Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-01-26
Small Farm Pays
When Handled Right

what can be done on a small farm
A great many farmers say that they
are unremunsrative and that q larger
tract can be farmed ut almost tas same
expense. Still some farmers make
them pay, and pay big.
G. p. Christensen, OF Franklin ooan-
~, Iowa, Is one of these. He has mace
good on eighty acres during the last
fifteen years. paid for IL. built Sie'-
90 o house. two bis barns, big sho ana
other commodious outbuildings. In sa-
dition he rides IN car and has the
money with which TO retire II sucn
notion ever struck him.
How did do It? We'll, didn't 90
tt simply fixed up the place 80 ths
hogs and the cattle could work to ad-
vantage and meet what owed. After
that il wasn't bad In spite Of the hard
work it took. and still takes to Keep
everything running"
System Did il.
Systematic farming by crop rotation
and the turning over Of his fields 10
his hogs and cattle spelled success for
this Iowa farmer on his e!ghty-acre
tract. His firm Is divided into five
fifteen acre tracts, each one fenced
hog tight. The stock has access to
every field during different periods OF
the year The fields are planned as
follows:
Pasture. one field.
Corn. two fields.
Hay, one field
Oats, one field.
Systematic Farming.
All the stock on the place. includ-
ing the work horses, use the pasture,
which IS red clover. The hogs get
the two corn fields with the exception
Of the acreage required to fill s2o-
ton silo. The hay or meadow Yields
one bumper hay crop and then is con-
verted into pasture. The oats field
furnishes grain and bedding for the
stock in addition 10 nursing along a
clover crop which is always planted
with the grain in the spring. The corn
fields are kept IN corn two years. There
is a general and regular rotation all
over the place.
Raises Hogs and Cattle.
Christensen raises about 100 hogs
every year and feeds out two or three
loads Of steers in the fall and winter.
He has been following this plan for
years and says that it is the only
method 70 make a small farm pay-or
a large one. for that matter. He told
about his successful experiment while
on the market recently with two loads
of butcher stock.
A great many neighbors, including
some of his own relatives, thought that
Christensen was putting his head in
moose when he bought the little eighty
fifteen years ago. II cost him SIS an
acre.
You'll never make IT," ne was told
''rhe interest and taxes will eat you
up"
Christensen didn't have much money
TO pay down on the land. but just the
same he went ahead and bought TIE
place. What he lacked in money be
thought he could make up in ideas
systematic ideas that would bring in
the money. He Immediately turned
his entire farm over TO the stock, in
creased His herds untfl the little
eighty-acre farm factory was running
at maximum capacity. worked early
and late, himself. wa tched everything
like a hawk and success soon started
his way. he says.
Watches These Points.
In conjunction with the systematic
handling Of small farm in such a
manner that it is money maker
Christensen has arrived at the fol-
lowing convictions and he follows
them religiously:
Scatter no manure IN the winter
time.
Always break steers in with ear
corn.
Change the breed of your noars oc-
oasionalIy.
Usually this farmer holds his manure
right in the sheds all winter long.
keeping the steers well bedded with
oat straw. II the manure must be
hauled out it is ricked, but never scat
tered. In scattering it Christensen be-
iieves that the melting snow and ice
wash the 'enrtching qualities to the
aollows and low places before it can
soak into the soil, especially when the
ground is frozen.
In accustomiug steers to the feed
lot they are liable to eat too much I'M
less the corn is shelled and scattered
over the stlage. When ear corn is used
some Of the more gluttonous and ag-
gressive cattle crowd the others away
from the hunks and are in danger Of
inJuring themselves. Where shelled
corn Is scattered over the silage there
Is no way open for any Of the steers to
get an oversupply Of corn.
Christensen always keeps around a
dozen brood sows of his own raising
He employs q pure-bred boar, either
a Poland-Chtna or Chester White. He
watches his pigs closely and when
they start to get too rough he sells the
white boar and heads the herd with q
black one Then when the ,,ipe s4a RI