The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1922-08-17
Advantages of Diversified Farming
As Ne,Ued BY Farmer" Smith
THE FOLLOWING TERESTING OBSERVATIONS OE
ONE GREAT CHARACTERS WHOSE LIFE HAS BEEN
DEVOTED TO THE IMPROVEMENT FARMING CONDITIONS
WITH BRIEF REFERENCES PERSONAL HISTORY

West, North or South, the man OF
the land who gives his best thought
and energy to home-making, grow
ing everything he can grow for the
use of himself and family, caring
for domestic animals, not so much
for the dollars they will bring as
for the pleasure of seeing them
grow and develop under his care and
attention, who cultivates plants be.
cause he loves to see them grow, one
who appreciates his partnership
with nature in producing new
things, will succeed, will find salts.
faction and happiness in his work,
will contribute his full share to the
sum total of human happiness"
will make the world better for his
living and gladder for his human
speech, says Farmer" Smith who
was here in Ontario to join the
Dairy Excursion.
"The winter of 1921-1922 has
demonstrated as never before the
advantages Of a diversified system
of farming, with livestock as an
important factor. The farmers who
have been milking cows feeding
pigs, caring for poultry and growing
corn, hay, small grains and pota-
toes, have certainly withstood the
business storm that wrecked the
specialist, whether the latter's
speciality was sheep, cattle, hay or
wheat. The best basis for farm
credit anywhere in the country to.
day is cows, silos, pigs, hens, corn,
clover or alfalfa.
''The long dry period this sum-
mer has been trying one for the
farmer on non-irrigated land. On
ly the very best methods have brot
satisfactory results.
"a careful survey of the situation
at this date, August, 1922, indi-
Gates that the farmer who has been
practicing diversified farming with
a systematic crop rotation includ-
ing corn, and making dairying an
important factor in the system,
with pigs and poultry as side lines;
one who has built silo, kept
pure-bred bull, saved his own seed
corn, petted his calves, hauled out
manure ,plowed deep, planted on
time, loved his work and otherwise
intelligently combined brains, mus
Gle, manure, soil and sunshine, has
been able to make farming pay
even in years of adversely.
"The Union Pacific System has
been conducting a campaign for a
more diversified system of farming
in the country reached by their
lines. They have encouraged and
stimulated the growing of better
and more livestock, greater diver
sity of crops and more intensive
methods of cultivation.
"The results secured have exceed
ed the expectations of the manage
ment. The people living in the
sections where this work has been
carried on are not raising any less
wheat or fruit, but they are milk
ing more cows, feeding more pigs,
caring for more poultry, growing
more corn, more clover, more field
peas, building more silos, making
better roads and enjoying a much
larger measure of prosperity.s
"All men are more or less crea-
lures of habit, and 1t is entirely
natural and logical that farmers in
any given locality should honestly
believe that the methods practiced
are the best for their locality and
Owing to the isolation
of the average farmer he is not as
quick to avail himself of improve
ments in methods and practices as
are men engaged in other lines of
business.
During the last quarter of a.
century there has been Just as
marked improvement in methods of
farming, In breeding of livestock.
methods OF feeding, soil cultiva-
ton and the handling and market
ing of farm products as has been
made I'm transDOrtation or manufac-
turing, until today farming-up to
date farming-is as scientific as
any profession in the world.
"The farmer who secures the
most satisfactory results from the
use of his land and the application
OF his labor to the cultivation OF the
soil. the feeding and breeding of
farm animals Ia the man who