The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1911-10-26
FOR PROFIT IN FARMING
CAREFUL METHODS GIVE IN
CREASED YIELDS.
College Management Increases Farm
Profits-PracticaI Farm Manage
ment Taught to Farmers.


nary one, in three of the central coun-
ties of Missouri. 1t happened mat
the farms on which this result was
obtained were in the part Of the state
which suffered most from the drouth.
In these places it is stated that the
crops on the particular farms are the
best that have been harvested In from
three to eleven years. One farmer in
Boone county started in three years
ago. His farm was in such poor con-
dition that some of the first crops
were not worth harvesting This year
his corn is averaging little more
than 40 bushels to the acre, and hls
wheat, of which there were Az acres
averaged % bushels. Almost all OF
his wheat has been sold at $l.5O
bushel for seed. Furthermore, he has
now in the corn an underground OF
rape and cowpeas which will fatten
lambs and make from S. to $40 clear
profit extra from each acre
These things did not lust happen.
but came about as result OF an ear
nest attempt by the Farm Manage
ment Department Of the University
OF Missouri TO improve farm business
col ditions Farmers who were hav'
ing troubles applied 70 the depart
ment for suggestions and help IN
planning their crops Prof. ID. n.
Doane, who Is at the head of the de-
partment, has been actively in this
work for number of years. and has
tried out the things which are taught
in the College of Agriculture.
"One of our co-operators." said MT.
Doane, came to me year ago TOT
advice He had gone in debt Tor
farm of 500 acres. and had been farm
ing it for two years. When he start
ed he was so poor that he had to bor'
row 25 cents to subscribe for paper
We have not had time. In one season,
to apply the use of crop rotations and
systematic soil improvement. and ne
has not had the capital for heavy In
yestment in better equipment
However, we obtained good seed.
The corn was tested. The wheat was
treated for smut. The seed-bed was
worked into much better condition
than he had been accustomed to.
The result is, that this year with
very little extra expense but good
deal more care, the farm has paid
more than it did both the preceding
years"
Similar cases are in many places
over the state where the Farm Man
agement Department has pointed out
the way. One man at Moberly had
failed for three successive years.
Professor Doane u.rected the use OF
better seed, more working OF the So.
and various notifications of the sys-
tenn. This year, after two years OF
management by college directions. the
farm is beginning to pay debts.
A striking instance of the effect Of
good management was shown in Jas
per county. The place was in a cold
gray soil and had been known for
twenty years as an unproductlve
farm. The directions called for drain
ing by means of dead burrows. The
soil must not be worked or tamped
when wet And 1t was found neces-
sary to apply some lime to remove
sourness. The result is that this year
the corn and other crops are good
the first worth having in twenty years
and there is on the place about the
only stand of spring-sown clover in
the state.
Not a single one Of the farmers
we are assisting" said Professor
Doane, has sacrificed single head
of stock on account Of lack of feed
this season. On the other hand, they
have bought stock at less than half
price" The system advised by the
College is such that even in a dry
year, as this has been, there will be
an abundance of good . eds.
Land should not lie idle any longer
than is absolutely necessary, is the
new teaching, and many so-called
catch crops" can be obtained when
the land would otherwise grow up to
weeds. For exemple, as soon as oats
are of the ground can be disked and
sown to cowpeas. These will give a
large crop of excellent feed, will i'm
prove the soil, and will keep the
weeds of. When corn land would be
doing nothing over winter it can be
seeded to rye and good pasturage OBJ
tanned between crops. Cowpeas and
rape sown in corn at the last cultiva-
ton will make IS to SO proflt which
would be entirely overlooked.
Problems of fertilizers are now
creating great interest. The Farm
Management Department. by studying
the soil and the crops grown on 1t,
gives suggestions concerning its
needs. Sometimes lime is called for:
sometimes phosphate or potash is
necessary. The first thing, however,
is always to haul out the manure and
raise leguminous crops. These and
hundreds Of other farm problems are
presented for solution.
Some Of the farms which are show
t. ..,,,1<c ora co1octoA 90 "AoUnn-