The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-05-15
FARMERS TURN TO
INVESTIGATION

* HITS from wheat production
into %dairying, poultry, swine
~ corn, alfalfa and Ieguminous
crops in general have enabled scores
OF farmers in the middle west and
northwestern states to cut their los
ses and get their farming operations
on a profitable basis in the last few
years. Many cases of successful re-
adjustment in farm production plans
have been reported to the United
States department of agriculture by
county agents. The reports cover 3O2
counties in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas,
Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota,
Montana, Idaho and Washington.
They tell of cuts in wheat acreage.
replacement of beef cattle herds by
dairy herds, progress in poultry pro-
duct1on, development of definite
crop rotations, and expansion in the
production of flax, soy beans, sweet
clover, sugar beets, garden truck and
hay.
One typical instance is that of
three brothers named Devosier, who
were formerly large grain growers
on a three-quarter section farm in
Red Lake county, Minnesota. About
four years ago they began to have
doubts about the future of grain
growing. Accordingly they laid the
foundation for a good dairy herd,
planted part of their farm to corn,
alfalfa, clover and some sugar beets,
and erected two silos, going into debt
for most of the expense. Last year
they sold $1,700 worth of breeding
stock and $4,000 worth of milk to
a local cooperative cheese factory
which they helped to build. They
have adopted a four-year rotation on
their farm and have restored their
land so that it is again profitable in
small grain production. The county
agent says these farmers are on the
road to "easy street."
Another Minnesota farmer in NAH
nomen county has reduced his wheat
acreage from 400 to 40 acres. He
has increased his dairy herd from two
scrub milk COWS to a good grade herd
of 30 with a purebred sire. His
monthly income averages $3.50 to
$275 from cream. He has 40 acres
Of alfalfa, IT'S acr5es of sweet clover
and 80 acres of corn.
From Wheat to Cows )
Robert Empey, in Prairie county, q
Montana, was a consistent wheat @
grower in 1917. In wheat growing il
he had failed to get ahead. Then he f
turned to milking a few cows. He h
a good flock of chickens and Il
about 10 turkeys. Two years ago a
he started planting beans and corn. 81
That year he had so acres of corn, r.
eight cows, raised 81 hogs, e1
steers and so turkeys for mar "
ket. He is now out of debt, and in
plans to enlarge his operations. An
other farmer in Blaine county, Mon II
by raising corn and hogs, has Fl
been enabled to pay off a mortgage h,
Of $1,4OO. He is storing his wheat 81
FOR a better price. fa
An outstanding example of a Mon tn
farmer who has profited by a ia
'eadjustment in his farming plans is be
,old by the county agent of Rich an
and county. This farmer, in 1919, in
vas a straight wheat grower. He de-
pended entirely on wheat for his farm
income and cropped his land almost He
Realizing in 1919 that ye'
us plan was wrong, he began to Mt
mango to mixed farming. His first en-
'tep was to plant sweet clover for col
orage. Then he started a small herd mel
# cattle and one or two brood sows yeS
rom this modest beginning he has fed
)uilt up a crop rotation of corn sol
Wheat and sweet clover. He has a raj
.ood herd Of purebred Shorthorn
attic, a bunch of purebred Duroc
ersey hogs, and a flock of poultry. 1
lie produces considerable nure reels the
cred MARQUIS wheat seed Hanncban cou
arley, Victory oats and sweet clover Kal
mother farmer in ROsebrd county far
as reduced his wheat area from 150 fen
cres to so acres and mas planted wht
OO acres to corn n sweet clover. whf
wht
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