Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1915-11-18

VEGETABLES LEND THEMSELVES TO ANY
CANNING SCHEME
the average will pe fair, and with eight
or ten products TO depend on salts
factory farm income will be assured
Crop prices fiuctuate widely from
year 10 year. Even in the same season
certain districts receive high returns.
while others show losses No single
crop or product is safe against unfa-
vorable conditions at times. There
fore dversifcation is the best assur
ance against heavy loss. For example.
il potatoes or beans are low in price
they need not he sold at once if there
are number of other products with
which to meet expenses and payments.
Ii may be better To consume the low
priced products on the farm than 10
haul them To market.
Feeding to poultry. hogs and cattle
will mt any time make potatoes worth
20 cents n bushel With large crop
Of tubers on hand at "A time when the
market is extremely low il is entirely
feasible for any farmer to cut down
the grain rations in poultry house and
barn and substitute boiled potatoes.
Beans could he added and the crop
consumed entirely at home. Many
other articles will work into such
plan. IL will even pay to buy young
pigs and steers for the purpose of max
ing profitable use Of potatoes and root
crops. especially carrots. rutabagas and
sugar beets. Animals generally. "a
well as chickens. ducks and geese. will
consume these vegetables TO advantage.
Mixed with bran. middlings or corn
meal. potatoes form palatable and
wholesome diet. and the farmer Is en-
abed by this substitution TO sell a
large proportion Of his corn crop. Each
farm should also produce number OF
crops In the vegetable line. such rs
cabbage. onions. cucumberS. celery. etc.
\ number Of vegetables lend them
selves to any canning scheme ON the
farm and thus may he saved from
waste or low markets. Canning puts
the financial touch upon various fruits
and garden crops viii ! otherwise
would amount To nothing one may
plan 70 eliminate waste 10y little
study along this line The ordinary
farm family can manage canning
outfit and thus secure a new source of
revenue.
In urging diverSiiication for both
large and small farms | suggest ten or
twelve distinct products. which must
be arranged SO as 10 distribute the la
bor as evenly rs possible. IL is in this
respect that many farmers are weak.
and il Is observed that settlers I'm Tie
new agricultural areas of western ana
southwestern states have yet to learn
important lessons Oh this subject
When agricultural districts are devel-
oped 50 rapidly that economic forces
do not have time to properly act the
result is very imperfect schemes OF
farm organization One cause OF this
IS the extreme profitableness OF Ger
tain crops for few years and the con
sequent development Of farms on the
basis Of single enterprise. Coupled
with this one sided organization land
prices are often forced so high that an
intensive form OF agriculture is neces-
sary when only fairly extensive tyre
Of farming should prevail. It is these
single crop farmers who are the great
est sufferers in years Of low prices for
their special products. Aside from bet
ter use OF labor and land. mixed farm
ing is one Of the surest safeguards
against total failure.