The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1917-01-25

CROPS ALWAYS PROFITABLE
Weather cond'tlons Considered Most
Favorable BY Those Who Know
values 81; the Farming. Lands
Moving Upward.

are not always favorable. But few
Of the old timers were even at first
favorably impressed, but after they be-
came acquainted with the peculiaritiea
Of soil, climate and with each other, |
with few exceptions they came to look
upon NorthD Dakota not only with favor
but with pride. For no state offers
better opportunities for the man of
limited means to become independent
and nowhere will labor and intelligent
planning insure better results.
It is a common saying that every
country has its advantages and disad.
v~antages. North Dakota is no excep
ton. 1t is q matter of common OBJ
seryation, however, that the advan'
tages and disadvantages of countries
average with each other. What our
commonwealth lacks In winter bloom,
ing flowers and out door bathing facil
tiles it more than makes up in its pro
ductive soil and pleasant summers with
their many hours Of sunshine during
the growing season.
After a third Of a century's residence
in the state and having been intimately
associated with, the business of agri
culture during this time, / am convinc.
ed that North Dakota is destined even
tually to rank, productivity, with the
very best of the great agricultural
states Of the Union.
This cannot be expected, however.
until the state outgrows its pioneer
conditions. For in "a comparatively
new country it requires time to per
feet a general and somewhat uniform
system of farm management, many
farmers still persist in practicing the
B%ingle-crop fallacy; of growing wheat
continuously on their farms.
Moreover, On account of farms aver.
aging larger than labor and capital
are available for their proper cultiva;
ton, the best results are not always
secured.
Profits from Farming.
On the other hand wherever a ration.
nj system of crop rotation is practiced
and corn, alfalfa and other forage
crops also are grown, and whereelive.
stock is kept on the farm the resulting
profits are more thar satisfactory.
These profits will be materially in.
creased when farmers engage more
! largely in cooperative manufacturing
and marketing as they are preparing
to do in the immediate future.
1t has been conclusively demonstrat.
ed that both corn and alfalfa car be
grown in the state with complete
success. According to government
crop reports the yield of corn fol
North Dakota for 1916 vas 1856. 900
bushels, while the acreage seeded t.
alfalfa is increasing from year tc
year.
Then livestock for dairy products II
we'll as for beef are being introduced
in growing numbers. all of which dem
onstrates the waning of pioneer and
the ushering in, of scientific methods
Of farm management.
The Agricultural College with it.
Experiment Stations and Extension De
partments has contributed largely
toward improving farming methods.
No state has a more up-to.date edu
cational system nor a citizenship NOR.
devoted to child welfare than those o
our commonwealth. Few states ii, AM
have as large a permanent school fun.
rs North Dakota and perhaps ne othe,
state expends as large a sum Of none.
per capita for educational purposes
More than three hundred consolidated
schools indicate the interest taken ii
and the support that is given to tn,
rural and village schools.
Advantages Of the Weather.
The most serious objections urge,
against this state by the uninforme.
are to its cold winters and Unite,
rainfall. To the initiated, however
these are considered favorable .condi
tions. The precipitation occurs mainl.
during the growing season and Is am
pie. where moisture conservation Il
%practiced by means of special tillage
to insure a crop with greater certain
ytthan where the rainfall is excessive
Moreover, the special tillage require,
to conserve moisture involves no NOR,
labor than soil should receive in an.
country where intensive cultivation i
practiced.
The cold and somewhat protracte,
winters CONCEAL the conserved mois
ture and hold it intact until the crop
need it in the spring following.
While the winters do average cold
yet the dryness of the atmosphere
makes the cold even more tolerabl
than the chill that is experienced ii
the more humid atmosphere of latl
tudes where the thermometer range
higher during the winter months.
There Is no question but that tn
extreme fertility of the Northwestern
prairies is due to limited precipitation
and the fact that only a negligibl,
amount Of evaporation occurs during
the winter months. For where rainfall
is superintendent a large amount o
available fertility ID taken up in solu
ton and carried away in the .run on,
Whichsfertility must be restored. agail
IN the form Of costly commercial fei
tilzerS. This does mot occur ins Noffl