American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1916-06-08

ulNlA VII ANAAOh tOOh thoA cNr oo1
two years age, had been run at a
heavy loss. Mr.. Nixon is a native of
New Zealand, a country that produces
the finest livestock in the world, and
where farming is engaged in for pro-
fit. He received his early training on
the 4,O0O-acre farm of his father, who
was extensively engaged in the rails
ing of pure-bred cattle, horses, hogs
and sheep.
AT the age of % Mr.. Nixon became
manager of the New Zealand Indus
trial school farm, comprising 1900
acres well stocked with cattle and
sheep. He held this position two
years and then accepted the manage
ment of a 5,000-acre farm on which
were more than $4,000 head of sheep
and more than 400 head Of cattle.
After successfully managing this for
three years, he resigned to engage
in the purchase and building up of
large farms, which he would sell at
a much advanced figure.
Coming from a country where far
mers understand their business, Mr..
Nixon naturally practices deep tillage
and intense cultivation. His ground
is plowed twelve to fifteen inches deep
and so we'll cultivated that sufficient
moisture is conserved in the soil to
grow a crop in the event there would
be little, ii any, precipitation. No
weeds are allowed to mature; conse-
quently the ground is easier kept
clean. He is fully convinced that it
is as important to buy and sell right
as it is to produce. He also thinks
it practical to buy well-bred stock
and the kind of machinery that will
do the work economically, ven though
the cost be higher. AS an illustration
OF this fact he showed me a registered
Duroc SOW which he bought in pig two
years ago, and this SOW and her in
reas he values at more than 81 900.
He further showed me a pure-bred
Holstein calf, for which he recently
paid 500 when 1t was two-days old.
He advised me this heifer calf came
from a heavy milking strain and
would SCOT be worth almost double
the amount which he paid.
He thinks 1t poor practice-in fact,
extravagant-to market any grain or
forage from the farm in the raw
state when so much more a be re-
allied by marketing 1t through live
stock, thus getting about double the
price, and at the same time getting
the benefit Of the fertilizer in build
ing up the soil.
Mr.. Nixon is a warm advocate in
the utility Of the SOW, the COW and
the silo, as we'll as poultry. He is
making good money out of his hogs,
which require but little feed in addi-
tion to good pasture. The eleven head
of Holsteins which he Is milking give
nearly forty-five gallons per day and
pay for their keeping several times
over, besides giving a good profit in
their increase. The heifer calves me
retains for the dairy, and the bull
calves he either sells for breeders or
keeps until they are two years old,
when he butchers them, and, at mar
ket prices, realizes eighty to a hun
bred dollars from each n slaugh-
tered.
He is wedding out the Improbable
mixers, and will retain none that do
not give four or more gallons of milk
per day. He thinks 1t more prac-
teal to breed up a herd of milk pro-
ducers rather than purchase the ma
tured COWS. Livestock is the best
paying feature on the farm, and
, all that is grown in the field. The
: fertilizer produced is carefully con
served and scattered over the soil
resulting in an increased yield.
The poultry department is by NJ
means a small feature of the farm
operations. When he took charge OF
the farm there was a flock of mon
= grels that were laying no eggs ant
were kept at a dead loss. He dispos
ed of these, secured pure-bred day
old chicks. and now has a flock o
J four hundred laying hens, from which
4 he receives a monthly return of $l65
Their feed is grown at a minimum
cost, crushed and mixed under hi
supervision, so that the expense o
y keeping is small. This spring he pur
chased a thousand pure-bred day-ol'
Z chicks; the cockerels he will marke
as broilers, and will realize enougl
on tAem to pay for the entire lot, thu
leaving him about five hundred pullets
"hich viii make fine fall and winte
ayers and more han double hi
monthly poultry receipts. The poultr
DCuse is kept thoroughly clean, fire.
4uen..y ~disinfected, and vermin is nc
allowed TO interfere in the least wit
..e pIofi-s from the flock.
Mr.. Nixon finds that attention I
re ais in farm management Is a fea
are ma, cannot be overlooked in sG'
s--4u. .drm..g OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
y arm Lie.