The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-03-25

cultivation WITH view OF uHlochHiS
plant food-fning the soil to bring the
plant food element together-and retain
ing moisture.
Among all the long list of essentials
to successful crop growing, | will place
moisture first and to that point the man
who wishes to succeed must work, and
cultivation is strong factor towards
this end.
Another way / will mention is by
growing leguminous crops, such as Glow
er, peas, alfalfa being raised where posi-
BILE, as they have the power of gathering
nitrogen from the air above and around
us and depositing it in the soil. Clover
crops should be resorted to when practi-
cable. Rye and rape sown in the corn
the last cultivation, covers the soil dur
ing the winter results in great good
to the land as well as feed for stock.
The third and 1 believe the most sue
cessful method-coupled with those l
have mentioned for the production of
good crops-is system of rotation,
such as corn in the form of silage; the
grasses; clover (where it can be grown)
fed to the farm animals and the man.
ure taken with all the liquid possible)
direct from the stable to the fields and
spread upon land, instead of being left in
piles to be handled again at some ''more
convenient season., with more OF less
loss of manurial value and the enrich
ing of the land in spots, rather than in
an even distribution.
The farmer who sees that his soil
has an abundance of good, rich vegeta-
BILE matter-soil full of humus
thorough cultivation, will pull through
the long continuous droughts (which
are sure to Gomez with economy and a
good help-mate in the house will in the
main, succeed and be happy farmer.
This afternoon Mr.. Wing spoke of
Baby Beef in Minnesota"
Prices of fat cattle have always gone
down, until beef men have been in de-
spair; but as often as beef has gone
down it as surely has risen again. There
has been profit in producing beef to the
man who has steadily STAYED in the
business, and there will be profit in the
future. The future is certainly to see rel
atively higher prices than have obtained
in the past. Population has increased
nightly, but production of beef cattle
in much less ratio. When cattle are low,
one may begin to produce beef with
surer expectation of profits than were he
to begin when prices are high.
There are on Minnesota farms many
cows. These COWS are of many sorts
and conditions. Most of them are milk
ed for their cream, and the calves rails
ed on the farms. Let us see under what
conditions the greatest profits can be
had from these calves. Skinned milk
must be their source of substance, and
to produce good calves with skinned
milk it must be separated with the hand
right on the farm and fed
to the calves as soon as possible. There
has been taken from the milk only the
butter-fat. 1t should be fed warm to the
calves and each one have its portion
fed separately, SO that no robbing of
the weak by the strong and no gorging
nor starvation should take place. The
better way is to provide small stancbions
in which the calves will be locked at
feeding time. A long row of these stan
chions may be locked or unlocked by one
of lever. One should use
great care in feeding these calves at
the ration may be increased until they
are drinking about all the milk their
mothers are producing. Judgment must
be used to see that overlooking or ir-
regular feeding does not produce SCOUTS.
Calves must not be in damp, dark base
ments, but in dry sunny places or dis
ease is sure to follow.
To replace the fat taken from the
milk, substitute whole fiaxseed put in
water and boil slightly cool and set
away for use. Put a small part of
this in each calf's portion of milk. This
seems to be nearly natural substi-
tute for the butter-fat taken from the
milk.
When the milk is drank, before letting
the calves from the stanchions place be-
fore them dry grain; such as shelled
corn, oats, corn ears shopped into very
short sections, wheat bran, barley, either
of which will do, or mixture of them
all may be fed. Corn is excellent to
feed in connection with milk. There is
no need to grind grain for the little
calf. When all the calves are supplied
with dry grain after drinking their ra-
ton of milk, the stanchions may be I'M
locked and the calves will come out after
eating the dry feed. Feed just what
they will clean up and no more, as they
should come hungry to their next meal
and by this method the greatest amount
of feed can be gotten into them through
out the course. The dry grain feeding
directly after taking the milk ration,
satisfies their longings and they will not
suck each others ears.
Dry hay or good pasture should be
supplied literally. Clover hay, alfalfa
is very nice, bright corn fodder and corn
silage are all good. Let it be the aim
of your life to see how much good nutri-
tious food you can get into the calves