The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1915-05-27

ESSAY ON live STOCK
Which Won First Prize in a Com.
petition for Boys.
As Washington has said "Agriculture
is the most noble, most natural and
most useful employment of man."
But agriculture without live stock is
seriously handicapped; in fact. 90 serious-
~ that in great many cases the farms
are soon run down, the soil impoverished; /;
when great outlay Of time and money
must be spent to bring back it's fertility.
The sure way to success in farming is
to market the crops thru live stock:
there being constant demand for
horses, cattle, hogs, sheep, and poultry.
By this method the profits are much
better and surer; the land can be kept
in excellent condition by fertllizing with
manure, insuring good crops zach sue
ceeding year. All manure from all kinds
OF stock is excellent for the soil, and the
farmer who wastes any Of it is wasting
money
A good way to save all the manure il
to dig cistern where it will drain all
the liquid manure from the barns. This
may be emptied with a force pump
connected with tank in the spring and
fall. The results following this method
are wonderful; as, with it, twice as heavy
crop OF almost anything can be grown.
In the selection of all kinds OF stock
care and good judgment must be used
to secure sound, healthy ANIMALS, that
show the mark of good care. Horses
should be selected mainly for strength,
Willingness to work and reliability.
Young, healthy animals should be
sought for; for breeding purposes they
should be registered. Animals raised
for own use should be trained to lead
and pull when very young. Horaes
should be trained-not broken.
It the spirit is broken the horse be-
comes too slow for profitable worker.
he had better be little fast.
Beef cattle should be selected for the
following points: great depth Of body
and short legs; heavy, short neck and
head. and bulky shape in general; quiet
disposition, rapid growth and quick
fattening tendencies. The Shorthoru,
Holstein and Guernoey cattle are good
for milk and beef both. They. may he
bred up to . high mark Of efficiency al
milkesn giving high 4nali lityz a. ss,tsis
quantity; and may be- sold for bsef IL i
good price, when old or inefficient as
mixers. They are more economical to
feed than!some other breeds, and harder;
and are, therefore, best adapted to this
climite.
Sheep and hogs are valuable additions
to any farm, more especially brush lands,
as they can be kept very cheaply during
the summer in brush PASTURE; they
will eat or kill all the brush; the pigs
killing the roots of the large trees as
we'll. Thus, besides the profits from
the young spring pigs and the fall pork
from hogs, and tho mutton and wool
from the sheep, there is an added profit
in the easily cleared, and also fertilized,
land.
Chickens are indispensable to the
farmer, as they can be raised at a good
profit, besides furnishing the household
with plenty Of fresh eggs. There are
several good egg-layinR sorts; it several
kinds are kept eggs may be had all the
yearround: when one kind stops laying
another begins, or has begun.
The feed for all stock should, as far as
possible. be raised on the farm. But
some cheap feed may be furnished and
prodtably substituted, at times, to fur
nish variety.
But there are no set rules for the
farmer to follow in raising bis stock.
He must figure his problems as they
arise, and adapt his methods to suit
conditions on his farm. He cannot be
successful if he is like the girl who
asked, "how long must ono beat COW
to make her give whipped cream1" He
must have good head, and use 1t.
In conclusion. must say that I
believe farming, without live stock, is
like fishing, without boat; but with it
it is the greatest, most necessary, and
most popular industry of the earth.
| EDWIN CHRISTIANSON.
| NTBD vu> >,.. -->>