The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1897-12-03
WHERE THE PROFIT LIES.

The margin of profit is now so
close on all products, either of the
farm or of the factory, that the great
problem is to make everything cut to
The best advantage. A few years
ago and very large proportion of
the weight of cattle and hogs was
lost or wasted; now nothing is vast
ed, but every part is made to benr
its share of the original cost. Farm.
ers used to be content with getting
crops off the plowed fields, earning
everything they raised by the severest
kind of labor. The American Farm
er says that what they had to sell
then brought good prices and what
they wanted to buy they got cheap.
Now prices are so uncertain that the
farmer never can tell until his crop
has been actually sold whether he
has farmed to a profit or not.
The farming in this country is
done on a much more scientific prin-
ciple than it was few years ago,
and the farmer IS learning to make
good use of all his opportunities, but
still he falls far short of making the
best use of his farm. That is, he
does not get so much out of the soil
as he ought to. The trouble is, the
farmer can see no profit in anything
but the grain or the grass be culti-
yates. The facts are that if the
farmer would pay attention to the
small things, with very slight out
lay in the beginning and none after
ward, except little labor now and
then, he might add materially to his
income.
There is hardly q farm in the West
that could not be made to earn from
500 to $500 each year for the owner,
without any outlay, except, perhaps,
a few dollars in the beginning. Let
us give a few illustrations: There
is now a growing demand for per-
simmons. All the hotels of the conn
try are furnishing them as table
delicacy. Every persimmon tree,
when in full bearing, will net the
owner, if the fruit is carefully gath
cred and prepared for market, from
81 to 81 every year. The tree re
quires but little care in cultivation.
The greatest care required is when
the fruit is gathered. There is hard
ly farm of ten or more acres but
could find room for at least fifty of
these trees in spots now unused. Fifty
trees would be worth every year at
least 800.
Too little attention is paid to the
cultivation of nut trees. In fact,
except in few localities, no care. at
all is taken of them. If the farm
has few nut trees, well and good.
They are left without care, and when
the fall comes the fruit is left to the
boys. If they feel like gathering
them and taking them to market
they are permitted to do so and that
is all. Pecans can readily be raised,
especially in southern Indiana. The
tree readily responds to cultivation.
The same is true of chestnuts, and
the English walnut has been, culti-
waited with great success. Every nut
tree, if properly cultivated, is worth
from So to $5 annually. When the
farmer has put out his fifty persim-
mon trees, if he will look around 3
little he will find room for fifty nut
trees, and thus in few years will be
able to add largely to his income.
with but little labor.
If you have a low, wet place on
your farm, or piece of woodland
that you now consider as useless, try
it with peppermint. There is always
demand for the oil, made by dis
tillation, and very small piece OF
ground, with a little labor. can be