The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-01-21
FARMING ON IRON RANGE
DAFRYfNG PREVAILS IN THIS
SECTION OF STATE
Optimistic Views of Agent Neu-
bauer of St. Louis
County
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch

Virginia. Mimi, January 19.-
Northern St. Louis and adjoining
counties are exceptionally fitted for
stock and dairy farming and eventu-
ally this section will be recognized as
one of the foremost grazing districts
in the country, according to August
Neubauer, county agent for the north
ern half of st. Louis county. Agri-
culture on the Iron Range, while yet
in its infancy, also is progressing
slowly but surely, the county agent
said. The range is a mixed farming
country with dairying predominating,
the AGRICULTURAL agent said. Within
three years this section, whose chief
industry heretofore has been the OPP
Grafton of rich iron ore mines, should
make rapid strides in stock and dairy
farming, Neubauer said, and he ex-
poets to see the day when thousands
of cattle roam the grassy lands oil
this country.
"As soon as the farmer realizes
that the dairy cow is the best asset
on the farm, both in the way of a
monthly cream check and maintain
er of fertility in the soil, he will do
his best to obtain new stock and i'm
prove 'his herd" the agent said.
fIdQS are uOW way ShAo
line. Good grade and pure bred live
stock will be introduced and bull as
sociations formed and it Is hoped that
within the next five years more than
q thousand new grade and pure bred
animals will be brought into the range
country. "The reason that dairying
does and should appeal to so many
and is adaptable to this region is the
good growth OF hay and grams; ex-
Gallant M cfura ge and good local mar
ket for product.
Soil Also Productive
'.But this is not all. The soil is also
productive in the form of potatoes and
root crops. Yields Of from four to five
hundred bushels of potatoes are not
tnfreQuent, and root crops, carrots;
mangels ETC., do well in quantity ana
quality as was shown at the last state
fair where the range country took
sofa grown potatoes are known In
many states. The range produces
many of these and will produce more
In the seasons to come. While corn
cannot be grown, sufficient succulent
feed can be obtained from the root
crops and from sunfowers made into
ensnage. III.
weeds. Yields of so bushels of barley
are very common and Minnesota No.
as1 oats has proved its value by. often
yielding more than rs bushels to the
acre. Both winter and spring rye are
rrown with success. Timothy and
clover grow in abundance and sec
ord cutting is always procured when
not being handled for seed. Nowhere
does clover grow so abundantly as on
the range. AS high as six tons TO the
acre for two cuttings of his crop are
not uncommon" With the coming OF
stock and dairy business. many
creameries will inevitably spring up
on the arnge, Mr.. Neubauer said, and
this will be followed by. more extern
sire agricultural operations.
Opportunity For Handling Sheep
On account of the. great amount OF
cut over land and other land destined
ia meet the plow in the near future.
there is also a splendid opportunity,
for handling sheep, and on many OF
the farms will be found focks of
sheep utilizing this otherwise waste
material and turning it into proht:
There Is also ample room lot peer
taken ND to any great extent, al
though several farmers have signified
their Intention of doing so. One stock
company has made arrangements to
throw about 1000 head of range stock
into NcSthern Minnesota this year.
Agriculture on the range, Whle ySt
IN a secondary position, is rapidly
forging to the front and although 1t
may take years for it to boast of be
Ing next to the iron ore industry. its
Importance cannot be overlooked,
Neubauer believes. Life on the farm
is being supported by the mining and
numbering Industries until such time
as Il can stand alone. he said. Poul-
try also has made its mark on the
range, according to the county agrl-
cultural agent, and is being recogniz-
cd elsewhere as a place where this
Industry Is doing remarkably well.