The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1906-10-04
WITH the BUSY FARMER
Some OF the Things He is Doing,
Some That he Ought to Do.
A Few Suggestions Made by
the Farmers of Northwest.

The farmer of the northwest is alive
to all that benefits himself. He is ever
looking for better way to do things.
He is not content to farm as his father
did. Many are from the east and they
realize that farming in North Dakota
and farming in Iowa, or Illinois or In
diana, are different things. The live
farmer usually takes good farm jour
nal. The Independent has ever tried
to be of benefit to the farmer readers,
by Interviewing successful farmers and
giving their experiences. 1t is our de-
sire to be of service to the readers at all
times. If you have made success of
farming, or some particular phase of it,
write to the editor of the Independent
your experiences that all may have the
benefit of them.
The busy farmer is now finishing up
his threshing. This week will see prac-
tically all Of the grain in the granaries,
Or in the elevators. We hope that our
farmer friends did not have to sell their
grain or at least all of their grain at the
low price offered, and that the wheat
gamblers will be compelled to pay a
higher price before spring. By "wheat
gam blers'' we do not refer to the local
elevator men who have nothing what
ever to do with the making of the pres
ent price of grain.
Farmers are in better shape to hold
their grain than they were last year.
They have better and larger granaries
and as rule have money in the banks
without having to sell their grain,
There are, however, large number
who branched out in such manner
that they will be compelled to dispose
of their grain Immediately in order to
realize cash to meet their needs.
A good deal of fall blowing is being
done. The ground IS in splendid con-
dition and it works up like garden.
Its different from the worn out soil Of
Illinois and Ohio. Do you remember
how the soil used to turn over in great
Jumps which could be broken only with
drag after a long rain? Different up
here. But really its too bad to make a
comparison.
Did YOU ever stop to think of the ben
efits to be derived from fall blowing?
OF course you will say that it gives you
an opportunity to get your grain in the
ground good and early, and early grain
is al ways the best in North Dakota. By
turning the land over in the fall it takes
from the elements that which enrichens
the soil and produces better crops &C
cordingly
A good many of the farmers are ar
ranging to place their machinery under
cover for the winter. But then there
are others who are "machine philan-
thropists." They seem to be joining
hands with the international Harvester
Co. and the big pillow concerns. Their
machinery sits out of doors yet and will
continue to do so. 1t lasts only about
half or as third long as tho it had been
placed in the dry. A machine will rust
out far quicker than it will wear out.
And in the meantime, the machine men
are ''laughing in their sleeves
! Are you going to buy threshing ma
chine next fall? Does it pay? Is it a
good business proposition to invest
three thousand dollars for a machine
that you can use twenty days in year,
mortgaging your land to do SO? Better
think this over. Its all right to buy
threshing machines but be sure that
there will not be too many in the coun-
try. Many threshers who cleared two
| thousand dollars year didn't make a
cent this year. Too many machines.
How about sowing little timothy
next year? And red clover? You have
always heard that big corn crop is al,
ways raised On land following red clover
Then oats should follow corn. Trouble
is, the North Dakota land is so rich
that you have not found it necessary to
study the proper rotation of crops
Better do it tho. No land is so good
that it will stand punishment forever.
One of the best fields of corn we have
seen was raised by 0. NJ. Champlin at
Surrey. The field covers several acres
and the corn looks splendid. Raising
corn in North Dakota is not miracle
Its easy. Get some seed that is accli,
mated and plant on old land, working it
well during the season. Its mighty
paying crop. Then if you raise corn;
you can easily keep few hogs and
there's nothing that pays better than
hogs. You can hardly afford to raise
hogs unless you keep few dairy cows
So you see one thing follows another
1t sums itself up into the one word, "di-
versify.'