THE MINNESOTA 



HORTICULTURIST. 



VOL. 22 MAY, 1894. NO. 4 



HOW MONEY IS MADE. 



Farmers Who Diversify Crops Have no Complaixts. 



O. M. lord, MINNESOTA CITY. 



As I rarely write for publication, I hardly feel competent to dis- 

 cuss diversified farming in any new or interesting manner. The 

 changes in this county have been very slow from wheat, wheat, wheat 

 and barley to stock raising, dairying, fruit growing, etc. As for my- 

 self, I have grown no wheat or barley in twenty years, though my 

 place is as well adapted to those grains as the average farm of the 

 valley lands. I have found that for me small fruitgrowing has been 

 the inost pleasant and profitable, though I have, in connection with 

 it, usuall}' kept from five to ten cows, generally raising the calves 

 till two years old. And I also have kept three or four mares, and 

 sold the colts at two years old; also a limited number of hogs and a 

 small flock of hens. The horses are needed for work, which, being 

 light, interferes very little with raising colts. This fias riot been 

 profitable for the last two years, as the county is overstocked with 

 low-grade aniinals. The calves, hogs and poultry necessarily go 

 with or depend, inore or less, upon the keeping of cows. These mat- 

 ters in no way interfere with small fruit growing, and the manure 

 made from the stock is a valuable addition to the success of the 

 fruit. The stock occupies the time in winter, when the fruit indus- 

 try is entirely idle, and the onlj^ rush or hurry with fruit work is in 

 time of picking, which depends upon fair weather and gives ample 

 time to attend to the cows night and morning. I rarely buy any 

 feed except bran, and usuallj^ sell some hay and feed and all the oats 

 and corn. I have not had less than fifty bushels of corn to the acre 

 for several j^ears; oats vary from thirty-five to fifty. For a series of 

 years the hogs have rendered a good account. The hens have some- 

 times paid in market products, without fancy prices, three dollars a 

 piece for the year, without counting what was used in the family. 



In intimate connection with small fruits, bee-keeping is consid- 

 ered almost absolutely necessary. I have found this rather pre- 

 carious, sometimes losing the bees, but often meeting with remark- 

 able success. 



In regard to the profit of small fruitgrowing: Where I am located, 

 I have unusual facilities for railroad shipments; three promi- 

 nent roads cross the farin, with a station very convenient. I 



