The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-01-22

Continued From Page One.
nized today, for not only is livestock
required to maintain the condition of
the titled acres, but also to transform
products which would otherwise be
lost, into human food. The expense of
this transformation may be compare
lively high; the return from the prod
uct may be low, yet even a most cur
sorry study will show hat the profits
of the farm are closely related to live
stock production.
I'VE have long been advised to keep
livestock in order to maintain the fer
tilty Of the soil. Yet there are areas
in which the soil may be
possibly even more cheaply. /
am Informed that through crop rota-
ton. the use of commercial fertilizers
n the manures from the working
stock, some Of the deep, rich soils in
Russia have been maintained for a
period Of 200 years. Certain areas of
the United States have established
rather permanent forms of agriculture
without livestock. The farmers Of
these regions have found that COM
mercial fertilizers and crop rotation
(meaning primarily the application Of
humus to the soil) have enabled them
to farm without the use of farm ma
nures When livestock production had
become relatively improbable.
These, however, are isolated in
stances. Their success has been due
primarily to certain economic condi-
tions and forms of cropping and do
not affect the larger percentage Of
farms throughout his country. The
fertility Of the great majority Of the
farms today IL be maintained
| HhinHU fhrAn1nh IT, F--1;,- IT,
stock and the return Of manure to the
land. The class of livestock product
produced is comparatively immaterial
from the viewpoint Of fertility or the
production Of the soil. The farm ex-
perience Of years, the work of the ex-
pertinent stations and past history
combine to show the close relation
between livestock, soil fertility and
farm profits.
we may assume, without further
discussion, that these facts are Of
general application and are universal
ly recognized. The question of farm
profits and its relation to livestock,
must, however, be viewed from anoth-
er aspect. Admitted that livestock is
essential in maintaining fertility,
what is its economic function? How
does livestock directly affect farm
profits. and is there a relationship be-
tween this enterprise and the grain
enterprises on the farm?
On new soils or on lands of great
fertility, few will keep livestock to
maintain that fertility for the distant
future. This may be deplored as a
short-sighted policy, but present on
dttions and necessities of Individual
need will generally outweigh the de-
mands Of the distant future. If, how
ever, livestock will bring additional
profits or if, through the use Of stock,
farm products may be made more val
liable, the farm income increased and
greater stability secured, there is an
economic reason for maintaining
stock even In the newest regions. This
is a basis of argument much more
effective for the production of live
stock than that of the maintenance Of
fertility. 1t affects us now and at
once by increasing present profits.
Il have been told time and time
again that livestock will not pay, that
1t was a source of loss and that the
cow, the steer, the hog, and the sheep
scarcely paid for the food consumed.
l do not doubt that the information
was correct in the instances cited. It
was a condition, however, that in most
cases is unnecessary, and is due to
the fact that wrong methods have
VIVA W LII liz 10 dlV II
herent drawback in livestock produc-
ton.
Two Sources of Profit From Stock,
From the operating farmers stand
point, profits from livestock may &C
crue to the farm in two forms, direct
and indirect. Profits are obtained in
directly through three sources: First,
the conversion and use Of products
otherwise unstable into salable forms:
second, the effect Of farm manures in
sustaining or increasing CROP yields;
third, the rendering Of labor and cap
ital more effective.
Indirect Profits.
THE indirect profits as obtained
from livestock are relatively high, yet
1T is difficult to show them by any
method of accounting without taking
into consideration the returns from
the entire farm. 1t is chiefly through
the indirect return that livestock be-
comes extremely profitable to the
farmer. 1t is this form Of return that
should be given the greatest consider
alton.
THE first source Of indirect profit.
namely the conversion of unstable
profits into salable profits, is the most
important to the farmer. BY means
of livestock, the grass crop, the hay
crop and the various forms Of rough
age and forage become valuable
feeds. Their market value may be
little or nothing, yet when consumed
by livestock they yield a net return
fully equal that obtained from 9TH
er crops. Our grass crops are a good
illustration of the conversion of unsal-
able products by the use Of livestock
which have a marked effect on profits.
Careful investigation under farm con-
ditions in western Minnesota has
shown that or the ordinary pastures
an average steer, the yearling or two
year old, will gain 271 pounds during
the season on an average Of one and
a half acres. Thus each acre has fur
nished 1870 pounds of beef at an an
nual cost, where land is valued at
$50 per acre, of $3.06 per acre. If the
cost Of summer car is excepted, and
this is very slight, the profit with beef
at sc is 1914 per acre, Or II per cent
net on the investment in land. To
make the same profit on wheat at an
average Of SOC per bushe1 would re-
quire an average yield Of twenty bush
| els per acre. Oats at SOC would not
pay a similar profit until the yield ex-
| eeeded 55 bushels per acre. 1t is cas-
Ter to obtain an acre and a half Of
tame grass that will keep a steer SELL
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