State Convention'—Farm-Banks. 
433 
pursuing the dairy business, with prices as they were this last year. 
They are equal to former years and much better than in the older 
States. Our lands are about half price. Our cows don’t cost much. 
The older States will ultimately have to leave the field. They can¬ 
not produce dairy-products, unless they produce at a loss, while we 
may produce at a profit which will ultimately increase our capital. 
If we over-stock our farms; if we undertake to carry a few more 
cows than we have the means of feeding, and if we have to buy 
one hundred and fifty or two hundred dollars worth of feed to carry 
them through, we consider it so much lost. Experience has taught 
me it is no loss. I would rather have plenty of stock even if I had 
to buy feed for them. The results from the cows furnish us the 
means to buy the hay. The additional hay adds to the richness 
of the soil. 
Secretary Field: I would like to ask Mr. Smith how it is with 
his neighbor who sells the hay to him. 
Mr. Smith: That is his business. I think we invariably teach 
by example. If one man has more success than another; pursues 
one branch of farming, it is not long before another imitates it. 
A person builds a nice board fence by the road; he puts up a nice 
house, or a nice barn; it will be seen that his neighbor will imitate 
him. They don’t like to be left too far behind. 
Mr. Hazen: I get eighty bushels of oats very frequently, and I 
don’t consider it a fair crop if I don’t get seventy-five bushels to the 
acre. This year my oats lodged down. I sowed com on sod-land where 
it was pastured seven or eight years. Broke it up last spring and 
planted corn. The cut-worm bothered me some, though I succeeded 
in subduing them and I got a good crop of corn. Had my ground 
all plowed in the fall, an unusual thing for me. I sowed oats on 
that, and they grew too heavy. I think if I had plowed in the 
spring I would have had a better crop. On sod-ground for corn, I 
prefer to plow in the fall by all means. These prairie-farmers in 
our vicinity that raise grain on fall plowing, say it invariably 
lodges and bothers them, and if it is plowed in the spring it stands 
up better. That seems to be the great trouble, to have grain stand 
up so that it will fill well. 
A Voice: I would like to have the gentleman tell me how he 
subdued the cut-worm. 
28 
A 
