Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1921-09-28
AN OBJECT LESSON t2..4 4 81.
in DAIRY FARMING

| al 1000 lltle group OF people OF
the same religious faith was living in
the vicinity of Chicago. They we're
working at day wages and had saved a
small amount OF money They dubbed
| together and sent two OF their number
| to "spy out the land."a One of these
was John Christensen These scouts
decided on tract Of land in the yicin-
ity Of New Salem, N. D. That was in
1883. For years they struggled in this
new country, making Roadway very
slowly, trying to make a living by rails
ing wheat, but the dry years would eat
all the profits made in others. ,.
John Christensen, now patriarch of
the colony, tells some almost incredi-
bic stories of the bitter privations and
hardships OF those pioneer days. Often
the members of the colony went months
without cent of cash expenditure, be-
cause there was no cash to spend. They
would take butter and eggs to the stores
and trade them for produce, but no
money was in sight. r. n.
Today John Christensen's earnings
are said to be more than $1,000 year
He is vice-president of a bank; presi-
dent of a successful farmers mutual life
insurance company, and owns and oper-
ates his own farm of more than 1,4OO
acres, entirely free of debt, with good,
modern farm buildings, equipped with
running water, electrical appliances, in
Guiding a milking machine
How was~it done? High class dairy
cows is the answer. After long and
fruitless struggle. Christensen and the
others in the New Salem colony decid-
ed radical changes We're necessary in
their methods OF farming. They each
had a few cows, but they were just
plain cows. They decided they must
have more and better cows, so they be-
gan breeding. At first they made slow
progress. They bought purebred sires,
and by mating them with selected ma
tive cattle, bred some good producing
grades. About this time the North Da-
kota experiment station began a search
for a group of farmers with whom they
gould work out plan for a purebred
cattle breeding circuit. 1t was put into
operation. The first step was to de-
velop special type of purebred dairy
COW, adapted to the conditions of that
region of light rainfall. The second was
to develop practical working system
of cooperation in the breeding of cattle
among the everyday farmer, not a spe-
cialist in dairying. JAM 1, 1910, the
North Dakota Holstein Friesian Breed,
ing association was organized.
In New Salem last July it was found
there now are II members of the New
Salem breeding circuit. They own
around 40 acres of land, worth $40 an
acre, and in the entire circuit only one
farm is mortgaged, and that belongs to
one Of the new members, a young man
just starting. They all have substantial
buildings with silos. Many have their
farms equipped with electric plants,
running water and other modern labor
saving improvements. Most of them
have milking machines. a. ss4$.s. &.
Z In 1910 there were 80 purebred cows
Now they have $50. The circuit has
sold purebreds into 30 of the 81 coun-
ties Of North Dakota, and into the
states of Oregon, Montana. Wyoming
and Minnesota. The total receipts for
butterfat and surplus stock in 1920
were $39, 1895. The average gross in
come for the cows per farm in 1920 was
$2,325.S3. There is circuit superin-
tendent, young dairy specialist from
the agricultural college, who keeps all
records and makes all official tests. He
lives at New Salem, and once a month
spends day at each farm, checking
up the test each member is required to
make every day. aTas
North Dakota will be represented at
the National Dairy show BY a delega-
ton |, 900 strong and an educational ex-
thibit which will visualize what New
Salem has achieved. Madame Indi
Pense Surprise, a registered Holstein
cows, and 10 OF her progeny form part
Of this exhibit ny N Minneapolis Journal.