The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1902-10-24
PROSPERITY IN FARMING.
". r. Jensen, Secretary and Treasurer Of
the Continental Creamery Company,
Gives Views on Dairying.


Gives Views on Dairying.
Has It ever occurred to you that the
most prosperous countries ma Ike a lead
ing issue Of the dairy business? The
richest and most contented states IN the
Union are those wherein the farmers de-
pend on dairying 70 a large extent In
making a trip through northern Illinois,
southern Wisconsin, the New England
states and New York state the traveller
Is impressed with the apparent barren
ness Of the soil, and yet be sees on all
hands fine dwellings and barns The
many millions Of dollars that are loaned
to farmers in the west by eastern loan
ers were largely the savings Of those
people Of the rocky hills and fields in the
east, who seem to get from their herd Of
dairy COWS q nice, comfortable living and
in addition a nice, comfortable bank ac-
count. The longer I live here in Kansas
the more I am impressed with the fact
that a great many Kansas people are ne
glecting their opportunities, are neglect
ing their possibilities to extract from
their farms the greatest value in return
for their labor and possession. There is
no question but that butter and cheese
at the present value, which is two or
three cents higher than it has been for
a number Of years, is better than any
other line Of farming. Besides it lends
TO farming a certain stability and as
sured income And we all know how
well and how cOntented the old soldier
feels who has his pension coming every
month. I had this brought to my notice
last week very forcibly indeed. In the
summer Of 1895, when I was running
creameries in Mitchell county had &C.
casion to help a farmer buy 20 COWS.
This farmer was almost on the verge Of
bankruptcy, having a big mortgage on
his farm and nothing to pay principal or
Interest with. He MIXED very heavily
during the years Of 80, go, '97 and 80.
He had an average income annually of
over 81, 200 from his diary and eventual
ly paid of the mortgage and had from
50 to 80 cattle on hand. Mitchell county
was then blessed with several good
wheat crops, and this man I have In
mind, in company with a great many
other Kansas farmers, thought he could
make all the money that be would want
by raising wheat and fattening cattle.
met this old friend of mine last week
and the first thing he asked me was
could assist him in getting the money
to buy Is or 20 COWS. He said he had
plenty of rOughness and plenty offOdder
and nothing to feed it TO. II this gen
tleman had kept on milking - or %
COWS, if be had continued dairying and
diversified farming, if he had not put
his dependence entirely on one crop, be
would today perhaps have had plenty OF
money In the bank, been in easy circum-
stances and able to buy 100 or 500 COWS
if he wished to do 50
I feel stronger than ever IN my belief
that neither Kansas or any other cOun-
try is adapted to purely grain raising
Any farmer can maintain from ID to 2C
COWS on a quarter section and he can re
ceive from them a steady, reliable in
come of from 5000 to $1,000 per year, and
can be wish for better conditions than
these?
Farmer boys viii 90 to town to lOOH
for positions as clerks at salaries Of $500
s4CO and 5000 per year; yet they have the
! chance on the farm to earn many times
that amount, to live IN ease and com
fort, to be engaged 10 the most indie
pendent, surest way Of making a living
that is known to man. I maintain that
no state OF farming community can be
called prosperous until its farmers en-
gage in diversified farming, depending
not on one or two grain crops. but de
! pending above all Oh keeping their herds
/ of COWS to which they can feed tbeii
| fodder and the grasses that have theil
natural home 10 Kansas. And wheT
! that time comes, as surely it will, wher
the majority Of Kansas farmers realizG
/ that dairyiDg and diversified farming
mean prosperity then Kansas viii be the
wealthiest aud most cOnteDted agricul
/ tura1 state IN tho Union -