The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-09
YEAR IS CRISES
IN DEVELOPMENT
Of FARM
Question is, Whether to Con-
tinue Old Methods or
Try the New.

In Its this weeks letter to the state
publicity bureau at Grand Forks, the
North Dakota Better Farming %associa-
tlon touches upon some vital points
IT. the development of the states agri-
cultural and urges attention
to diversitication of crops and intro
auction on a more extensive scale of
live stock. AT the Grand Forks head
quarters recently, Thomas Cooper,
put special emphasis upon those i'm
pcrtant features. He said:
The promising crop this year may
many to trust to grain pro
duction for the future, rather than to
change their methods of farming so as
to make use of other crops and to
produce animal products. Changes in
methods of production are brought
about slowly and often come only
when failure forces them generally
into practice. This year is a crisis
in ii agricultural development. The
question will arise on every farm
whether it will pay to continue the
methods now generally in use.
THE Better Farming association, in
it's campaign for better conditions. be-
lieves that the production of livestock,
of forage crops and alfalfa. is the only
method by which conditions may gen
orally be bettered. Now is the time
when the farmers should make use of
the profits from a generally good crop
to finance the change in methods. The
farmers of this state are too progress
sive to neglect this opportunity. Dur
ing the next year many changes for
the better may be expected on farms.
There is a widespread interest in
ready to use the dairy COW. the hog.
sheep. beef cattle. and poultry on
their farms and to make part of their
farm products from livestock pro-
ducts. The stock shown at the recent
fairs, especially in Grand Forks. have
been studied by many farmers in the
state. A number of pure bred bulls
and cows will be purchased with the
proceeds of the grain crops this year.
Thinking farmers everywhere recog-
nize that grain production cannot be
maintained without livestock on the
farm. Farms that feed the roughage
and the coarse grains to livestock are
more profitable than grain farms. The
average income from grain farms in
the United States. according to com
piled statistics. was SIZE per acre.
While the average income from farms
that received a large proportion of
their receipts from livestock produc-
ton was $11.42 per acre. North Da-
kota farmers n materially increase
their income and their profits from
the farm by the greater use Of live
stock.
There is no question but that beef
can be produced to advantage on the
variable farms in North Dakota. Our
land is not so high in price as to
make the cost of production excessive.
In a recent investigation by the Bet
ter Farming association. we found a
farmer in the eastern part of the state
whose steers made an average gain
of % pounds per day on grass during
the pasture season. In 1909 forty
head were %pastured, making a gain of
LES pounds per day. This was during
"a period of 1S5 days. This is the low
est gain that was secured i'm any one
Year. The use of anne grass pastures
to produce beef worth 5 to I cents per
pound. will prove our grasses moro
valuable from Il profit standpoint than
are our grain o at ordinary
nriccc