The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1912-03-29

Agriculture Must Be Used to In.
prove Soil Fertility.
One Of Best Ways to Accomplish End
10 to Raise More Animals and d.
versIfy CropsH9sIi Only
Hl0h-PrIced Products.

In the early development Of the dry
farming industry, practically all the
thought WAS given to the production
of crops. The main problem was to
take land receiving but scant rainfall
and producing but little Of value, and
make 1t produce paying crops. At
tention has been directed toward the
practical problem Of blowing. harrow
ing and other tillage operations to
conserve moisture. The world has
been searched for plants Injured to
drouth. Careful tests have been made
to secure varieties that would pro
duce maximum crops with a minimum
amount of water.
The work OF determining whether
success or failure has to be the re-
ward Of all this labor has left little
time to consider methods of making
the industry permanent and establish
ing 1t on the basis of good husban-
dry. The pioneer work has been we'll
done. 1t is now necessary that dry
land agriculture improve and not de-
plete soil fertility, and that 1t develop
followers.
One Of the ways Of accomplishing
these ends Is to increase the live
stock and diversity the dry farm prod
ucts. In the past but very little at
tention has been given to animal pro-
duction. This has been very well
thus far, but history has demonstrate
Oh hat ~ {foh
decrease soil fertility. Now, a good
system Of permanent dry land agri-
culture cannot be conducted on land
that is gradually but surely growing
poorer. One of the very best ways OF
maintaining soil fertility is to feed
the crops to live stock on the farm
and sell only concentrated. high
priced products.
Live stock may also contribute to
the more successful management OF
the dry farm by helping more profit
ably to employ its labor. In the pro-
duction Of single crop. for example,
wheat, a great deal of labor Is re-
quired at certain seasons OF the year.
while at other seasons there is prac-
tically nothing to do. This condition
is certainly out of harmony with
economic management 1t would not be
difficult to arrange a system of man.
agement whereby the labor required
during the busy season of crop pro-
duction could be profitably employed
at other times caring for live stock
being fattened. Thus the live stock
would not only preserve the value Of
the land. but would help to solve one
OF the difficult problems of profitable
management.
The manager of the dry farm may
also use live stock in helping to solve
the problem OF marketing. Crops can
often be fed to animals at a good
profit. This also places the crops
more or less beyond the uncertain
fluctuations in price. On every farm
there are always certain products
which for some reason are unmarked
able, yet perfectly edible. They are
often an entire loss In the absence Of
stock to consume them. Where crop
growing alone is followed, the sales
are usually all made at one time, max
ing short season OF great plenty. but
longer season with absolutely no IN
come. By the use Of live stock. the
period when money Is coming In is ex-
tended. The diversity of products
also makes the farmer less at the
mercy of unfavorable conditions