The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-12-29
SOMETHING THAT TIE DAIRY
BUSINESS HAS DONE FOR UTAH.
By professor LIneId AgrieuIturaI cOeae. Loaan Utah
4 I have looked over the field o

A 5 I have looked over the field OF
\ Utah agriculture it has seemed to
me that only in a few directions
lie the road TO large success for the
farmer. Horticulture in many places
affords a bright prospect. Here quality
is all important, and Utah may stand
at the top. But eternal vigilance will
be the price of success, as the horti-
culturist has many and invidious enc
mics to fight. OF wheat the Utah farm
er should grow enough to bread the
people, but not more. The main forces
of the farm should be directed to grow
ing grain and folders TO feed the work
animals of the state. or to be turned
into the production of animals and ami
NAL products. Sugar beet growing
promises 10 be a very important and
profitable line of farm work. 1t pro-
vides profitable summer work for the
farmer and his family. and fits well
with animal Industry, and particularly
dairying. When the pulp is returned
ana led on the farm, sugar beetS take
but little from the farm.
The field of animal industry affords
a wide choice of lines to select from
poultry and eggs, hogs, sheep Cmutton
or WOOD. cattle milk or beef and
horses, and several breeds of each kind
ANY or all types may be handled al q
profit. 1t is pleasing to note that Utah
agriculture is developing in this direc-
ton, though there is yet much room
for growth.
The Farms Use.
have sometimes wondered as n
what conception the average farmer
had in regard to the relation between
mis- farm and the crop grown thereon.
thinking back in my own experience 7
cannot recOllect that the matter ever
became a matter Of thought or if if
old, 1t was presented as a mystery. But
what IS the use of the farm? It is
storehouse for plant food and a me-
dunn for the support of the plant while
growing. The plant food in the soil is
quite limited, even in a very fertile
soil Not more than two pounds in
100 pounds Of the surface nine inches
OF soil is plant food, and much of this
is IN such condition that the plants
cannot make use of it. This plant food
is the farmers working capital. and
Ike any other capital, it should be
USED, and as far as possible retained on
elIC AdAA' OAly ABOUT 10 to 10 per cent
OF the dry matter of plants is taken
directly from the soil. The SIS To 90 ner
cent OF the plant is gathered during
Its growth from the air. Those meth
DDS Of cropping and soil cultivation
which Will render available an abur-
dant supply Of the plant food in the
soil, Will enable the plant to grow mora
vigorously and to gather the largest
possible amount Of increase from the
alr-capital accommodating. The 0ues-
tion the farmer has then to solve is
now to realize on the crop without
dlsposing Of the plant food from tho
soil capital In selling the cron of
gram or hay off the farm the cs1itaI
Is permanently lost, and this drain an
the plant food Of the farm cannot con
unue indefinitely without the futura
crop suffering. Continuous grain grow
ing VIII exhaust even the rich aIIrI,ial
SOILS OF Utah, as many of the Older set-
tiers IN the state can bear witness
capital thus invested ceases TO he nro-
ductVe. The solution Of the DrobIan,
IS 10 turn the plant crops of the farm
I, INTO animals and animal products. In
thls connection let me cali attention to
the Following table, which shows thu
fertilizing constituents vvbioL
are taken from the farm by varions
crops: 0iiOuS