The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-09
SWITCH FROM RAISING WHEAT.
s. l.. Moore Tells Why General Far
ming Is Better.

ming Is Better.
General Freight Agent S. L. Moore,
Of the Northern Pacific, in discussing
the recent state immigration conven-
ton held in this city, takes a very
patriotic stand in regard to the posi-
bilities of Minnesota and what might
be done in building up the dairy trade
of the state if the farmers would only
wake UP to their chances. Mr.. Moore
takes a new view of the case. He be-
neves the West could be made as great
a market as the East. Concerning this,
Mr.. Moore says:
IN support Of the paper by Prof. Thomas
Shaw, read at the convention, respecting the
dairy and live stock industries of Minnesota,
it is quite noticeable that dairy products are
being shipped from our state to the East and
exchanged for cash of the consumers. There
we're forwarded in this manner fifty carloads
from points on the Northern Pacific in Min
nesota. during 1896. 1t is true also that a
limited number of cattle and hogs (our sheep
/. industry is very snalD are sent to Chicago
and Omaha. At the same time an immense
quantity Of meat, butter and eggs and cheese
is skipped into and through Minnesota to
points beyond in North Dakota, Montana and
Washington. These latter states should pro-
duce sufficient for their own needs; and if
short, as they now are and always have been,
should be served by their next neighbor, Min
nescta. 1t does seem strange that we send a
large quantity Of butter, for instance, to New
York, and that during the same period ship
pers in Iowa forward large quantity to Mon
tana and Washington; also that while live
stock is shipped to Chicago, fresh and salt
meats are brought into Minnesota in large
quantities, thus adding freight charges in
both directions to the cost to consumers
Much fresh meat in the markets in ST. Paul
Minneapolis and Duluth is supplied from the
slaughter houses in Illinois and Nebraska at
the same time 1t is possible for cattle to be
finished off for our markets and slaughtered
here.
While hogs are not raised in Minnesota in
large numbers, Prof. Shaw and other capable
and well informed men who have deep in
terest in the welfare Of our state, have dem
onstrated that We can and ought to raise all
we need for our own use and some besides
Stop for minute and consider the large
amount Of pork, lard, hams and bacon and
sausage consumed in the Twin Cities and
Duluth by 100000 people, and take into con-
sideI;ation that great share Of it comes from
Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa, and that our
good money is going away from Minnesota to
pay for 1t. Prof. Shaw truly says The tide
Of prosperity will ebb and flow in our state in
proportion to the attention we give to live
stock growing and the production of dairy
products" The professor should have added
poultry and eggs also.
During 1896 there were shipped, approximate
ly, twelve million pounds of hog product to
the numbering camps and small towns in Min
nesota north of the Twin Cities and west of
Duluth. During the same period there were
shipped through Minnesota into North Dakota
about three million pounds, and to Montana
and Washington dncluding Portland Or. J
over fourteen million pounds making alto
gether nearly thirty million pounds of hams
bacon, lard pork and sausage to and through
Minnesota, nearly all of which as stated orr
ginated in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Hi
nois. Now add to this the quantity Of pork
product consumed in our three large cities
and some idea can be had of the amount Of
cash sent away that could be kept in circu-
latien in Minnesota if our own producers
would do their duty.
Two million FIVE hundred thousand pounds az
butter were shipped through our state to Mon
tana, Washington and Northern Idaho during
1926. This butter was produced largely by
Iowa and Nebraska. During the same period
four hundred thousand pounds of cheese were
shipped through the Twin Cities to the Forth
and pounds to North Dakota and seven humid
red and fifty thousand pounds to Montana and
Washington.
During the same year there were shipped
from Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska through our
state to Montana and Washington one million
five hundred thousand pounds Of eggs and a
very large amount of poultry. Just think
or the cash that could be accumulated hero
My conclusion is that many Of our farmers
are sticking to wheat, and for some unaccoun-
table reasOn-unless it is because when the
price of wheat is ranging high they are able
to support their families twelve months and
have something remaining, from the results
OF few months labor but wheat NAV %
back again to fifty cents or even lower and
then 1t will be an easy thing to pick out
farmers who have changed their method ne
farming from wheat growing to general farm
ing and are prospecting. l am sure vour
readers will agree with me.