Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-02-22
King Bros.

spent on a farm on the Missouri slope
region of North Dakota one feels able
to speak with some certainty on many
subjects relating to dairying, stock and
grain raising, but there is much con-
t~inually new n each year brings new
lessons from that best of all teachers
experience.
Grain raising on the slope is a very
little like some other speculations-
you may invest at just the right time
and make a large percentage but you
need something else with which to
margin YOU investment to tide over
those years when grain raising does
little better than pay expenses. For
the twenty years in which my father
followed farming and especially grain
raising, beginning when this country
was one vast frontier, the wheat crop
has averaged about 10 bushels per acre.
Not a total failure in any year and in
some an immense yield, but needing at
times the support which he found in
the dairy.
North Dakota is an ideal dairy state.
Hay both tame and wild is almost a
sure crop. In Burleigh county, with
Apple creek winding through, fine pas
turage may be obtained. AS yet the
summer. range is extensive and corn
and other grains for feed can be sue
cessfully raised with small expense.
We have found that wheat if slightly
damaged so as not to bring the highest
price, is worth 45 to 50 cents for feed
ing mich cows. Good wheat would
be worth just as much. In the last
three years in which by brother and I
have managed the place we have
MIXED on an average for summer and
winter Is COWS. We have found a
good market for all the butter at 20
cents per pound. Cheese making is
very profitable with the right appara-
tus. We have tried it on a small scale
and could have sold thousands of
pounds had we made it, at 1919 cents
a pound.
Since March. 1901. We have made
butter from about 90 COWS. These
have brought us in $1,17O. This is
not a great record compared with east
ern dairymen but it shows what can
be done here and also what might be
done under more scientific methods.
We use a separator and put butter in
half pound prints as most convenient
form for customers.
The most practicable and profitable
method of making butter is through a
cooperative creamery established at
some central point. The patrons
should each be supplied with a hand
separator to insure the cream being
uniform and free from faint. Then
the cream may be gathered and
brought to the churning station for the
butter-making. Such a
would find ready sale for it's
product in large mounts and save in
dividual time and labor. By the use
CT the separator the dairyman has the
milk fresh and warm to feed to his
II |d1 lOllO" " advantage the
business Of raising stock for the east
ern markets. which industry is too
we'll established in North Dakota to
need discussion. The days of big
ranches and countless herds are gone
by. In their place we must have the
smaller herd and better blood. and the
raising of corn and feed to be able 10
ship our stock as fat cattle instead of
feeders. 1t means more work but also
better pay and more satisfaction.
Some say it can't be done here but
l know personally one rancher who
ships his grass fed cattle and sells
them in Chicago as fat stock. If this
can be lone with plenty of prairie
grass, why, if we can raise corn and
persuade the stock to eat it. can't we
fatten them here as well-as in Illinois
or Indiana We have never tried it
ourselves but I believe it can be done.
and am preparing to test my theory.
This, think. will be the final solution
OF the stock problem on the Missouri
slope. Cows for dairy and feeding
calves. good blood in our herds and
grain raising for feed. and for sale, too.
II one sees the conditions favorable.
Yours truly.
| CARROLL D. KING.
Menoken, N. D.. Feb. 3, 1902.