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Show LIV5STO G K I THE FARMER, THE FARM, AND THE LIVESTOCK. if the farm is to be a money-making proposition there nuist be 'definite 'defi-nite correlation between ihe farm, the man who farms it, whether owner own-er or tenant, and the livestock that arc kept onjthc farm, if any. If not, there must be a correlation between the farmer, the farm, and the grain and grass that is grown thereon. To define more clearly what we mean. A farmer who is not interested interest-ed in growing" corn, who docs not love to study the plant, the seed, the marketing of the crop, would be of no use whatever in the corn belt, lie might be a valuable man in the cotton belt, if he understood cotton, or he might be pronounced a success suc-cess in the wheat growing sections or in the dairy sections or in a field of sugar beets; but no wise man would ever think of renting him a farm in the corn belt. Where livestock arc kept on the farm, it would be folly lo rent ie to a tenant who is. not, deeply interest--. cd in at least, two or three kinds of livestock. It would be folly for a "man who is nbt interested in' dairy- ing, for example, "to undertake to mnftc a profit fronikcciTing dairy cN<jEP'w'in success in dairying, the farmer must like cows, must, know, the 'good ones from the poor as far as it is given to mortal to know this without weighing and testing. The buildings must be arranged for dairy purposes. In fact, the farmer, the cows, tlic 'farm and the buildings must stand in "harmonious relation to each other. It is much easier to change the building to suit the "business than it is to educate the farmer in a new line. It is seldom possible to have a completely com-pletely harmonious relation bctwccti( the farmer, the farm, and the livc-stock. livc-stock. It is very difficult to finda1 man who is equally successful with even the different kinds of livestock grown on the ordinary farm. ' - Z We have known men who could grow calves by hand so successfully that an experienced eye could distinguish dist-inguish them in the feed lot from calves ' that were grown in natures, way, but who were not nearly so 1 successsful with Jiogs. We have f known men who could grow both I improved cattle and hogs quilc sue- ccssfully, biit could ' not sell cither of thdni, but who, to use' the neigh- bor's expression, were; "poison to 1 horses." Vc have known men who R could handle horses wfth the great- Q est su&css, bijuI could not handle either d;airy cattle, .beef steers or n hogs;' and it would .not be difficult ftf to find a man who could handle part ' or all of these successfully and yet J do nothing at all with sheep. , In short, the ordinary farm is quite as big as the ordinary man, and a i little bigger if all its capabilities could ' be brought out. In factAthcrc is a f great deal more in the skill of the farmer than eyen in the fertility of the farm itsclfv We have dropped into this line ot thought bccau.se just now, on account of the changes that have been going on in the last two pr three years, soma farmcrs'arc disposed to change their methods .of farming. We arc v .farming now -in .a different wWld, from that whicnV existed twenty or -.thirty years ago. Thirty years ago ( iirnhe country wcstVof the Missis-, !jipri we could growfall the calves we wanted by simply Mierding the cattle on the range. Sonic great calves they were that we grxiw then, where proper attention was given to mating. Now the range in these states is no more; even the -'great ranges of the west arc broken up. ( The question comes up:Whcrc shall we get our feeding steers? A good many farmers now arc turning turn-ing their attention to dairying. They see their neighbors make money ap-1 ap-1 arcntly hand) over fist. They conclude con-clude that they can do whatever their neighbors can, 'and are disposed to . change over from feeding steers to milking cqvs There arc many farm-crs farm-crs who have concluded it does not pay any longer, and. that vthey will go back to growing com and selling it oir the market. The reasons which have led to this t ' N unstable feeling among the farmers arc obvious: The putting into culti- , vation of nearly all the really good , iand that has hittfiertft been unculti- vatcd; the fending up of the ranges; the sale of many of thcifcnccd ranges for farms; the high price of icom that ! has prevailed for the last two years and k likely to prevail a third. All this has set the Jarnicrs to thinking as to what changes they could profitably pro-fitably make. Our advice is that they make these changes only after mature consideration anil study of their own capacity. It docs not follow that because a ! man has made a great success in fecd- ' ff mg steers that his neighbors with apparently equal opportunities would I make the same success. It docs not I follow that because a man has been successful in dairying that he will be !f equally successful in feeding steers or growing hogs. It docs not follow fol-low that the mail who has been successful suc-cessful in all these would make a howling success in handling sheep. It is well to study the farm and the markets, but the important thing is to study yourself and. ascertain whether with'Carc, diligence and study there is reason to believe that you can furnish the personal clement ncccs-" ncccs-" sary to. success in any undertaking. Unless this change is made with very great care the probability is that a different set of conditions will prc-vail prc-vail before the farmer has adapted himself to the present conditions. Farmers arcnotcd for being a conservative con-servative class. They do well to be conservative; and just now there is more than the usual necessity for care in making any radical changes. As a rule it will be better for the mauj(vJio has' made a study of feeding feed-ing steers, for example, to keep right on, but study carefully how he can decrease the cost of making a pound of beef. Let the man who has been fairly successful in dairying keep right on, but be more careful to weed out his cows. If the farmer has not been making money feeding his corn to Jiis livestock and concludes that he had better go to growing corn for sale in the market, let him 'consider 'con-sider that so many other farmers may take the same step that corn may in a short time be relatively much cheaper than cattle. It is well not to rock the boat when the wind is blowing and white caps arc on the waves. Wallace's Farmer. |