Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1911-03-09

eIS dlOu6 tuS SdStSIu olOC VI tAC VOL
ley discovered a remedy for this trou-
BILE. They rested their land and
fallowed it, which gave fer
tility for a few years, and better re-
suits were obtained. The farmers at
that time didn't believe other crops
except small grains could be grown,
but by experiment with cultivated
crops found land treated with such
produced better grain, and the good
effects were seen for several years.
Corn and potatoes we're planted as
cultivated crop and they took little
from the ground and put it in good
condition for several years.
Z Success With Corn
Mr.. Wilkinson stated that corn
could be ground in North Dakota
with success and in going through the
state noticed that many farmers were
raising it. North Dakota has found
from experience the same as farmers
Of Minnesota, that in order to produce
a better crop and keep the produc-
tion profitable, it is necessary to
chante crops and put in cultivated
crops Mr.. Wilkinson believed the
time coming when in order to keep
mp the productive crops it would be
necessary to rotate crops and fertiii5e
the land. Unless this was done the
soil would eventually become exhaus-
ted. In growing cultivated crop
1t was found compulsory for the farm
er to keep live stock on the farm, as
the two went together. Live stock
is the best means of restoring fertil-
ization to the soil. In raising corn,
hogs we're found to be profitable, also
other kinds of livestock, II handled
right. The kind of stock liked best
should be selected and sheep were
recommended but ordinarily the
farmers selected cattle.
Another element in the rotation of
crops is the growing of grass, but
which was said not to be important,
where prairie hay could be found, as
in North Dakota. In the eastern val
ley shere farmers kept cattle they
were compelled to provide pasture,
so thay seeded down part of the land
for stock. Results of diversified
farming have been most beneficial
along this line. Those who followed
this system of rotating and cultivat-
ing crops have made a greater sue
cess than those who followed the old
plan. Their experience was no mat
ter how good and fertile the land was
at first, the one crop system would
exhaust the soil, and this could be
avoided by keeping livestock and hav-
ing manure for fertilizing. This
was a big job, for man with 1000
or 1000 acres and it was shown that
there was a very small percentage
of such owners who made much prof
it. Farming was like other kinds of
business, it was not the magnitude of
the operations, the quantity of busi-
ness that counted but the overruling
question that counted was the amount
of profit that could be made out of
the farm operations. When the
farmers on the eastern side of the
boundary line thought of raising live
stock many were skeptical and thot
it would cost more to keep them than
they were worth, while others felt
that they must have live stock and
in a period of few years the men
farming with live stock were pros
porous and had money in the bank,
while those who were skeptical nd
refused to keep live stock, sold their
farms for a little over the mortgages
on them and went west or up into
Canada.
Mr. Wilkinson stated that the
North Dakota farmers were 100
years behind the farmers across the
ocean whoehsed better business meth
ods and had better crops and were
prosperous. The trouble with the
North Dakota farmer was the lack
of business instinct. Live stock was
not only profitable from the crop
standpoint but If properly handled
from the beef and milk standpoint.
The speaker stated that many farmers
came from Iowa and Illinois to get
out of keeping stock and the work
necessary In this line of business.
In order to make a success the farmer
must engage in productive work IL
months Of the year and not for five
or six months.
Another condition that confronted
the Minnesota farmers when they
made the change was the kind of cat
tie to select. They took common
stock which was found to be the
safest. The native stock was started
in with an dthe herd improved year