The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-03-20
Diversity Crops and
Prepare for Future

Madison, Wis. Now is the OPP
perfume time for farmers of Wiscon-
sin to diversity their crops and pre-
pare for future "hard times is the
opinion of H. l.. Russell, dean of the
state college of agriculture. Dean
Russell declared that diversihcation Of
crops means greater safety to the
farmer.
"No military genius would risk the
holding of an important post with but
a single line of defense" Dean Russell
said. Exactly the same idea can be
applied to agriculture. To stake every
thing on a single crop is just as poor
management on the part of the average
farmer as it is poor generalship on the
part of military man to risk highly
strategic position with but a single
line of defense.
again and again it has been shown
that farming districts which are de-
pendent upon one-crop system of ag-
riculture are in greater danger of suf-
fering from fluctuations in prosperity
which come as the result of over-pro-
duction Of their particular crop or
from crop failures. The same condi-
tion has prevailed in other commodi-
ties such as cotton, tobacco, corn and
potatoes, and perhaps other staple ag-
ricultural crops. For one reason or
another the farmers in the one crop
sections usually suffer most from adj
yersity whenever it overtakes them.
wisconsin farmers learned the les
son great many years ago. There
was time when this state was one
of the leaders in wheat production.
and out soil was rapidly being mined
by a one-crop system of farming. ANY
soil will stand exploitation only about
so long, and as the years went on, re.
duced yields per acre and the chincl
bugs so lowered production of the once
highly fruitful fields that, even AT
early as 30 years ago, our most far
seeing farmers were looking about fo
forms of agriculture which offered
wider diversificatiOn of products a
well as greater stability Of markets.
"In her highly diversified agricul
ture Wisconsin today has numerou,
sources Of income. A total of 81 pei
cent of the farm sales consist of live
stock or livestock products, about &c
per cent of the entire amount coming
from the dairy herds. Animal hus
bandry, especially dairying, has be-
come the Wisconsin farmers first line
Of defense, powerful secondary lines
are provided In other lines of livestock
production such as hogs, poultry and
sheep, and such special cash crops as
peas, potatoes, tobacco, clover and 9TH
ers. In addition to dairying itself,
income from the livestock industry is
increased by the production of other
kinds of livestock which come in as a
side line.
"There are over 1,673,00O hogs on
Wisconsin farms and in 1922 there
were nearly that number shipped to
| market for a cash return Of nearly
$50 100000. Poultry likewise has be-
come an important side line, Bringing
farmers Of the state over 2S,oO0,000 in
1922.
S@It takes time to diversity a sys-
tenn of farming, "A farmer cannot get
into the dairy business or any other
livestock line and make IL going prop
osition In one season. Right now when
the cotton industry is prospecting is a
better time to build up second and
perhaps third line Of defense than at
some future day when the main works
are useless and the fore Of hard times
sweep through"