Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-06-04

Raise Ofol0 ana OXe0s SoySluAfs OOWs
The great pinch with the farmer In
Maine today d, not that he ie getting
Iless for what he has to sell, bat that
what he has to buy has increased %
much moro than what he has 70 sell has
done. II, then, he can manage to buy
less, things would not look 20 bad 10
him.
One Of the biggest Items 10, doubtless,
the "feed" bill. This on many OF
the smaller farms where not much labor
lie hired, 10 the very biggest bill OF
all.
Can this bill be reduced or cut ont
altogetherP II 90 the sky will not be 90
dark to M. Corn 10 not sure crop IN
many parts Of Maine, but wheat, oats
and barley are sure crops and good
yielders. And they are the best grains
| 10 feed when mixed In proper proper.
tious.
Then, too, bean meal, which is 90 rich
feed In certain parts OF the world, ID
not produced or fed ut eli In Maine.
think this 10 considered the richest OF oil
| feeds in some ways and 10 seldom or
never fed alone, but always mixed with
other grains.
There is NO use taking, Maine farmers
must come back to raising small grains.
Then the ensilage crop, turnip and
cabbage will take the place OF much
grain whom fed to milch cows and other
cattle.
We can grow more oxen and keep
fewer horses and 90 lower the grain bill,
for oxen can do lot Of work without
much of any grain feed, but horses must
be grained. go
I have a,palr of steers which will walk
faster than most farm horses and DO
more work than team OF small horses,
and they do not know what grain is,
with the exception of little they got
last summer, when I had them on the
moving machine day after day.
II We can grow our own grain, 1t Will
not only help us, but 1t will help the
Qovernme ent very materially, since the
western grain We would otherwise con-
sumo could be shipped abroad, and the
trapsportion of such stuff to fsr-away
New England trepasses very materially
upon the supply of cars and the capacity
of railroad transportation.
know no way our farmers here In
Maine can show their patriotism more
plainly than to become, insofar as pos
sible, self.sustaining.
Let us confine our business dealings,
insofar as possible, to selling produce.
Let us cut out the buying Of oil things
possible. Keep steers, raise our own
grain, kill our own beef and mutton, and
when we kill, swap pound for pouno,
with brother farmers, or sell back and
forth at Wholesale prices. When We
come back to this sort of farming under
present conditions, the game will be an
easier one on the pocketbook, II not on
the back.
I am not going back on the principle
Of Especially" farming when In the big
markets or In normal times, but condi'
tions have changed entirely, and call for
other methods Of procedure to meet the
new order of things.
Remember the hens will fatten In the
fall on the over ripe grain in the wheat
field and can then be disposed OF.
Remember We can not only cut our
outlay, but help win the war by raising
our own small grain, and our country
needs the cars, needs the coal, and needs
the western grain.
Raise more oxen, more wheat, more
oats and more beans. Grind the grams
ali together with the beans In proper
proportion aud see the results when
used "a feed iu the proper manner.-h.
W. Dow, In Maine Farmer