Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-01-05
tail about It as we go along
"That's 1ust q fine idee!

That's just the thing we want to
do-instead Of paying the fertilizer fac
tories for it, do our own manufacture
Ing"
"Sure, an make the profit ourselves.
You know and know the commercial
fertilizer is gone In q year. Maybe a
little of the phosphate stays in the soil
for the next year, but not enough to
do any good. Got to buy again next
year"
That's So"
Nov, I see by this here bulletin
we've just read that an experiment
showed that seven years after q piece
Of soil was treated with barnyard fer
t1lizer it showed effects Of the stun as
against piece Of the same land treat
ed with commercial fertilizer. That
showed no trace hardly after the Sec
ond year."
Looks like the thing to do is to fig
ure the way to get more barnyard stuff
and build the land up so it will stay
built" commented Joe.
That's just what mean, son. Stop
the outgo for the commercial chemical
stuff"
'How are we going to do it?''
Its goin' to be slow work. In the
first place, we've got to have more cat
tie, an we've got practically no money
now. But we can do this: Winter Is
on, an folks will sell cattle cheap rath-
er than feed 'em. We ought to be able
to pick up a dozen or so half starved
little calves for next to nothing. We
can get credit at the bank for hun
dred dollars, an think we better put
it in calves"
Say" observed Joe, that's a per-
fectly fine scheme. 1 know where 1
can buy two f1ve-months-old calves now
for 81 apiece"
AN I'll start tomorrow to bust up
six or seven acres more an put in
more oats. It's late, know, but they
will make all right. That will give
winter grazing and stuf. to feed on an
straw to bed 'em in an turn under
later. We can pull them calves through
without much cost until grass comes
out; then next summer put every foot
of ground we can in pea vine hay"
peas are fine for the land-collect
nitrogen from the air and store it on
the roots in those little bumps no
dulles the book calls them," said Joe
Then the leaves that fall from the
pea vines help put humus in the land
along with the decaying roots.'
$50 with the oats and pea vine hay
and fodder we will be well fixed to
take big herd Of cattle through next
winter, and what nubbin corn we
raise" said Mr.. Weston. "Well keep
the cattle up at night, bod 'em in
leaves an straw, compost it, and we've
got good start on fertilizer. In two
years more we ought to have those
calves in prime fix for beef cattle and
get $50 apiece for EN-"
THAT looks mighty fine," assented
Joe. Besides, the oats being grazed
by the cattle will help the oats, and
the land will get the benefit Of what
fertilizer is dropped there then, and
that will amount to heap"
"Then," continued Mr.. Weston, II
figure that this next fall, instead Of
selling our cotton seed, we ought to
swap it to the oil mill for cottonseed
meal and hulls. There's heap of fat
tening stuff in the meal, and it forms
about fourth Of these commercial
fertilizers and furnishes nitrogen. Mix
the meal and bulls and feed it to our
cattle. We get the benefit Of the fat
tening for the beeves an then have the
rest Of it with the nitrogen in it for the
land"
Say, you were late getting started,
but you sure are farming like an up
to date farmeSpw!" enthused Joe.
"Tryin' to NIKE up for lost time,
son. Well have somethin' yet. you an
|. Well, as l was sayin', in this scheme
we practically get our beef cattle for
nothing, get the benefit Of permanent
fertilizer for the land and ought to
make profit Of GO or Is per cent on
each animal"
1T looks good" judicially admitted
Joe.
1T is good, and it's horse sense too
Why, II we just broke even on han
ding the cattle it would pay US, for
the good we will get in fertilizer for
the land and to stop the outgo for
chemical STUFF each year. But We'll
make money On 'em, big money"
III we keep planting peas and FILL
ing the ground with the roots full Of
nitrogen and planting cover crops in
winter and grazing it and turning IN
der stubble and putting rotted leaves
and straw and cornstalks and stable
cleanings mixed in this land in five
years we'll have the richest place in
the county" continued Mr.. Weston.
"Well, I'm going to go hunting for
scrubby half starved calves" said Joe.
III ask all the boys at school If they
have any to sell for cash, and you go
and get the money from the bank"
"All right, and first thing we know
well have a fertilizer factory here
that will be paying US biggest sort of
profits!' said Mr.. Weston.
Joe was on his way to school few
days later when he saw a boy about
his own age approaching him on q nice
bay pony. The boy was evidently a
city youth, and, seeing Joe. he rein
ed up.
"Hello!' he remarked, in 4 friendly
tone. He was nice, manly looking
boy. but very thin and pale.
"Helle, yourselr!' answered Joe
stopping and sizing him up. Joe liked
his looks, but thought he was remark
ably puny In appearance.
you're Joe Weston, the champion