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

cate returns of from SIS to $40 a head.
While these r scattered and the
feeding has undoubtedly been carried
on Under good conditions. yet they In
dicate the fact that excellent returns
are possible where one is competent
to carry on this form Of enterprise.
Similar results are shown where
either hogs or shep have been fed. In
fact, this class of stock is very gener-
ally profitable If kept under our ordi-
nary farm conditions. The average
net returns have been exceedingly
high. During this past year a num-
Der of accounts have been kept with
small herds Of swine. All show profits
that very much exceed the profits as
obtained from gerain production. One
report from Grand Forks county in
dictates a profit Of 1894 from thirty
six head of pigs The feed and labor
that were involved in growing them
amounted to 1886. This profit was
largely due to the fact that full use
| was made of alfalfa pasture and the
hogging off Of the corn fields. In the
recent pork production contest car
ried on in this state, the boys and
girls were enabled to produce their
pork at a feed cost of approximately
3.5 cents per pound. With. hogs at S
to 6 cents a pound, this form of live
stock production has great possibili-
ties.
"a summary of the results from
livestock production on the average
farm shows that the possibilities Of
profits ven under ordinary condi-
tons are great. The influence on
farm profits because of the direct and
indirect profits which is made possible
through the consumption Of feeds
which would otherwise be unstable
hnC n ~ n rlPnI E1~ ,-~~N 49, c----- T..
come. Comparatively few studies
have been made to indicate what this
effect is in dollars n cents. Suffi-
Client data has been gathered, how
ever, to show that the relationship is
close and that the farm hat is di-
versified and that obtains a fair pro-
portion Of its returns from livestock,
will almost invariably return a higher
net income than farms that are not
diversified.
Relation Of Livestock to Income.
Accurate accounts of income and
profits have been kept on a number Of
farms representing average conditions
in the southeastern and the. north
western sections of Minnesota. This
data extends over a period of years
representing in many cases the same
farm; in all instances it represents the
y ~ VI ] I1NCSIOSh OA |
these farms. using cattle as a critic
were s24.7 head per farm in the
southeastern section and 25.3 head
per farm in the northwestern section.
The farms in the southeastern Sec
ton averaged 1859 acres in size, those
in the = northwestern section sol
acres. In other words, the number Of
acres per head. of cattle was 6.S in the
southeastern section and twenty acres
in the northwestern section. The
other classes of stock. hogs, sheep and
poultry, were approximately in the
proportion.
THE average gross cash income per
acre as received from the farm in the
southeastern section of the state was
$l6.55; in the northwestern section. +
1915. The proportional relation of
this gross income in the two locali- |
ties shows a very close relationship
to the livestock maintained. The av-
erage farm which carried practically
three times the livestock for it's acre
age, had practically three times the
gross income per acre. The group of
farms averaging 1863 acres in area OBJ
tanned $2,S15 annually as an income,
securing over so per cent Of this
amount from the livestock products;
while the similar group of farms av-
eraglng Sol acres, on a naturally more
fertile soil, secured less than 20 per
cent Of their income from livestock
and obtained an average gross cash
income Of $2.894 for the same period
of time. These figures tell the story,
and show the relationships of live
stock to income. The acreage for
head of stock, 6.S and 20; the gross
income, SIG and S..
"A large amount of data has been
gathered in New York on the same
question. 1t has been found that
where the capital on the farm has
varied from $4,000 to $15,O 900, the
farmers make their largest profit
when between 70 and 80 per cent of
the receipts of the farm are obtained
from livestock; where the farm re-
quires over $4,000 Of capital, the
farmers who have obtained about
o%ne-third of their money from the
cash crops and two-thirds from live
stock obtained the largest labor in
comes. This data has been deter
mined from a total of 500 farms.
W. kno that somewhat similar
studies carried on in the central west
have given almost identical results.
there seems to be no question but
what this applies equally we'll to the
in this state. Depending some
what upon the size Of the farm and
the capital involved, our greatest net
profit can be obtained where from 25
to 40 per cent of the income is Sc
cured from livestock or livestock
products. There is no question but
that the northwest farmer may obtain
comparatively large profits from his
farm through the use of livestock.
Whether the farm income will be in
creased through the use of livestock
with greater net profit to the farmer
depends or his business judgment and
the care he uses. When the average
Of a number of farms operated under
average conditions show that the net
profits from livestock run between s
and 10 per CEN and are consistently
obtained from veal to year, the field
Is certainly inviting to the man who
is willing to develop the livestock fea-
ture of his farm or a proper business
and economic basis.
"The farm owner must remember,
however, that he car only secure