The Ordway new era., 1912-03-01
STOCK ON DRY FARMS
Crops Are Made More Sure and
Productive.
It Has Boon Found After Many Years
Of Experience That There 10 Much
Money IN Keeping 100 Head
or So Of Cattle.

The dry land farmer should raise
live stock because feed crops are more
sure and productive and at the same
time greatly reduce the cost OF mar
keting the products OF the farm. In
my farming and stock raising opera
tions, | had for some years access
10 free range. but the country In my
Immediate vicinity was finally oil set
tied upon and naturally had to con-
fine myself to my own farm In my
stock raising operations. writes w. F.
Gardner. In the Denver Field and
Farm. After having the free range to
myself for so long l. like many 9th.
ers In the west, thought ! had been
put out of business by the new set
tiers. but how easy It Is for fellow
TO adjust himself to conditions. II he
will get his head to work. After a
good many years experience ! fnd
that there is more money in keeping
one hundred head OF better stock. bet
ter fed and cared for. with small per
cent. OF loss. than there was in keep
Ing the same number on the open
range; and the more organic matter
have put into my soil the more capa-
BILE It Is for holding moisture and the
less 1t will suffer when drouth comes.
We Of the west are in a position to
raise live stock more cheaply than the
farmers in the more humid sections
Of the country from the fact that our
soil and climate are peculiarly adapted
to the raising Of that most wonderful
forage plant. alfalfa, a nitrogen gath
erer and an enricher OF the soil. a sub
soiler and. when fed with corn. a bal
anced ration. Alfalfa is king In the
west and goes hand in hand with live
stock. In many sections dairying 10
rapidly gaining on horticulture and is
bringing in more money than any 9TH
or industry. The dairymen are con-
sidering the fertility Of their soil. the
greatest asset remaining to the Amer
lean people. Probably the best rea-
son for western farmers going into
the dairy business Is the fact that
people in n new country must accept
system Of farming that will bring
quick returns In actual cash. The
stock business will do this quicker
than horticulture. especially dairying.
because It takes from i've to seven
years to bring an orchard into bear
Ing. To my mind. the best farmer and
the one who will certainly succeed. Is
he who keeps live stock. When the
horticulturist in the near future IL
buying high.priced fertilizer to raise
the same fruit In quantity and quail.
ity that he raised when the soil was
virgin. the stockman's farm will be as
fertile and more productive than when
he hrst turned the sod as nature left
1t. The man who goes into a now and
untried country. builds home and
opens up a new farm and by intelli.
gence and close attention to business
succeeds In converting that piece Of
wild land into valuable property Is
not only q successful man. but has
shown himself to be q benefactor
Of his race and It will be many years
in this country before the life work Of
such q man will be given the recog.
milton It SO Justly deserves. Cattle
raising Is profitable even during the
present times Of high.priced land. t:zh
priced help and high.priced feed. OF
course the farmer must look after and
properly care for his live stock in the
best possible manner. The raising Of
stock works nicely with other farm
operations and good profit can be
nado II the animals are fed In the
proper way-there il SO much good
feed that would be actually wasted on
the farm II live stock were not kept.
I do not give my stock any high.
priced feed and yet always aim to keep
them thrifty. plan to feed economi.