The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-01
BRAINS APPLIED TO FARMING.
Some Neglected Opportunities Pointed Out to the Utah
AgriculturSt
BY B. F. LINFIFLD,
Professor of Dairying and Animal usband State Agricultural College

On occasional trips to various parts
of the state, L aim to become acquaint-
ed by observation and inquiry with
the agricultural problems which pre-
sent themselves to the people of the
various localities. AS these obServa-
tons have extended. 1 have become
more and more impressed with the
very great agricultural possibilities Of
the state, while the results already ac-
complished are certainly something to
be proud of, yet / believe they are but
beginning compared TO the unde-
veloped possibilities of the future The
progress of the past has been largely
a physical one, but just so soon as the
farmer applies more of his intellectual
powers to his work, so soon will agri-
cultural development take a new start
forward-a development that will eX-
coed that of the past as the mental
force exceeds the muscular: while the
measure of the mental force applied
will be a measure of the DEVELOPMENT
effected. l fear there are many who
fail to appreciate the advantages to be
derived from this application of brains
to farm work, and particularly is this
the case among the young people grow
>ing I'D upon the farm.
1t seems to me that the great major
ity of our farmers have a very made
quate idea of the great possibilities of
their situation. Very many. because
they fail to apply the proper principles
in soil cultivation and crop growth. do
not get the yields which the natural
fertility of the soil would warrant. and
yet others market their produce in the
wrong form to receive the largest re-
turns for their labor. Too many are
dissipating, not outstanding. their re-
sources. Too many are selling out
their farms by the ton or bushel. max
ing large and constant drafts upon
their capital (the plant food of the
SOLD, rather than keeping the same
upon the farm in undiminished GUAM
tity, SO that year by year it may gather
an ever-increasing interest for its
user.
AS I have said before, there are few
who realize the great possibilities of the
farm under the irrigation system. al
though this state was a pioneer in
this field. | do not think that / am
very far astray in saying that fifty
acres of land with a good water right.
in this state, is equal to from one hum
dred to one hundred and fifty acres in
many Of the central and eastern states.
1 wish to present a few facts TO sub
stantiate this statement.
The major portion of the land used
as cattle pasture in the state is the
natural meadows in the lowlands of the
valleys, or in other places the short
heritage on the rolling hills surround
ing the valleys. The former is the
condition in the larger and lower val
leys: the latter is the method followed
in the smaller and higher ones. 1 am
not prepared to say that the methods
pursued do not give the best possible
results from the land. but | am quite
certain that the results are far behind
what may be obtained from a pasture
of mixed grasses that may be had on
every irrigated farm. I am. moreover.
fully convinced that the farm pasture
will tend to develop and maintain
those functions which render the cattle
more valuable to their owners. On one
acre of such a pasture, as any farmer
may have, the experiment station at
Logan fed two cows for four months.
and obtained theref-om $34 when the
butter fat the cows produced was sold
for 10 cents per pound. 1t is a record
that 1 have never seen equaled; fifty
such acres would give farmer an in
come Of 81. 200 in a year.
At an agricultural meeting recently.
asked those present what was the
yield of lucern per acre, per year. IN
their locality. Two crops were grown,
and the yield reported was from three
to five tons per acre on irrigated land.
The cause of the difference was not
nish food Cor thought.
The difference in the returns. at Og-
den prices, namely, s. per ton, meant
SO per acre. In further discussion or
the subject. | questioned whether 1t
was the best plan to market the lucern
by drawing it to Ogden, twelve miles,
at the prices stated. At the expert
ment station the returns for feeding lu-
Germ to good COWS wee from 81 to SIS
to1, inc rnX
en- thirty pounds of lucern per day will
produce from it seven-tenths of
pound of butter fat. on an average. for
$50 days. With butter fat at 10 cents
per pound this means twelve cents for
thirty pounds of lucern, or IS per ton.
A gentleman in the audience said that
his experience had been the same. This.
at the large yield, would make an acre
of lucern worth $40, or, for fifty acres.
81 600. 1t is objected, of course. that
the feed and care for cattle means
work. but what else is there to do dur
ing the winter? However. there SEEM
ed to be many who would rather draw
the lucern twelve miles for 50 than
turn it over to the cows and take 1t
out in milk. They are welcome to their
choice; we will not discuss it's wisdom.
During last September 1 visited Mo
roni, Sanpete county. After a meet
ing, at which 1 discussed the advant-
ages of feeding the land and maintain
ing it's fertility, a gentleman who was
present told me of a striking illustra-
ton of the point discussed. For many
years there had lived in the neighbour
hood a man who was remarkably sue
cessful as a wheat-grower. His
yields frequently ran up to from sixty
five TO seventy-five bushels per acre,
whereas the yields on other farms ran
from thirty to forty bushels per acre
The explanation given of the large
yield obtained was that the man fed
his land, cultivated and watered it
skilfully. He used not alone all the
manure produced on his own farm. but
bought from his neighbors. who were
anxious to get rid of it. as their land
was too rich(O The most of the
leighbors attributed the results to the
farm, but my informant thought it was
the man, and l believe he was' correct
Some say such yields are impossible,
but it seems TO me they are just as
possible here as in England and
France, where such yields are not I'M
common. Again, at the lowest yields
with wheat worth so cents per bushel.
we have $3.50 per acre, or 81, 625 from
fifty acres.
While in Ogden recently 1 talked to
man who produced twenty-six IONS
of sugar beets on one acre of land.
while others present told me of yields
Of from twenty to twenty-five tons.
These are truly surprising returns. and
illustrate the wonderful adaptability OF
soil and climate for this and similar
root crops. 1t is a crop that calls for
a large amount of labor. and yet. when
permanently undertaken. improved ma
chinery and a study of economic meth
DDS of handling Will much reduce this