Three Quarters of a Centurj^ 

 of Good Farming 



The Stor^ of the lUoffett Homestead in Macoupin County 



WARREN MOFTETT 

 'The third generation" 



V ^ -ANY a livestock lover, dream- 

 X-^/l// '"^ about his ideal livestock 

 C_^ Yl farm no doubt has painted a 

 mind picture of rich bluegrass pastures 

 beside a flowing stream, a glistening lake 

 and perhaps a waterfall for good meas- 

 ure; a patch of timber where blooded 

 cattle and sheep can browse and rest 

 protected from the blazing, midsummer 

 sun; fertile fields where growing corn 

 and alfalfa assure a bountiful supply of 

 roughage and fattening feeds; and a 

 beautiful white house set like a pearl 

 'midst a shady lawn, stately oaks and 

 maples far from the noise and dust of 

 passing motorists. 



Conserved the Soil 



Near Modesto in northern Macoupin 

 county, on the historic stage route from 

 Chicago to Alton, you will find such a 

 picturesque old homestead where War- 

 ren Mofiett, his wife and their two sons, 

 Bobbie and Jimmy are carrying on the 

 family tradition of good farming, better 

 livestock and good living. 



One generation can't develop a farm 

 with such beautiful surroundings and 

 high state of fertility as the Moffett home- 

 stead. Warren is the third generation, 

 and while he is doing his part, his father 

 and grandfather before him knew how to 

 handle land and conserve its rich re- 

 sources for the generations to come. 



"How do you happen to have this fine 

 lake here, that waterfall, these great, 

 splendid trees and such wonderful blue- 

 grass.'" 



"This earth dam, " Warren replied, 

 pointing to a bank of earth all but ob- 

 scured by grass and trees, "is 75 years 

 old. It was built by my grandfather, to 

 provide water for the cattle. About 400 

 acres drain into this pond." 



Seventy-five years later, we are learn- 

 ing to do the same thing — with no bet- 

 ter workmanship than this — to control 

 erosion, conserve run -off. and provide 

 water for stock. At one corner of the 

 pond is a concrete spill-way, still in per- 

 fect condition, where the surplus rainfall 

 runs down through the timber and on 

 its way to the sea. 



Lake Is Silted 



In 75 years, Warren observed, the 

 pond has accummulated five to six feet 

 of silt on its bottom despite the fact that 

 the water runs over blue grass pasture be- 

 fore it enters the lake. Back in the woods 

 where I first caught sight of Moffett with 

 his purebred Corriedale and Hampshire 

 sheep, I was greeted by a hearty, "How' re 

 George, haven't seen you since we were 

 in Animal Husbandry 5 together at Ur- 

 bana in 1916." Happy memories of 20 

 years ago returned and the thought came 

 that the love of good livestock, its care 

 and management instilled by the agricul- 

 tural colleges do bear fruit. A moment 

 later we paused beside the huge stump 

 of an old white oak tree. Cut in 1936 

 it is estimated that this tree was 285 yrs. 

 old, or a foot through, when George 

 Washington was born. 



There are 30 acres of fine old timber, 

 more than 75 acres of permanent pasture 

 upwards of 1 50 acres of cultivated land 

 on the 290 acre Moffett farm. Lamb 

 feeding, breeding stock, market hogs, a 



small dairy herd, and Mrs. Moffett's 

 thrifty flock of White Rock hens provide 

 the principal source of income. 



"We feed out the lambs from our flock 

 of 150 ewes," Warren said, "also sev- 

 eral decks of western lambs each year. 

 We generally put them on the market fat 

 at 60 to 70 lbs. The earliest ones go be- 

 fore Easter, about 50 per cent before July 

 1, and the balance go in the fall. Else- 

 where we learned that Warren Moffett 

 consistently tops the market on his lambs 

 and hogs, is rated one of the top notch 

 livestock breeders and feeders in western 

 Illinois. 



Hog raising is carried on with pure- 

 bred Hampshire sows, the swine sanita- 

 tion way, of course. Approximately 200 

 market hogs a year from 12 to 15 sows 

 is the rule. And these thrifty, belted pigs 

 are ready for shipment weighing 210 to 

 225 lbs. at six months of age. Rotated 

 alfalfa and alsike pastures to destroy 

 worm eggs and parasites, shelled corn, 

 tankage or meat scrap, and soybean oil- 

 meal in self-feeders, put on gains at 

 maximum speed. The shoats are ready 

 for shipment before the heavy price- 

 breaking runs start in October and No- 

 vember. 



Thrifty Hampshires 



In early summer there were 90 husky 

 young porkers from 12 Hampshire gilts. 

 The sows are kept for three litters, then 

 marketed. 



All livestock is sold through the 

 St. Louis Producers. And on this subject 

 Warren Moffett is enthusiastic. A strong 

 believer in cooperative marketing, he 

 feels that the cooperative commission 

 associations offer the livestock farmer a 

 real opportunity to concentrate volume, 

 increase farmers bargaining power, stabil- 

 ize prices within limits and get maximum 





ABOUT 200 HAMPSHIRE SHOATS A YEAR 

 "Shelled Com, Tankage, Soybean Oil- 

 meal in Self Feeders." 



AT FARM ENTRANCE 

 "His Stock Goes There" 



CORRIEDALES AND HAMPSHIRES 

 "The lambs are led out to 60-70 lbs." 



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