The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-01-24
PRACTICAL FARMERS SHOW
WHAT ROTATION WILL DO

man who has made big money out d
his farming operations in North Da
kota, gave one of the best and mos
practical addresses before the tri
state convention in Fargo last week
He gave the farmers some meaty fact
out of the fullness of his years o
experience.
Mr. Bacon said: L come to you, no
as an instructor in farming from
| scientific standpoint, but as one of tn,
practical operators in our great fami
/ ly of northwestern farmers who's,
holdings are afflicted with the diseas,
that has affected them for SO man,
years, and each year became NOR,
serious until, through the efforts o.
the Agricultural college, and especial,
| ly Superintendent Of Farmers Insti
tutes Prof. t. A. Hoverstad, Prof
Thos. Shaw, and many others wht
have so kindly assisted them in thu
work, came to our rescue and induced
some OF us to begin series of CROP
rotation as the remedy. / am improv.
ing, but far from being fully recovered
However, the change for better has
been SO positive during the past few
years that ! am fully convinced oil
ultimately being restored to normal
conditions, where will be producing
from twenty-five bushels of wheat
per acre. and other crops in proper
ton, instead OF spending the same
amount of energy to raise ten bushels
as the average farmer does. And
really, I expect to put my land in
condition to produce more than it has
ever done.
I desire especially at this time to
congratulated those who are RESPONSE
BILE for creating such an interest in
the Tri- State Grain Growers conven-
ton, and congratulate the farmers
throughout the state for taking such
an active interest, not only in this
convention, but in the farmers insti-
tutes held at many other points in the
state. 1t is demonstration to me
that they mean to keep up with the
times, and take advantage of every
opportunity to increase production, and
steadily raise the value of every acre
of real estate within our borders. /
hope and believe our 1910 short crop
will prove to be a very great blessing,
in that it will convince many more
farmers that rotation is necessary,
and thereby assist In bring about bet
ter conditions and greater yields. The
only grain I threshed this year was
raised on 1909 corn ground other grain
being pastured or cut for fodder. /
believe there is no reason why North
Dakota land should not bring from
800 to 5000 per acre as does Iowa,
and Illinois land, except that it is not
properly farmed, and / believe the
time is not far distant when we will
Eave the proper rotation and stock
raising to produce such values.
Driven to Rotation.
I came to the state in 1881, and since
that time have farmed each year sew
eral hundred acres Of land with a
gradual decrease in yield until driven
to rotation and raising live stock six
years ago. L started by putting in
about twenty acres of corn. The yield
of wheat on corn ground, being so
much better than on adjoining land
Of the same kind, convinced me it was
profitable; consequently, am sat the
present raising from 200 to $50 acres
annually. The continuous cultivation
UL EoIh OURSELVES AtUiSLuF6 anu 1SbNES
the land in fine condition for a crop
of small grain, besides killing innu-
merable more weeds than summer fall
lowing would do, and the labor in rails
ing a crop of corn is nearly all done
at a season when wages are low. For
instance, between seeding and haying,
when men usually are more plentiful
than any other season, is time for
corn planting and cultivation. If you
leave your corn in the field to be
husked and allow your stock to run
in the stalks during winter, the gather
ing comes when wages are also low;
but If you cut your corn while the
stalk is green so as to get the benefit
OF the fodder either by shocking or
putting It into the silo, that portion
of the work must be done with expens-
i've labor. / have therefore made an
estimate of my receipts and disburse-
ments in raising corn, wheat and hay,
as follows:
The Cost Per Acre.
Net cost of raising an acre Of wheat
without figuring profit on labor:
.................... $1.00