The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1924-04-02

summer Can your corn in silo
1t will always keep and is always
ready to be fed.
x. ALFALFA
Possibly nowhere, except on irri-
gated land, can alfalfa. be grown
more successfully than in southwest
ern Minnesota. The old saying that
everything on the farm eats it ex-
cept the hired girl" is literally true
For maximum milk production, cows
must have it; for hog pasture, it is
essential; for feeding cattle it is
necessary. Brood sows do well on it
almost without any other feed; ducks
and geese grow up on it, and horses
will eat it in preference to oats. Ii
is easily raised, yields an average of
from five to six tons per acre, has
about the same feeding value as bran
and bran is worth from $24 to sec
per ton. A farmer in southwestern
Minnesota without alfalfa should take
stock of himself. In addition, alfalfa
supplies the soil with free nitrogen
drawn from the air.
XI. CLOVER
Southwestern Minnesota is the
home of the clover family Medium
red alsike, white and sweet clover
grow abundantly. Any man can take
his choice to suit his taste. Sweet
clover grows more luxuriantly, it will
pasture from three to six head per
acre and is also a wonderful fertiliz-
ing plant; seeded in the spring, it is
unequalled for fall pasture and fer
tilizer; and alfalfa for hay.
XII. ROTATION. EARLY
FLOWING
The fertility of the soil of many
of the farms of eastern states, has
been depleted by the vicious, one
crop system. To make these farms
now produce, even moderately COM
mercial fertilizer is necessary. If
the farmers of the middle West do
not take warning, the same fate
await them. Many of our neighbor-
ing states are already falling off in
corn production. Our fertilizer is
still unimpared; let's retain it by
proper rotation. One of the best
methods is early blowing 1t des-
troys weeds, converts add the green,
fall growth into fertilizer, and leav-
es the ground in the proper condi-
ton to receive and conserve winter
and spring moisture
XIII. GARDEN, FRUIT and
BEES
An economically, well-set table in
sures health and contentnlent. An
abundance of home grown vegetables
and luscious fruits are a source of
great economy and we'll beng for tn ,
family. Bees would lessen the sugar
bill according to + ather Francis
Jaeger $4,000 annually in every
township in Minnesota il they were
allowed to do so.
XIV. HOME and MANAGEMENT
Here is where | expect to be critl-
cized. 1t may be that under present
labor situation we are making a sug-
gestion very difficult to carry out.
My contention is, that a farmer,
an owner or renter should do as lit
tie work in the field as possible, ex-
cept in haying and harvest and on
necessary, special occasions. A farm
er should, in my opinion, give more
attention to his stock poultry, the
upkeep Of buildings and fences, the
marketing of crops and other details
of the farm, than he can possibly do
when he works in the field all day;
and above all he should have time to
think and plan. Almost anyone will
admit that farming of today requires
more scientific knowledge and more
careful planning than almost any
other line of business. The day is
gone by when "he knows enough tc
be farmer"
He should also have time to keep.
up his buildings and tend to his far
den, fruit, keep down the weeds IN
the yards and make the home attrac-