40 LIVESTOCK ON THE FARM 



keep growing and dying all the time. And when the legumi- 

 nous plant dies or is plowed under so as to kill the roots, all 

 this nitrogen becomes available for succeeding plants. Thus, 

 as already intimated, the livestock farmer has a way of making 

 his soil richer. 



Sometimes it is argued that the grain farmer can do the 

 same kind of thing by sowing clover in his rotation and cutting 

 it for seed. This is all right, if he will put back the clover 

 straw. "But if he had some livestock to which to feed, this 

 straw he would get good pay for it and still have most of it 

 left to put back upon the soil. 



Erosion or Soil Washing. — In many sections of any agri- 

 cultural country the land is so hilly that with grain farming 

 a good deal of the surface soil washes away. Gullies and 

 ditches are formed materially injuring a field for agricultural 

 purposes. In livestock farming a considerable portion of the 

 farm must be kept in pasture and hay meadows. In these 

 there is enough sod produced in a large measure to prevent 

 such soil washing. 



RETURNS MORE CERTAIN 



Weather conditions are a more important factor in grain 

 farming than in livestock farming. The crop is never sure 

 until it is harvested and threshed. With a variety of crops, 

 danger to one does not mean danger to all. With livestock 

 farming there is also considerable risk. The lives of the 

 animals may be threatened, but with proper care the danger 

 is slight. 



Wind. — Windstorms are very often a serious menace to 

 grain farmers. When grain is approaching maturity and a 

 windstorm comes up, especially if it is accompanied by a rain, 

 the grain may be lodged badly. This happens more often 

 with good grain on account of its rank growth. When grain 

 is thus lodged, much is lost because it cannot ])c harvested by 

 machinery. If storms come early in the growth of a crop, 

 its development is seriously checked. 



Storms will also lodge the livestock farmer's grain, but that 

 which the harvesters fail to get the stock can readily gather 

 up. A considora])lo part of the crop of the stock farmer, also, 



