American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-11-23
THE IMPORTANCE OF LIVE
STOCK on THE FARM

STOCK On THE FARM
The farmer should be a business
man. and farming should be consider
ed a business enterprise and lot mere
y a means Of subsistence. The farm
should be developed and directed so
as to yield a fair reward for ones
skill and executive ability. Efficiency
should be the first thought. The farm
should not merely be made 10 pro-
duce such products as are profitable
or desirable. but il should be made 10
produce them in such a manner that
they may be produced at less expense
and in greater abundance another g
We md examples il abundance Of
early-day farming which promised
success and brought failure in the
end. Grain and cotton farming are
notable examples. Both types i'm
poyerish the soil. IN grain farming a
drouth during the period in which the
grain natures brings disaster. for it
is not forage. but saleable grain upon
which the farmer depends for his mon
ey. The cotton farmer faces a SINH
lar situation. He must not only pro-
duce stalks, but bolls OF cotton, as it
is the seed and lint upon which he de-
ponds for a living. There would be
no economic objection to the outright
sale Of crops II crops we're Just
crops" They are crops plus an appre-
ciable amount Of the original plant
food elements in the soil. IN hauling
these elements off and selling them.
one is not only selling the products Of
his labor, but also he is selling an
intrinsic part OF his farm which be
has no right to sell. namely. the pro-
ducing power OF the soil.
Profitable farming is clearly depen-
dent upon provision for the mainten-
ance Of a high state OF soil fertility
and the cheapness OF the method
whereby this is accomplished. In
many sections Of the country. when il
vas found that the soils had become
u~nproductiye through continuous crop
ping. an effort was made TO continue
the same crops by the application OF
commercial fertilizers. This was but
temporary relief. and did not solve
the problem. The cheapest source Of
plant food is live stock. The manure
OF livestock not only contains plant
food. but organic matter which should.
as a rule. be applied along with com
mercial fertilizers. Many soils. as
the black lands Of Texas. fail 10 re-
spOnd to applications OF commercial
fertilizers. but do respond very salts
factorily 10 applications of barnyard
manure The most practical means
~ z~nnnfnn Tho =nfTs-n - --sf E.-~-1g-
y through crops is TO grow or buy
live stock. feed or finish it on the
farm, and return the manure 70 the
soil.
The foregoing is suggestive Of the
fundamental Importance OF q special
ly arranged cropping system for the
farm. Without this. neither manure
nor commercial fertilizers can be
made to produce best results. II. in
accordance with the modern order OF
things, it is wise to sell a given crop.
as for instance cotton or wheat. then
a sufficient number OF animals should
be kept and finished to supply manure
10 the soil, equivalent in fertilizins
value to the plant food taken out OF
the soil by the crop sold. Many o.
us are inclined 10 condemn the man
who buys feeding stuffs. but. the
standpoint OF permanency considered
the wise farmer keeps sufficient live
stock that he will be compelled 10 buy
feeding stuffs. rather than have a sur
plus for sale. Again. We no longer
think Of feeding cotton seed on the
farm. for in doing so We would be
wasting a crop of oil worth from s5.OC
to $3.50 per acre. figuring that the
yield Of cotton will vary from one
third to one-half bale 10 the acre. s
ton Of cotton seed will yield forty gal
lens of oil. worth IS cents a gallon. al
the present time. Instead Of feeding
the cotton seed on the farm. we sell il
to the oil mills and buy back the cot.
ton seed meal. For q similar reason
wheat is sold and the bran bought
back for feed. Even under 4 system
I OF stock farming il may be necessary
10 buy some commercial fertilizers
particularly phosphoric acid. but the
point is this expense will be reduced
70 4 minimum under \ proper system
OF stock farming. whereas much Of
the so-cailed profits of crop farming
is dissipated in having 10 buy back the