The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1912-10-11
GRAFTON PLANS
TO TEST COWS

Grafton, n. D., Oct. 11.--One OF the
most valuable activities which the
local high school is inaugurating
through its agricultural department is
COW test association, which is go
ing to be Of great value to owners
of cows in Grafton and vicinity. The
following statement and explanation
by e, ]. Troster, high school agricul-
tural expert, has been made in expla-
nation of the step:
Generally speaking North Dakota
would not be considered dairy state,
yet rapid progress is being made along
that line of farming, and this proves
that 1t will only be matter OF
time until dairying will be the lead
ing industry, especially in the Red
river valley, the garden spot of the
north Perhaps the greatest advantage
| in dairy farming is its relation to the
fertility Of the soil. No other system
of farming excels in this respect, and
but few equal it. A farm used for
dairy purposes does not lose in fer
tility, but gains; and may be used
as a dairy farm almost indefinitely.
The first method of farming usually
! practiced in q newly settled country
is grain farming, and this is contin-
ued until the land becomes high priced
and the fertility of the soil is largely
| decreased. These very, conditions ara
what make way for dairying, and as
method of farming such as is prac-
| ticed here at the present time the
| land is cropped year after year, and
these crops are sold off of the farm.
| In live stock OF dairy farming, most
all of the crops are harvested and
fed to the animals, and profits are OBJ
| tained by selling the animals or their
products. Selling grain is selling soil
fertility, and burning straw stacks is
soil murder in the first degree, No
soil. regardless of it's richness, can
grow grain year after year without
sooner or later reaching point where
production is at a loss When SOIL
| in grain farming. 1t will have to be
/ furnished again in the future either
| through feeding stuffs or commercial
fertilizers ard they are expensive.
When animals or milk products are
sold from the farm only a small por-
ton of the entire crop Is sold while
| a greater part of the fertilizing ele-
| ments are returned to the soil in the.
form of barnyard manure. Farmers
who are familiar with the Conditions
which exist In the eastern or southern
states know that the land has become
\ so unproductive as result OF grain
| farming that owners left their farms
and came west in search of new soilN
| In recent years with increase in pop-
ulation and scarcity of land the At
tention OF farmers has been turned 10
these deserted farms, and the change
from an unproductive to productiva
state has been brought about largely
through the use of the dairy COW. THE
conditions which now exist in North
Dakota once were found In the east
and In Europe. Practically All ~
Europe has gone through the period
Of losing the fertility of the soil but
| farmers in order to make 4 LIVING
have been driven to handle their soils
so that fertility is increasing Land
ION the Island OF Jersey, the native
home Of the Jersey cow, rents for $50
to $50 per acre. Land Iii Holland. fhe
/ native home OF the Holstein COW. 4 s
worth $1,000 Yet the chief business
in both countries Is dairying.
The above conditions cannot he iv-
nored. They really exist. In order "a
/ get the most ont of our farrnif1a ii,
d:-stries and life we must learn "a
profit by the experience OF our fnre-
fathers as we'll as by our own per-
| sonal experience,
/ The object OF the COW test associa-
| ton, in brief Is to determine wflethet.
/ COW owners are milking their cows
! for fun or profit, whether they are
/ getting adequate returns for time end
capital invested