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

before For many. many years the
burden of the songs of those advocat-
ing settlement in the Missouri slope
country had been "diversifiad farming
while those seeking immigration to
the Red River valley have depicted its
wonders as a wheat producing section.
Now we find them falling in line with
the common battle cry; for at the Tri-
State Grain and Stock Growers con-
vention, recently held at Fargo, the
burden of nearly or quite all the ad-
dresses was diversified farming.
That the Missouri slope country will
continue in the future as it has in the
past to lead in this line must be con-
coded by all who become acquainted
with the NATURAL conditions. First
among these is its unsurpassed grazing
facilities. for stock growing without
grazing is an Improbable proposition,
and Investigation in farming must in
clude good live stock. Alike unsur-
passable are it's natural conditions of
soil and climate for the production OF
corn. declared by Prof. Henry of the
Wisconsin experimental farm, and
conceded by everybody as being in
~dispensable in the profitable production
and feeding of live stock. Added to
these are it's abundance Of pure spring
and running water, splendid natural
shelter and shorter feeding sea
sons than an section Of the great
Northwest. To those who may be in
clined to pass this last statment over
as an idle boast a word of explanation
is perhaps due. In all. or most at least,
of the so-called stock growing sections
of the northwest east of the Missouri
slope the feeding season commences
when the first frosts have killCl the
grass and continues until the green
grass in the spring has attained a suf-
ficent growth to furnish feed for stock.
But not so here, where our native
grasses are by the very necessity of
conditions of early maturing habits,
and become matured and cured on the
ground with all their elements of
nutriment unimpaired, before the
season of frost arrives, and are thus
available for grazing as long as the
ground is bare of snow, and are again
available as soon as the snow has dis
1,-ooroI ;r 41o erpior hc tho cnNU
season rarely covers a longer period
than three months, and winters with
out any snow are of frequent occur
renee, it will be seen that our feeding
season will average much shorter than
in the states in the sO-called corn belt.
These are all conditions favorable to
the production of live stock with
mixed farming. which added to the
fact of healthful climate, thus insuring
stronger and more vigorous constitu-
tons, with consequent greater thrift,
lions that cannot be found elsewhere
for combining live stock production
with other lines of farm husbandry.
What has been said regarding
our advantages in the production OF
live stock is equally true when applied
to the production OF dairy products,
and that this is not a mere idle boast
reference is made to the results of the
states exhibit at the recent Pan-Amer-
lean exposition where third prize was
taken in the butter competition, which
sidered that the butter had to be trans
ported 1,5OO miles with innumerable
transfers, arriving at the test two
weeks after it's production. while the
winners were produced within a few
hours ride of the scene of the test, and
were almost fresh from the churn
when tested.
While the Missouri slope country
must rely in no small measure for its
future prosperity on the live stock in
dustry, it should be borne in mind that
when thus combined there is much
profit to be derived from the cultiva;
ton Of purely farm products.
Corn is here as we'll as elsewhere.
leading element in the economy of live
stock husbandry, and it is fast becom
ing a leading crop, which owing to thu
a%daptability of soil and climate is
much the surest crop that is attempted
to be raised. While the larger varitie:
that are produced in the states furthe
south have not yet been adapted tx
this soil and the seasons Of this lati
tude, and while the yield may be sail
to average in some instances slight!
under those that prevail further south
the cost of production per bushel il
materially less here, not only on &C
count of the value of the land on which
it is produced being much less in price
but for the reason that not nearly S.
much labor is required to care for tn,
Same nI1mhpr of acras hare as hero