The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-03-29
CROPS FOR The
HOnESTEADER
FLAX AND DuRuM WHEAT ONLY
MONEY CROPS THE FIRST YEAR
SAYS PROF. THos. SHAW AND
WHAT HoMEsTEApER SHOULD
TAKE TO HIS FARM.

Very many homesteaders are just
row beginning their work on home
steads, which they have taken. 1t Is
Of the utmost Importance that they
shall begin right" says Prof. Thomas
Shaw, expert agriculturist with the
Great Northern, in n paper Just is
sued. This paper will discuss that
question and more especially with
reference to the needs Of homestead
ers who have families. 1t is specially
important that they shall be able to
grow foo for themselves and the aai-
mails that they have when they come
TO their claims. Under tudicious mun q.
agement they may do this, but with
out knowing how, they may utterly
fail.
1T is presupposed that every man
who moves onto q homestead farm
with a family will take with him t.
that farm four horses 10 enable him
10 pillow his land, a cow ~ two to pro-
vide his family with nilk and butter,
d brood sew that will ish pigs to
give meat the following winter, and u
few hens to provide him win meat or
its equivalent in eggs the first lum-
mer. He should alsO have enough
grain with him to feed his horses,
his swine and his fowls until he can
grow some the following autumn.
What money crops Can he grow the
first year? Only two, one is flax and
the other is durum wheat. OF these
flax is the surest as it will bear up
better under dry conditions. should
he season prove dry, than any other
cereal crop. But to be sure Of a crop
ii should not be sOWn later than early
June. If durum wheat is soWn 1t can
-DA ~
sown at the rate of ~ pecks per acre,
and the durum wheat at the rate Of
4 peCks per acre, of course it would be
better in the long run to summer-faI-
low all the land broken the first year,
and to SOW the bulk of it to winter
wheat the following August, but If the
nOmesteader must have some money
crops, these should be flax and durum
wheat.
(which are the crops that can nc
grown for the live stock? The home
steader a grow for these oats, to
provide fOod for horses, barley and
peas to provide food for horses, bar
ley and peas to provide food for the
COW or COWS in winter, and hulless
harley of the white variety to provide
food for the swine the following win
ter, and also to provide food for the
fowls.
THE Oat r is not 90 sure n crop
as the durum wheat on breaking. but
1t may be made to furnish much fOOd
in an average season. In a very 1ry
season the results would be disap-
pointing. 1t would not be necessary
to thresh the oats for the horses as il,
some newly settled sections it might
lot be easy to get a machine. The
pea and barley Crop should be drilled
i'll, using 3 pecks Of peas and Q Of bar"
ley to the acre. These would be cu7
when in the dough stage, and they
would be fed to the cows as hay. The
white hulless barley could be sown al
the rate of 3 or 4 pecks per acre and
1t would furnish food to swine and
fowls the following winter, either in
the threshed or the unthresncd form
Corn is one of the best crops tc
grow to furnish food for horses OF
cows in winter. Good crops can bC
grown on new breaking. To grow
these in best form. the land should be
broken s to 6 inches deep. 1t should
be packed with a disc as soon as
broken. A fine mulch should be made
on it with the harrow. The corr
should be planted in hills 81 fee
apart Zach way. The varieties tt
Elant include the Mercer Flint ans
the Northwestern Dent. They should
De plahLed as soon as the danger Of
frost is past. The cultivation may Ii
given in great part by the harrow
Squaw corn planted nus in hills will
furnish grain for swine and fowls. buI
it will not furnish much fodder.
ITO provide for the home q liberia
supply Of potatoes should be planted
They will grow we'll on breaking. TIL
land may be prepared as for corn. II
this way an ample supply Of pOta:oe!
may be obtained for home use. d
white navy beans are sown en- sod
land and broadcasted, they are fairly
sure to produce a good crUT, and tn,
same is true of r~utabagas. The onI,
labor involved will be the sowing an(
narrowing. Vegetables may also b.
thus grown. In these ways the home
steader may do much IT, lessen til,
outlay the first season."