The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-11-29

The different kinds of soils, each
possessing different physical condi-
lions. land with varied topography. and
land subjected TO the effects of a desir-
able climate. all of these factors char
acterize the soil of the upper peninsula
OF Michigan. as one naturally adapted
to diversified farming. That is these
different soils will grow a large range
of crops.
A large portion OF the upper PENN
sula of Michigan lies within the great
glacial region of the north. Large
mountains of snow and ice drifted
southwark over it centuries ago. AS a
result small fresh water lakes, marshes
and low fertile lands are everywhere
In evidence. The glacier soils are
found to be rich in lime. potash and
mari. plant food constituents so essen
I tial TO the growth Of farm and horti-
cultural crops. The lowlands contain
large quantities of well-rotted organic
matter, which has accumulated there
for centuries and when these lowlands
are perfectly drained much of the nj
trogenous plant food will be made
available to crops. Large and profit
able crops Of grasses. grains, roots and
fruit, as well as all leafy crops, will be
harvested on these soils for all time
to come.
Nothing adds more to the success of
farming than does the ability of soil to
fgrow clovers. From one and a half to
three tons OF clover are easily grown
on the soils Of the upper peninsula, and
from three to five tons Of alfalfa are
grown on this same land. Glover
grows i'm its wild state on the cut-over
lands. i'm the wood lots. in the pastures
and meadows. in fact everywhere
where the soil is reasonably well drain
ed. The fact that the clovers do so well
lin the lands of the upper peninsula
| bespeaks well indeed for the growth of
all other crops necessary for food of
man and beast. What nature has de-
lmonstrated to man on the lands of the
upper peninsula in her development OF
1.-THE wonderful family of the leguminous
plants, can i'm a measure be initiated
and accomplished by the farmer, and
he. too, will meet with his share of
success.
The upper peninsula has now more
than 5000 farmers that operate diver
sihed and special farms in every coun-
| ~. The upper peninsula appears TO
be the natural home of rye, barley,
oatg noag bualyuboot ettpaY baetg nd
potatoes, as well as all varieties OF
grasses. 1t is of common occurrence
/ for farmers to thresh from twenty
bushels of oats from an acre; from
fifteen to twenty-five bushels of rye
from an acre. from ten to twenty
bushels of peas from an acre; harvest
| from twelve to twenty tons of sugar
beets, and from 200 to 400 bushels of
potatoes from an acre In no other in
dustry are the chances for improve
ment so numerous and the field SO
broad for proper experimentation as it
is in farming
The corn plant, too, has. during the
past decade, become adapted to this
latitude and is now grown with re-
markable success, especially in the
more southern counties of the upper
peninsula. Many farmers who prac-
tice diversified farming easily grow
from fifty to seventy-fve bushels OF
seed corn to the acre and from fifteen to
twenty tons Of ensilage corn per acre
Large areas Of black, mucky, drained
soils all produce very abundant crops
Of cabbage celery, beans. cucumbers
carrots, tomatoes, squash, citron, tur-
nips onions, pumpkins, and many 9th
er root and leaf crops too numerous
to mention. Truck farmers have