The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-09-29
NANKATO FREE PRESS
Farming As Business
DiscussedByF.Henry
Splendid Address Was Delivered By This
Expert In Rapidan Last
Evening

Farming is business and IL it is
to be successful, 1t must be done in
a business way" This was one OF
the statements made by Forest
Henry, a member OF the extension
division Of the state university last
night at a meeting held in the hall
over the new creamery at Rapidan.
where large number of farmers
listened with interest to talk on
farm problems. The speaker was in :
troduced by County Agent L. E. Nc
MILAN. who called attention to the
fact that Mr.. Henry was no strang-
er in that neighborhood. having
spoken on severai occasions to the
farmers. Later in the meeting
Charles Mitchell gave brief talk on
farm topics.
Mr.. Henry in opening his address
said that farming is a business, and
IL II is to be made a success, IL has
to be done in business way. He said
that the average farmers of the
state do not employ business priu-
ciples in his work, and consequently
does not make his farm work pay.
Should Diversity Farming
The matter of diversified farming
was taken UP and it was pointed out
that the diyersifcation means a
paying business on the farm the
year round, and at the same time
improvement OF the soil can be car
ried on for future work. He said
that the question often arises in the
minds of the dairy men as to wheth-
er the dairy business could not be
overdone. Mr.. Henry answered this
by telling the audience that there
was very little danger of over pro-
duction. The world war had taught
the people lesson along the lines
of milk and milk products that we
would not soon forget That genarl-
ly speaking THROUGH the northwest
the farmer too much, on account of
the poor machines" used and the
careless feeding of dairy cows. He
said that in the past years too much
stress had been put on the grain
feed of the dairy COW and not
enough upon her "roughage." That
In order to make a cheap product
the COW must be supplied with good
hay and good silage. Whenever this
was not supplied, 1t took entirely too
much grain feed to get good results,
and thereby made the products of
the cow more expensive.
The Ideal Hay
The ideal hay, Mr.. Henry said,
was either clover or alfalfa. He said
that clover is a perfectly balanced
ration for the dairy COW, and that the
only reason she is fed grain in con-
nection with the hay is because the
cow has not capacity for sufficient
hay to give best results. Mr.. Henry
advised the early cutting of clover.
Tho rlnuor rtrf aarIv thA anouHor
stated always produced more and
SettsE lzssK than that obtained from
late cut clover.
In regard to silage, Mr. Henry
said that it Is very important that
every dairymen should have a silo,
not only for the winter feeding, but
for summer feeding as well, when
the season Is dry. This is one kind
of feed for the dairy COW that Is
much cheaper than even grass. One
point is often neglected among the
dairymen and that is, good feeding
for the dairy cow during the period
that she is dry. During this period
Of six or eight weeks that she is
dry, the COW is doing work that
is equal to the production of a
thousand pounds of milk. This is 9
time she should not be neglected
this period she should lay on $50
pounds of flesh, which Is quite nee
essary for her years work. She
will then make up good udder
and will ordinarily give a good flow
of milk the year through. If she
is not well fed during this period,
she will not MAKE good udder at
freshening time, aad will be dis
appointment all through the. year.