The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-08-31
DIVERSIFIED FARMING.

We hope that the winter that has just
passed has been fruitful Of intelligent
thinking on the farm. and that the
germ thoughts that have been dropped
into the farmers mind during the sea-
son Of physical activity previous have
been fructifed and rendered productive
In many ways that will find expression
in improvement, both in aims and in
methods, durin the comm crop season.
One Of the subjects to which we hope
thought has been given is the question
whether. under the particular circum-
stances Of each farmer. any greater d.
versihcation of his own farming opera
lions can be introduced with advan-
taee. The general benefits Of DIVERSE
ed that a mere reference to some Of the
more important Of them will be sufii-
Client here. One Of these Is expressed
In the old proverb which tells how I'M
wise it is to put all ones eggs into the
same basket; another is found in the
fact that the staple products for which
q section of country is particularly
adapted are always overdone and prices
are. as rule, low and unremunerative.
with. Of course, occasional exceptional
periods, which. however, are not of
much advantage to the producer for
the reason that they largely depend
upon more or less complete crop fall
ure. In the corn belt corn is an ex-
ample of staple universally grown at
very low profit to the farmer who pro-
duces it. In the South the cotton crop
furnishes another example. and in the
Northwest wheat supplies still another.
liberalization relieves the pressure
which glut always produces. and to
that extent 1t is an advantage to the
staple crop. Diversification also fur
nishes employment all the year round
20 a greater extent than does prac-
tically exclusive devotion to single
line Of farming. There are other rea-
sons for Investigation, but our pres
ant purpose Is only to hint at its adj
We are aware that there are those
who take the opposite view and urge
that this is the day Of specialists and
that the farmer must learn to excel in
some one thing to which he and his
soil and surroundings are particularly
fitted. In their arguments they usu-
ally, however. overstate the side OF d.
versification, by representing 1t to
mean the raising of all kindas of crops
ana all kinds of stock on one farm. We
have nothing to urge against the spe-
cialist who has found some particular
line in which, by reason OF his tastes
and surroundings. he has been able to
excel, and with which he succeeds In
farming profftably. Nor would we say
anything to deter the man who be-
iieyes he has found such line and
who proposes to try 1t. The diversifica-
zion for which we plead 10 that lead
ing away from exclusive devotion to
the staple crop or crops particularly
adapted to the section. that are almost
invariably overdone. The. specialist
who has found a profitable line Of work
has rarely or never discovered it In sta
pie crops. He has taken advantage of
some circumstances attending his stu
alton and has learned to excel in some
particular line not generally pursued
over any large area Of country. Any
farmer who can profit by his example
will do well to do 10. but for the gen
eral farmer who 10 now devoting his
Hand. time and labor to the production
ef low priced stayles. diversity presents
,n.uv Albania 1ea ana to It there are
few objections. 1t 10 not meant BY this
that the farmer should take seed
catalogue and attempt to grow every
thing he finds in It, but there are few
sections Of country to which very
considerabls diversity 10 not possible.
ana from those crops that thrive well
in his vicinity the general farmer VIII
ae wen TO select considerable num-
-. n The light Of his opportunities Tor