Of corn, potatoe:
beans, peas, broom corn and variou
kinds of root crops in addition. M
only is the market value of thes
very great, but it is found tina