The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-02-17
NEW A B C'S Of
GOOD FARMING
AGRiCULTURiSTS SAY FARMERS
MUST QUIT GROWING WHEAT
MORE PROFIT IN OTHER LINES
YIELD ONLY EIGHT AND HALF BUSHELS
Alfalfa, Beef and Cream Offer Wonder
ful Opportunities as Substitutes
for Wheat Growing


miliar with the agricultural conditions
the farmers of South Dakota who ex-
pect to succeed farming must turn
thir attention to the new a b c's of
successful farming-Alfalfa, Beef and
Cream, a combination which. along
with diversified farming, means every
year will be a successful year.
The near failure of the wheat r
in South Dakota last year and its
steady decline from year to year is
demonstrating to the wheat
OF this state that they must quit grow
ing wheat and turn their attention to
the more productive crops, leaving the
nations bread supply to the more for
tunate states.
South Dakota produced 1926, 235
bushels of wheat last year on 4,145.441
acres OF land, being an average of ap-
proximately eight and one-half bushels
per acre. At the present price paid for
the best wheat an acre would bring the
farmer 5000, from which must be
deducted not less than 20 per cent for
cost of planting and harvesting; and
In addition to this a deduction of from
four to five per cent must be made to
cover ~"dockage." To make the story
still worse, the yield for 1915 falls
l1,S13,355 bushels below that of 1910,
having at the same time 928,186 more
acres in wheat than in 1910. A ten
year average from 1899 to 1908, at
best, only gives the state a credit of
11.72 bushels per acre.
~Brookings county knocked the bot
tom out still further for 1915. The
average yield per acre fell below that
of the state. The county grew 575,2 6
bushels of wheat On 64,81S acres. What
applies to the state in general may be
said Of Brookings county.
"The real solution for all these
troubles" says President Perisho, OF
the State College, lis not to be found
in building a big elevator or breaking
the wheat combine in Minneapolis.
Duluth or Liverpool but it is to be
found in the farmers of South Dakota
feeding their grain, raising less wheat
and maintaining more stock upon their
farms. In South Dakota no more
wi eat should be grown than is just
necessary to maintain the necessary
rotation of crops and to give the farm
ers of the state enough for bedding and
feed. Very little money is made in
raising wheat for the market and at
the same time it is depicting at great
rapidity the fertility of the soil"
The Roadway the state is making to-
ward the new alfalfa, beef and cream
combination of farming opens the way
out for the state, and Brookings cCun-
ty, too, for that matter. When a coun-
ty produces over a million dollars
worth of dairy products in one year as
did Bookings it is ample evidence
that prosperity lies in that direction.
nv Noiy Ntuilo u III oldJt may
be added 271, 134 tons of alfalfa grown
on 1898 acres, being a little better
than a ton and a quarter per acre. At
the present market rate alfalfa Is
worth $3.50 per ton. This means one
of the farmers easiest crops for 1915
brought upward of SIS, 900, 900, not TAX
ing into consideration 1929 bushels
of seed worth approximately 81, 600, 900.
Brookings county had 494 acre" in
alfalfa which produced ISL tons. A
yield of slightly more than a ton and
a half per acre, beating the state aver
age by a quarter ton.
Another important phase of the
farming industry is the raising of peel
cattle for market. Not counting the
calves and other cattle there were
246,4SS head of steers in the state last
year. Medium steers on the markets
are now worth around $72.50 per head.
On this basis the steers of the state
were worth approximately SIT, 000, 900.
In round numbers alfalfa, beef and
cream for 1915 in the state represented
better than sac 600 OOO.