The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1922-09-21

of interstate commerce which will
take advantage of the new system and
bring prosperity to our people.
The problem of production, getting
the most out of every acre of land is
paramount Importance to every farm
er. We have the same problem on our
farm which we have operated for 33
years that every farmer has in North
Dakota. We are trying to make that
farm pay expenses and return a rea-
sonable investment on its value. 1t
seem that a study of older agricultu-
raj states is of great benefit to US
all. For more than twenty years, we
nothing but wheat and we found that
the farm was getting dirtier every
year and the income not sufficient to
sustain it. Our experience no doubt
is the same as thousands of others in
North Dakota. We have come to the
conclusion that it is impossible year
in and year out to raise nothing but
wheat on a North Dakota farm and
keep out of bankruptcy. In many
places, we have seen farmers unable
to get into their fields because of
floods and heavy spring rains. We
have seen crops down with millions
of grasshoppers or destroyed by the
Hessian fly; we have seen wheat but
a short time before maturity made
worthless with rust or destroyed by
hail or nipped with frost. Untold
millions of bushels of wheat have been
destroyed in this manner.
Many of our farmers have come to
the conclusion that it is unwise to put
all the eggs in one basket, that on cv-
cry farm, there should be different
crops so that no one Of these disasters
could destroy them all. Diversified
ton insures against failure.
The experience Of the State of Wis
consin should be interesting; the total
value Of farm property is $2,677,00O,-
900. "The Wisconsin Agriculturst'
estimated the income Of the farmers
of that state last year at half a Eil-
lion. If this estimate was correct.
there was a return of eighteen and six
tenths percent on the total investment
in farm lands, buildings and equip
ment. There has been no bank failure
in five years in the state of Wiscon-
sin.
Let us come just little nearer to
home. Minnesota has made splendid
progress the past few years in diver
| sified farming For instance, there
; is a little county in the southeastern
, part of Minnesota which consists of
twelve townships called Steele county,
, and this year it will manufacture s.
, 100000 pounds of rich pure butter
, valued at two and one half millions of
dollars. These twelve townships pro"
r duce more butter than eleven states
, greater than the creamery butter i'm
; ports or exports of France. 1t has the
] record of producing more butter tt
= the square mile than any other county
5 in all America. 1t has a population OF
: $4,000 and this record is due to two
l things: people and cows. There are
= $4,000 COWS, one for each person ant
: there is on deposit in eleven county
t banks in this county S7,000,OO0; that
: is an average of $500 for every man
= woman and child in the county. The
/ bank deposits have increased at the
: rate of S1,000,000 for every four years
in the past eight years. In Minneso.
t ia the dairy production for 1920 was
s estimated by the dairy and food com
4 missioner as $2o2,00o,000; this is
about twice the value of the product
S of the iron mines which in 1919 was
r SOL, 100000. 1t is about the same a:
: the total output of the Minneapoli:
t Flour Mills. Minnesota wheat crol
n for the past five years has averaged
: less in value than the output of he
! dairy products. Wisconsin's total pro
a auctions are valued at about $4,000,
r 900 more than Minnesota
:! North Dakota has been the turn il
the road. Some people were lead t.
: believe that thru some unseen mys
: ferrous force few laws could be pass
i ed at Bismarck and prosperity wou,t
f Immediately come to our farms an;
il golden streams would flow from bar
S rem wastes. Sufficient experiment.
have been made in dairying and lh
f raising of alfalfa, sweet clover, corr
t to establish the success of dairying il
l. North Dakota. The first creamer
S was built at New Salem, in Morto1
g county in 1896. The business me-
e furnished the money while the farm
n ers contributed to the work of haulin!
e stone and other material to build tn
&c walls. This creamery had never miss