The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-08-22
WIDENING IT'S SCOPE.
N. p. Diversified Farming Expert
ments Are Blessed.

N. p. Diversified Farming Expert
ments Are Blessed.
The encouragement which the rail-
roads Of the Northwest have given di-
versified farming during the past few
years has already brought excellent
and really un1ooked-for results. Wheat
raising was at one period the only oc-
cupation Of the Minnesota and North
western farmer. Now things are diff
ferent. The Northern Pacific was one
Of the first roads to start the scheme.
General Freight Agent Moore of that
road keeps close in touch with the
work, and when asked for a statement
of results said:
1T policy in our company to encour-
age diversified farming, and to do all that Is
consistent to assist in improving the condi-
ton of the producers on our main line and
branches. During the present year our man
agement established five experimental sta
tons in the dry districts in North Dakota
to test a new method Of soil culture which
promises to increase the yield per acre and
insure good crops in dry seasons. Farm i'm
pliments were purchased by the company and
shipped free of charge to the farmers in
charge of the experimental stations, and
splendid results have been obtained. This
system of cultivation, which Is attracting so
much attention all through the Northwest
consists of packing the sub-soil, after plow-
ing and dragging in the usual way; the packer
Is weighted down with about five hundred
pounds ana the DISCS SINK to the bottom OF
the blowing, thus obviating the usual amount
Of evaporation. After the crops are above
the ground they are cultivated throughout
the season by cultivator especially pro-
vided for that purpose. With the success OF
this method thousands of acres of land in
the drought districts will be brought into
market and under cultivation This will add
largely to the wealth of our farming COM
munity and increase our crops and ship
ments
"A great deal has been said during the
past few years about raising corn In Min
nesota, but few of US realize how rapid the
growth of this industry has been. For in
stance: The crop of 1894 amounted to little
less than twenty million bushels while in
1895 we raised and harvested thirty-fiye mill
ion bushels, or one bushel of corn for every
two bushels of wheat. At this ratio of in
crease Minnesota will soon be in the list of
corn states. We are already ahead of Wis
consin, Michigan. New York and the ma
jority of the Southern states in this respect
The acreage planted to corn along the North
ern Pacific this season is about fifty per
cent greater than last year.
Coupled with this branch Of farming is
the important one of livestock raising, which
we are glad to note is becoming general not
kota- Our company has been obliged to
build stock yards to load cattle and hogs at
unimportant towns where we never looked for
live stock shipments. In running over our
record Of shipments of fat cattle and hogs
from the farms adjacent to our road east of
Bismarck, 1 find that the increase in three
cent. The farmers at our east end contributed
eleven hundred carloads OF cattle, sheep and
hogs during the season just passed, and over
three-quarters OF million dollars was dis
tributed amongst them from the sales at the
markets in the Twin Cities and Chicago. Az
the corn belt is extending northward this
live stock industry will continue to thrive and
grow.
1.-THE dairy business in the same districts
is also beginning to be fruitful Forty cream
cries have been located along our line I'm the
last two or three years between jamestown.
On. d. and st, Paul. and choice butter is
being shipped from these creameries to the
seaboard states and interior points in the
East. This means that cash is being sent
back from those points to our producers. So
much for diversifying.
Nearly forty carloads OF creamery butter
have been shipped thus far this season from
the points mentioned. Several creameries
have been established on our road in Mon
tana, while in Washington this industry has
grown even more rapidly than In Northern
Minnesota during the last two years.
Some producers are still croaking about the
results Of potato growing last year. They
ought not to feel badly about this matter.