FARMING 4 



incidental expenses, costs *.">0, leaving a margin profit of 

 si 1. 



A oOO-pmmd pig can be grown at from 4 to 5 pounds of feed 

 for each pound of gain. A pig, therefore, costs in round 

 numlvrs about 810 after allowing 25 per cent, for incidental 

 expenses. Such a pig at 7 cents a pound is worth $21 ami 

 returns a profit of $4 directly over and above the feed 

 consumed. 



The main farmer, with every crop he sells, disposes of con- 

 siderable plant food. If he continues this for a sufficient 

 time, he reduces the productive capacity of his soil to such an 

 extent that fanning ceases to be profitable. 



The plant food in the soil upon which the plants grow is 

 similar to a bank account. When it is once drawn out, it is 

 gone and plants will not grow till the stock of plant food is 

 ret urned to the soil. To get an object lesson of this, one needs 

 only to take a trip to some of the older States. Here he will 

 find farms on which it is just as impossible to grow crops with- 

 out fertilizers as it is without seed. Thus, while grain farm- 

 ing may be profitable so long as there is an abundance of plant 

 food in the soil, leaving out of consideration the fact that the 

 soil is being robbed, the farmer really impoverishes himself 

 to the extent that he is unable to return the necessary plant 

 food to the soil in the form of fertilizers. He is then obliged 

 to abandon his farm or leave a heritage to his children that is 

 a burden on their shoulders. 



Again, if a grain farmer burns his straw or cornstalks, he 

 destroys one of his most valuable assets such stuff as de- 

 cay converts into humus to become plant food and to loosen 

 and aerate the soil, get oxygen into it, and furnish conditions 

 favorable for the work of bacteria in liberating and preparing 

 plant food. 



Tail Yrooman, Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, in Farmers' 

 Bulletin No. 704, says: 



"Tho fanner who soils his erops at the elevator is robbing his own soil, 

 his own purse, ami his own ehildren -selling their birthright for a mess 

 of pottage. The f armor who not only does this but also burns all his 

 cornstalks ami straw, reminds one of the burglar who takes all the 

 valuables ho ran carry off and sets fire to what is left." 



