Morris tribune., 1915-01-29
LIVE STUCK TN
MINNESOTA FARMS
Conditions Favor the Industry.
Prices Give Assurance Of
Fair Profits.
BY HOWARD r. SAITH,
Division of Dairy and Animal Fusbardry. Minnesota Col
iege of Agriculture

where farms need live stock more
than in Minnesota, and no place where
the conditions are more favorable for
the development of the live STOCK
industry
Minnesota needs live stock because
the system of farming which has been
practiced here has reduced fertility
and lowered the productive capacity
Of the land. The history of Minnesota
is the history of all new states. The
first settlers are those who have little
or no capital to invest in live stock
and who naturally devote their atten-
ton to the growing of crops which can
method of farming is likely to contin.
ue as long as the soil produces well.
Until few years ago Minnesota rank.
ed first of all the states in the Union
In the production Of wheat. Large
areas have also been devoted to the
production Of other grains, such as
barley, rye and oats, much of which
has been shipped out of the state
Farmers generally are aware that
stock raising aids in retaining fertility
and are giving more and more atten
ton to diversified farming.
Corn Makes Prosperity.
No one thing is contributing more
to the prosperity of Minnesota than
the increase in the production Of corn.
The total production of this grain has
doubled in the last ten years and
quadrupled in the last twenty years.
1t is the large revenue from corn
growing, much corn being marketed
in the form of live stock, that is caus-
ing land in Iowa and Illinois to sell
for more than 5000 per acre. The in.
creased production of corn is having
similar effect on Minnesota land.
but it will be more pronounced when
all of it is fed to live stock.
Corn is a cultivated crop and it
cleans the land of foul weeds. It is
more valuable to feed than to sell for
cash when properly used. The grow
ing of corn means the growing OF
more clover and alfalfa which are ex,
tremely valuable as supplementary
feeds. These crops will do wonders
for the fertility of the land. 1t costs
no more to prepare ground sufficiently
fertile to produce thirty bushels Of
wheat to the acre than it does land sc
depleted that it will produce only fiji,
seed. The extra yield is almost net
profit More corn, clover, alfalfa and
more live stock to convert it into meat
! and milk products, with the manure
: put back on the land, is certain to in
crease production and make every
farm more valuable to it's owner.
Other Favorable Crops.
That corn gives large yields in Min
nesota, that barley succeeds in the
! north where corn is less certain, that
| clover makes splendid growth in
nearly every section of the state, and
that alfalfa has more recently proved
it's adaptability to the soil and climate
are important conditions favorable tC
the development of the live stock in
| dustry in Minnesota.
Climate Best for Live Stock.
The climate is particularly desir
able for meat producing animals, be
/ cause better gains can be made ir
cold than in hot weather. It is
easier to protect such animals from
extremely cold weather than to keel
them comfortable in times of intense
heat. Cattle and sheep in the process
of fattening do not ordinarily suffer
from cold weather if they are she!
| tered from the winds and are KEEP
dry.
With the states numerous shippins
associations, with trunk lines of rail
roads furnishing excellent transpor
tation facilities, aad with good mar
kets conveniently near, the farmer;
have unexceHed means of gettins
their animal products to the consum
erS.
Good Prices Great Incentive.
But the one favorable condition
which should furnish the great incen
tive to the development of the liv
stock industry is the fact that price
on all animal products are high an
there is no reason to believe tina
there will be any marked decline
The worlds population has Increases
much more rapidly than has the nun
Der of farm ami Is The combines
population of al re great live stocl
countries of the .orld has increases
approximately 20 ger cent since 1906
whereas the total number of cattl
in these countries has increased onl
per cent in the same period. TIL
market price of live stock is littl
less now than three months ago, Blu
this might be attributed to financia
conditions incident to the Europea
war, and it is doubtless but tempo
rary.
Success with live stock depends a