Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1906-03-23
Continued from Page 1

/ rage
and encourages this result. This il
why it has done so much for those who
have realized the opportunity and avail.
ed themselves of it. With this rotation
your land will improve in fertility in
my judgement. 1t will be noticed that
with four or five yea rotation as cir
cumstances may direct, it is possible OH
an so acre farm toIput in from 10 to 20
acres of beets each year. If one has
properly handled his farm this can be
done under circumstances favorable to
a profitable beet crop. Your farm will
grow more productive from year to year
under this rotation if properlycultivated
To demonstrate now rne possibilities
of this rotation and tee correctness Of
my statement owe it to myself and
others to state not in spirit OF vain
glory but still with satisfaction, the
results of my farming during the past
year. On my farm during the season of
1905, grew 10 acres of beets, % acres
of oats, 20 acres of wheat, IL acres of
corn and the balance was into meadow.
The exact rotation herein indicated
was not:possible as two years ago lost
the clover seeding after oats which
necessitated some change; the clover
meadow was killed and it was plowed
for corn; thisIspring it must be put into
beets or will have no beet ground. 1t
has been MANFRED for that purpose. /
ss d that depended upon the beets for
the money CROP; l received $1449. As
for the beet crop; / belieue acres of
them returned gross $4,000 per acre.
One piecelwas spring plowed and the
heavy rain in June.washed five acres of
the II so badly that there was not one
half of stand. The under drains
laughed at the rains; but nature gave
them tooimuch to do last June and the
surface washing of the running water
damaged the. cop. l have not as yet
sold my oat crop or corn crop of last
year. / have about 1000 bushels of oats
to sell and say 1900 La ,hels of corn in
the ear, probably more than that of
each. Allowing the present prices for
each of these. grains and crediting the
same to the farm for the farm year
ending February 2S, last, and including |
the other products sold from the farm |
farm and produced thereon during the |
past season, the entire receipts of these |
crops for the year will amount TO not |
less than $2350.00. The total expendi- |
lures of the farm which includes taxes. |
painting of the farm buildings, all tools |
purchased during the year, all repairs |
and other expenditures. In fact includ- |
ing paid out amounts TO exactly $1527.-
80. So it seems safe to say that the
returns from these farm crops during |
the past year have been not less than |
$1,000. 90 net. This result while better |
than any other of the four proceeding |
years on the farm does not show wide
difference. The farm as an investment
cost me including the horses and imple-
ment and the improvements thereon
say 100000. The rate of profit last
year has been therefore little better
than II per cent. These results cannot
be obtained each year-still they are
not far from what they should be with
this system or crop rotation. 1905 was
an exceptionally fine year for a "well
farm; a bad year in Gratiot
county for an undrained farm. The
wheat crop was excellent and the whole
farm was into crops as will be noted,
but as the results were obtained from
the money crop" beets, the difference
on account of these matters is not great.
On the other hand the improvements to
the farm in 1905 charged as expense and
in above item of Sl527. 90
were exceptionally large and other
TENS of expense should not occur again
hat should balance the small net returns
rom the additional corn crop of 1905
Il the farm and other property specified
5 worth more than S6, 10000 and it is, it
$ because it has been possible to make it
worth more through beet culture,
My farm enjoys small advantages
,ver those within radius of four or
i've miles of the sugar factory. The
advantages of hauling my beets on
Iccount of location is very small indeed
IS against even a two or three mile haul.
The difference is not over 10 cents per
on on three mile haul, that is to say,
ne can contract for hauling beets three
niles for 10 cents more per ton than on
one mile haul. If we properly pit our
,eets so as to lose nothing from deprecia-
ion thereof, we should haul them all
ourselves as farmers when and in part
.fter the other farm work is out of the
way in the fall. have not engaged
n stock farming for several reasons;
because my land is too valua-
lie for stock grazing as compared with
,eet culture. To compensate for this