Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1907-10-18
DAIRY and POULTRY INTERESTS.
The InduShiallSt Tells Of Some Sources
Of Wealth In Kansas.
From the Industrialist.

considered intensive lines o. agri-
culture. Owing to the fact that
these two classes of farming are,
as a rule, combined. from a pro-
ducing standpoint. and also the
fact that the products are gener-
ally marketed together and hand
led under similar markeu condi-
lions, becomes veryproper to class
these two lines together. Both of
them play a important part in
Kansas agriculture, and gradually
as the population increases and as
the soil becomes less fertile the
more necessary these two lines of
farming will become.
The wealth of Kansas lies in her
soil, and in order to maintain the
prosperous condition of the past
it is necessary to maintain the
fertility of the soil. The pros
perity of community depends
largely if noU wholly upon the
amount of fertility in the soil. 1t
is therefore essential to introduce
a system of farming that will
maintain these prosperous con-
ditions. We know we'll that by
growing crops the fertility of the
soil is removed according to the
quantity and the kinds of crops
raised. For illustration. the
most important crop of Kansas is
wheat. We understand from
practical experience. as we'll as
from chemical determinations,
that a ton of wheat removes about
$685. worth of fertility from the
soil. In the same way $3.50.
worth of fertility is removed by
growing a ton of corn.
And so we follow the category
of the different systems of farm.
ing until we reach the practice of
dairying, where we find that it
requires the removal of but Sc
cents worth of fertility from the
soil to produce $500 worth of but.
ter at 25 cents per pound. which
proves the value of this system of
farming to conserve fertility. In
the eastern States there are good
Illustrations of this fact. We find
that the extensive systems of
grain farming have been carried
on IN certain localities until the
land has become worthless and
farms have been abandoned. 1t
is found that those farms upon
which dairiyng has been CARR ed
on have remained rich in soil
fertility. Abandoned farms are
now being taken and the system
of dairy farming is practiced upon
them. Large quantities of feeds
are bought and CONSUMED by the
cows and the manure is then
transferred to the soil and the
fertility is again restored. 1t is
quite essential that the farmer of
Kansas should begin to realize the
Importance of the dairy business
from the standpoint of preserving
soil fertility and to avoid the ex-
IRENE waste that comes about by
extensive crop raising. For this
reason. largely. dairying has be-
come an adjunc to every class of
crop. raising and horticultural
work in eastern countries.
Dairying. however, also plays a
very important part in other
classes of farming. such as poul-
try raising.and swine raising. 1t
is being realized that the best egg
laying feeds for hens are milk
feeds. and furthermore it is found
that the most economical and best |
feed for swine is milk. Hence, |
dairying can not only be consider
Ell as a profitable business, but it
becomes one of the most valuable |
adjuncts to practically all of the |
important system of farming. |
Kansas is fortunately situated to |
make dairying profitable. because |
alfalfa and corn, the two best
milk producing feeds known can
no grown ahundantlv within &c