The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1906-07-05
PLEA FOR DIVERSIFIED FARMING
North Dakota Offers Great Chances in
Departments Of Farm Life-1witch.

MOTIF OAkOI6 OneT8 oT0dI NUouCSO III
Departments Of Farm Life-Twitch.
ellis Strong Talk.
Fargo Forum: In the first years OF
the settleme.: of this state few
thought OF doing much of anything
else on the farm except to raise
wheat. But change has come over
this dream, a change that nature has
forced upon the one-crop man, and
that the single crop robs the soil Of its
fertility. Besides this, the one-crop
man puts all his eggs in one basket.
1t has been amply demonstrated that
many other crops will grow, and that
there are profitable adjuncts to field
crops in the form Of live stock, dairy
ing, poultry, etc. This subject has been
threshed over time and again in the
newspapers, in farm institutes and
public meetings, and yet not enough
has been said to carry the conviction
into every farm home. Senator Tread.
we'll Twichell calls diversified farming
common sense farming" and his
speech at former meeting of the
grain and stock growers convention
was so good that we wish we had
space to reproduce it in full, but we
quote enough to show that he is an
ardent believer in diversity and has
a very direct way in expressing his
sentiments on variety of topics con.
corning farm life:
"Strive to spread your work over
the entire year. Try and have some.
thing to do each day, that you hope
may result in profit. Doing this there
will be less hurry and worry in the
busy season. and more to do in the
now slack time. You can more large.
ly select reliable help and give them
steady employment.
"Sow some of all grains that are
adapted to our climate; lengthen out
the seed time; plant such forage crops
a. will furnish steady work until har-
vest. Keep In mind something to har-
vest early with cheap labor; and get
tho land plowed as soon as the crop
IL taken OF.
Have good pasture and seed
down part Of the farm; rotate and re-
new; increase production instead OF
depicting the soil. Some grains will
bring a good price-some poor-but
you will have an average. Grow plen.
ty Of feed and feed it on the farm.
Drive your feed crops away on foot.
This system will lessen number Of
horses and amount Of horse feed nee.
essary to carry on the farm-reduce
your labor account and leave you with
more money, a better farm and less
worry. 1t will force you to have some
cattle to eat up the coarse feeds
some hogs to follow cattle and eat up
any damaged, unmarkstable grain.
Not being in such q hurry, you can
give your good mare a chance to have
colt and will have feed to feed it.
you should raise your own cattle,
choosing such sire as you desire
calves to be; there will be milk
enough to raise the calves and raise
them we'll. You will make your own
butter and have some to sell. You
will have the butcher owing you in.
StSdu VI yOuI owing ulUl. DIVERSITY
in farming brings on of necessity
those things that pay best in farming,
and reduces to the minimum the haz-
ard Of damage from natural causes or
climatic conditions. Now let us see
If some Of these things can be done
with profit
Can we not agree that one year
with another our oats, barley and flax,
when on proper ground, pay us far
better than wheat, acre for acre?
Will not less horses, less horse feed
consumed. less machinery to buy and
keep in repair, tend to put the balance
on the right side of the ledger? Can
any one raise hogs to sell more profit
ably than we can? Then why not sell
hogs and quit buying pork that some
one else has made a profit on? The
same applies to horses, cattle and
sheep, poultry and eggs.
why should any farmer have to
buy butter? Will any Of you question
the: q soqd pasture will nay more