The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-25

SEATTLE, MONDAY DECEMhEN 20,
Diversified Farming.
The spokane spokesman-R Review has
opened its columns to discussion Of
the question Of diversified farming, and
h getting responses from the agricul-
turists Of Eastern Washington a. to the
advisability OF not relying wholly upon
one crop. but rather Of paying some at
tention to side ventures such as dairy
ing or hog raising. Many farmers have
given their ideas on the subject and the
preponderance Of opinion seems to be
that In tho long run they will make
more by raising wheat than by tying
experiments in butter making or the
raIsinG Of pork.
A large number Of farmers say expe-
rience has taught them that dairying
does not pay. Some hold that Eastern
washington II not . dairy country to-
begin with. and II It were, there are no
creameries conveniently located which
farmers can patronixe ana which would
turn out the choice creamery butter
preferred for household use. 1t IL main
tained that the native grasses dry up
in summer and that dairy stock has for
< the greater part of the year to be pro-
vided with feed that costs more than
that furnished the cows which come in
competition with the cows Of Eastern
Washington. It II argued that q good
acre of clover pasture in Illinois will
furnish as much feed as ten acres OF
bunch grass In Washington and
cows will give Sc per cent. more
milk on It, Milk and butter can
therefore be produced In the East
at a cost which enables the pro-
ducers to ship advantageously to the
West In competition with the local
dairymen. 1t IL claimed that ten acres
Of land are required to feed one COW
year, and with milk often selling for
not more than so cents per hundred
weight there is far less profit from the
venture than there would be from the
land put into wheat. Moreover, the
farmers insist that the management of
herd Of ten cows, which is as many
~ one man can feed and milk. with
the time occupied in getting the milk
to market. will use up 1855 days Of the
year, and not bring the net returns that
would be realized from a 1Oo-acre wheat
farm the cultivation OF which does not
require over twenty days out of three
hundred and sixty-five.
Similarly the raising OF hogs is said
to OFFER only meager returns to the
farmer. 1t is difficult for western pork
to compete with Eastern pork. they say.
In the corn belt pork can be produced
for one-half the cost In Eastern WASH
ington. Corn is fed to hogs on a basis
of from Is to 20 cents a bushel. Let
corn sell for from Is to IS cents BUSH
and hogs. Wheat worth anything
above IS cents a bushel cannot be fed
( to hogs at profit, and one farmer re-
calls that in 1893 when there was a
great quantity of damaged wheat In
Eastern Washington and hogs were in-
ported from Nebraska and fed on 1t,
pork fell so low in Spokane that farm
ers hauled It to town only to haul
II back again.
The farmer generally buys his expe-
rience dearly. and his opinions on the
practical side Of farm operations should
be given due weight. 1t may be that
until such time as grasses are intro
duced which thrive with but slight
moisture. dairying in Eastern Washing
ton will not be an industry to which
the farmer can probably give his en-
tire time and attention. SO, too. he
may not flnd 1t advantageous to con-
vert the wheat farm into hog ranch.
But he can and should practice diver
sified farming to the extent of supply
ing his own wants. 1t is this particular
phase of the question which has been
brought to his attention so repeatedly.
It u not far from the truth to say