LIVESTOCK FARMING 37 



The business transaction of these farm animals might be 

 compared to that of an elevator manager, who, having bought 

 of a farmer a load of wheat, paying for it in cash, at once 

 ordered the farmer to reload a large part of his wheat to take 

 home with him. It might be added that a farmer so treated, 

 who would haul his restored grain into his yard and leave it 

 there, would not differ much from the man who leaves his 

 manure pile lie in the yard from year to year. 



An elevator man who would do the thing outlined above 

 would be considered a pretty good fellow. Nevertheless, farm 

 animals are doing just the kind of thing described right along. 

 They not only return much of what the}^ eat but the part they 

 return is greatly improved. What would one think if he sold 

 100 bushels of oats and after getting the money for it, would 

 get 40 bushels of wheat in addition? Livestock not only 

 gives back four-fifths of what it eats, excepting energy, but 

 it makes more useful the part it gives back, by the introduction 

 of bacteria. 



The value of these germs to soil fertility has already been 

 mentioned. The alimentary track of the farm animal is a 

 bacteria factory. Germs develop here by the hundreds of 

 millions and when the}^ get into the soil along with the manure, 

 which furnishes mineral plant food direct, they work night 

 and day liberating and gathering plant food so that plants 

 grow much better and sell for more money. Thus it is that 

 the livestock farmer grows richer and the grain farmer after 

 the first few years grows poorer. 



LIVESTOCK NECESSITATES THE GROWING OF FORAGE CROPS 



Livestock on the farm necessitates the growing of forage 

 crops. These are the cheapest feeds and most farm animals, 

 to do well, must have them. Such feeds also become cover 

 crops for the soil. They protect the soil bacteria from the 

 heat and light of the sun during the hottest part of the day as 

 well as during the hottest part of the season, thus enabling 

 the bacteria to live and multiply. Grain farming or summer 

 fallowing does not provide such protection. 



Crop Rotation. — Livestock farming also necessitates crop 

 rotation. In order to produce livestock successfully one 



