The Saint Paul globe., 1898-04-16


There is a great truth expressed in the
following lines from the Iowa Homestead:
The spring time is the season to improve
opportunity. This is to the rest of the year
what youth is to after life. If spring time
Is permitted to go without catching oppor-
tunities, there will be no harvest. In time
OF youth preparation should be made Tor
old age.
Iowa. as a state which has attended strictly
10 business in connection with the products
Of the farm during the past generation, has
a right to speak for herself; and Minnesota
has the privilege of following her example.
Market statistics show that, of the 10, o33
cars OF cattle delivered in Chicago during the
month of January last, Iowa contributed
lO53 or approximately one-half.
Why cannot Minnesota step into this field
Of rivalry? She may not, In the first, sec
Ond, or even the third year, attain the high
est rank; but her possibilities exist; and
these equal any state in the Union in this
connection. The following, extracted also
from the Homestead, supplies invita-
lion:
IN keep roofing away said the Berk-
shire hog I'm saving my bacon" said
the Tamworthless hog. ''As for me, VIII
try my luck in lard" said the Poland
China. Il don't care a red about such
'hings. said the Duroc, while the cow was
overheard to say, IN stick to my feed
and continue in the business of making
butter fat Il will still grow WOOL" said
the sheep. Il will keep my eyes open for
business remarked the potato, and If
am Irish I shall always be found aSsociat-
ing with bread and butter"
One can overlook the insinuation against
the Tamworth hog and still approve the gen.
erous purposes of the live stock family, as
set forth in the above proposition. The beauti-
full part of 1t all is that everything is will
ing: and It is presumed that the Homestead
,,1l-. nd 4ha
pecially the Irish, will not be overlooked in
his aspirations to be associated with bread
and butter.
But never before in the history Of the
state have such splendid opportunities been
afforded to farmers of the Northwest, and
especially in Minnesota, in connection with
the live stock industry. During the years
OF awful industrial depression, from 1892 to
1897, the shrinkage in the productive capacity
OF the fields of agriculture has been enor-
nous. When you start out to compute val
ues and profits and losses in this line you
must count heads just you would count
uplifted hands in temperance OF revival
meetings, only, when you come into the
enumeration of the occupants of the live
stock field, you would probably get a greater
value per head, as between the two.
Nucn is being said Just now as to the
shortage in live stock for the coming mar
ket. There is no doubt that the plains in
all the sections of the West were drained
TO meet the demand for last years supply.
The requirement of the agricultural COM
munity today is that its representatives
should raise and feed more beef cattle. This
Is the opportunity open now to Minnesota
farmers, and they ought to avail themselves
OF II. The statement is made on authority
that the loss of cattle in Texas alone
amounted to 900 within the past three
years. This means a great DEAL not alone
TO Texas. but to the entire country. The
Texas ranges have been long a source of sup
ply to the Northwestern ranchmen, but the
inroads upon the stock of the Southwest
have been great during the past year that
nothing longer be drawn from that sec
ton.
This is a season of the year when cows
are bringing forth their young, and 1t is
appropriate to appeal to the farmers to
save their calves, and initiate a general.
movement for the building up of the cattle In
dustry of the state. To the farmer 1t should
bo said Don't knock your calf In the
head and sell him off-hand for the little
you can get out Of him. Save him Tor her
as the case may be) and see what comes
OF the experiment. A dead calf is only worth
so much-a little more, perhaps, than the
body of a human being-but give him a
chance to live and develop and he may be-
come worth a great deal more than the man
who would be disposed to kill him because
of the immediate profits which his carcass
would supply"
The current crop year has been one of
extraordinary profit to the farmer This Is
an era of great agricultural profit and ad-
vantage. From July l to Jan. 81, almost 70
per cent of the exports on the United States
represented agricultural products, and these
amounted in the aggregate to $685. OOO, ,0OO
Such a showing ought to be source of en-
couragement to every farmer everywhere
Agriculture is an interest which exacts in
dustry just as everything else, and the great
er the degree Of intelligence applied the larg-
er will be the outcome. This is the sea-
son of the year for the Introduction Of new
plans, looking to increase of revenue. If
the eyes of the farmers are open to their
opportunities at the present time they must
recognize the fact that live stock culture is
at this period the most promising industry
OF the commonwealth.