St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-12-25
KEEP GRAIN TO FEED
Live Stock Is Necessary to Re-
tain Fertility of Soil.
Judicious Rotation of Crops Must Al
ways Hold Most Prominent Posi-
ton in Intelligent Farming.
(BY S. G. MILLER.)

(BY S. c. MILLER)
A farmer in southern Illinois said
short time ago:
Il have been raising corn on the old
farm of $40 acres that father left me
for many years and have always had
pretty good crops. But somehow l do
not seem to be making as much head
way as I should. l have never raised
much live stock, but think l will go
into it. Do you think it would be more
profitahle?"
In the light of modern days this
question is easily answered. The
farmer who keeps on year, after year,
selling his crops, is surely and steadily
selling his land from under his feet. It
is just like drawing money from ones
bank account without putting money
in. 1t is only question Of time until
the end is reached and bankruptcy fol-
lows. The farmer who takes fertility
out Of the soil and puts nothing back
will go broke in time. Nothing is more
certain.
Cattle feeding and growing should
be followed in one or more OF its
branches on every farm where divers1-
fed farming is followed and for the
majority of farmers dairying will prove
more profitable than beef growing.
Next to cattle, sheep should always
occupy a place on the farm.
A flock of about fifty sneep Is the
limit for profit where other stock is
kept on the farm. With sheep, as with
any other kind Of live stock, the profits
depend upon the care and feed. For
the farmer who keeps sheep as a side
line and has abundance Of feed some OF
the large breeds would return more
profit than the small breeds. Mutton
and wool should both be looked after
in the general-purpose sheep.
Hogs may be regarded as an adjunct
to the dairy and corn crop. There is
no special attribute about the hog that
makes him a favorite. The farmer
should not keep more hogs than can
be we'll fed, for they are heavy feeders
and an expensive animal to keep,
especially when they are not making
satisfactory gains.
The growing of horses is profitable,
though it has been marked by more
blunders than any other branch OF
stock growing and breeding. The
American farmer as a rule regards
only the appearance Of the animal in
selecting a sire or dam. The dam Is
seldom selected for breeding pur-
poses, but is usually bred as a matter
of convenience. The pedigree of the
sire is usually made up by the groom
and contains all of the names of
famous horses which he has ever
heard Of, whether the sire contains
any of their blood or not.
This is the rule rather than the ex
ception. in most all farming sections.
The farmer as a rule feels that he
cannot afford to attempt the raising
of blooded horses, and he is right, but
he should at least exercise good
judgment in selecting large, we'll
built mares and breed them to large,
well-bred stations whose stock have
been tested, thus raising a good class
of animals that will bring fair price
in the market.
Feeding upon scientific principles
should have more attention, but, like
other branches of mixed farming,
habit and custom generally determine
this matter, rather than knowledge
of the various feeds and the laws of
nature.
Mixed farming is branch of agri-
culture so large and important that it
can be best treated under separate
heads, but we for a brief answer to
our correspondent must merely men
ton the ones which will harmonic
into happy whole. These are the cul
tivation of grasses, the growing OF
grains, the feeding of cattle and sheep
and a judicious rotation of crops
which must always hold the most
prominent positions in intelligent and
profitable farming.