The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1920-08-26
DIVERSIFIED FARMING IS
the KEY TO PROSPERITY


.
We have" heard men grown old. In
the practice Of agriculture, say that
q one-crop country never did and
never will amount to anything. Log.
ic and the book farmers" bear them
out In this. for II 10 evident that the
fortunes OF one-crop country 70
up and down with every within OF eli.
mate, market or other factor Sta.
bility cannot rest on auicksand. d,
liberalization In crops and animal
products enough props are put under
the structure 80 that u will stand II
one or two OF them become badly
bent. 90 re go r,
For many years Malheur count,
has been practically q one-erop coun
~. That crop 10 alfalfa hay. The
market has come from the needs OF
livestock ranged In tho interior coun-
ties during the summer and brought
to the alfalfa sections In the winter.
Owing 10 crop failure In other parts
Of this and neishboring states and
the increased demand for feed be.
cause OF war conditions. the market
for hay has been good In recent
years. To reach this market. how
ever no ineonsiderabls amount OF
hay baisd was shipped last. year and
the, year before n..,.s.s s...
Bat let us take a look at prospeor
tive supplies OF hay aud the demand
for Il M Indicative OF the eounty's
future prosperity, Everyone knows
that there is az much hay as there
ever has been In our own county and
great quantities or II tied up By
quarantine In our neighboring State
There 10 no serious crop failure this
year where we sold hay last. On tbs
other hand. the quantity OF livestock
10 reported by the Department of
Agriculture a. considerably reduced.
Financial institutions tell us that the
buying power OF the stock man is on
the blink. II looks as II we had
waited one year too long TO turn to-
ward liberalization 10 increase the
variety OF saiesble products.
Depletion OF the range has been
going On for years and the ranehers
OF the interior sections OF the county
are. aud should reduce the herds and
raise better bred stock They can
grow their own feed cheaper than
Il can be grown on the high priced
lands along the Snake. With the
construction OF reservoirs. and sink
ing OF wells more land will be
brought under cultivation. by u.s.
Ing better hay and improved varie-
ties and growing sunflowers for sill
age the acre production will be In
creased. The present movement to
reduce the number OF stock kept.
brought on by financial difficulties
has only resulted In hurryins q tran
sition that was already In progress.
There will always be need OF some
hay TO make up deficiencies In ths
Interior. On the other hand. there
Is land on the lower levels which
cannot very well be farmed 10 any-
thinE bat hay. and a considerable
part OF the production from the best
lands must be hay In order to- keep
ap fertility. But = general move
ment TO get onto safer ground should
be taking place. A greater variety.
OF crops. well chosen with reference
10 Yields. available markets both
present and future. and SO forth, Is
needed. together with more farp
livestock OF the kind that can show
q profit and is suited TO the indiyid-
ual under whose care the animals
come. A moderate diversity OF pro-
ducts 10 good for the individual farm
or and . fairly wide diversity Of pro-
Auafs A. q ann aifv afvAaf Al a hilffx