Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1880 [PAGE 148]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

146

REPORT OP THE HEAD FARMER.

U N I V E E S I T T F A E M , D e c e m b e r 14,

1878.

Dr. J. M. Gregory, Regent Illinois Industrial University: 1 h e r e w i t h p r e s e n t m y a n n u a l r e p o r t of t h e w o r k of t h e F a r m D e p a r t m e n t of t h e U n i versity . T h e c r o p s r a i s e d h e r e on t h e w h o l e h a v e b e e n satisfactory, at l e a s t in q u a l i t y a n d quantity.

COEN—

T h e s e v e r a l p i e c e s of .corn g a v e t h e following yield: 12 a c r e s , 61 b u s h e l s p e r a c r e 35 " 57% " " 2 " 50 *' " 14 " 35 " " 78 " 33 " "

730 b u s h e l s . 2,012 100 490 2,574

141

" 4i85/ioo "

"

!!I!iy//.^!!!I"lir////."*Ilir.""."""""."".!".""!*.""". 5,906

T h e c r o p w a s injured at least, I s h o u l d say, t w e n t y p e r cent, b y t h e s t o r m s . T h e fields giving t h e b e s t yield w e r e t h o s e w h e r e t h e sod w a s t u r n e d o v e r l a s t s p r i n g . T h o s e giving t h e l e a s t h a d b e e n t h e l o n g e s t in corn. T h e r e w e r e , in a d d i t i o n to t h i s , 132 b u s h e l s of e x p e r i m e n t a l corn.

MEADOW—

T h e r e w e r e in all 278 a c r e s of m e a d o w l a n d t h a t w a s m o w e d , a n d t h e whole c r o p w a s s e c u r e d in t h e b e s t of o r d e r . T h i s i n c l u d e s 150 a c r e s of g r a s s on t h e G r i g g s f a r m t h a t w a s p u t u p , in t h e rick, for one half t h e h a y . T h e r e w e r e also 20 a c r e s of p a s t u r e m o w e d .

B E E F CATTLE—

At t h e e g i n n i n g of t h e y e a r t h e r e w e r e i n v e n t o r i e d 33 h e a d of steers—38,150 p o u n d s , a t 3.95—$1,517.25. I p u r c h a s e d , m o s t l y in April a n d J u n e , 37 h e a d , c o s t i n g from 3 to 3% cents, p e r p o u n d ; 16 w e r e sold in t h e middle of J u n e for $1,068.45 net. T h e a c c o u n t is a s follows: $1,517 25 To i n v e n t o r y , 33 s t e e r s , @ 3.95 '4' p u r c h a s e s , 37 s t e e r s 1,002 74 ' c o s t of keeping—corn @ 30 c e n t s , a n d p a s t u r a g e @ $1 50 p e r m o n t h . . . 787 80 B y sale in J u n e , 16 h e a d $1,068 45 928 13 ' ' i n v e n t o r y , 15 fat s t e e r s , ® 3.75 1,327 00 '* " 39 s t o c k e r s a n d feeders, @3 c e n t s .... Balance .. 15 79 $3,323 58 $3,323 58 T h e a v e r a g e g a i n d u r i n g t h e y e a r w a s 44% p o u n d s p e r m o n t h ; 566 m o n t h s g a v e a g a i n of 25,315 p o u n d s . T h o u g h cattle h a v e fallen in t h e Chicago m a r k e t 25 p e r cent., d u r i n g t h e y e a r , t h e r e h a s b e e n no loss o n t h i s stock, a s we h a v e p a y for c o r n a n d p a s t u r e . D u r i n g s e v e n m o n t h s t h a t cattle h a v e b e e n fed corn, t h e h o g s on t h e s t o c k farm h a v e been fed n o c o r n at all

HOGS—

At t h e b e g i n n i n g of t h e y e a r we h a d 117 h o g s a n d pigs, t h a t w e r e c o u n t e d w o r t h $797 00; t h e r e a r e n o w 79, t h a t a r e c o u n t e d w o r t h $320 50; t h e s a l e s a m o u n t to $292 23—total $612 73. A loss of $169 27 a n d o n e y e a r ' s k e e p i n g . T h e c o s t of k e e p i n g in D e c e m b e r a n d J a n u a r y w a s $86; t h e c h o l e r a so m i x e d t h i n g s , t h a t no f u r t h e r a c c o u n t w a s kept. T h e r e h a s p r o b ably b e e n a total loss o n t h e h o g s of $700. T h e n u m b e r s t a r t e d with w a s a b o u t t h e s a m e a s w e h a v e u s u a l l y h a d at t h e s a m e time, for t h e p a s t four y e a r s . I find sales—In 1877, w e r e $933 83; 1876, $1,738 20; 1875, $1,217 25. An a v e r a g e of $1,296 42 for t h r e e y e a r s , a g a i n s t $292 23, m i n u s t h e loss in i n v e n t o r y , $476 50. I do n o t c o n s i d e r h o g c h o l e r a a s t h e w o r s t foe t h e h o g - r a i s e r c a n e n c o u n t e r . H a d it n o t b e e n for t h i s " b l e s s i n g in d i s g u i s e , " t h e p r i c e of p o r k would h a v e b e e n below t h e c o s t of p r o d u c t i o n , t h r e e y e a r s a g o . N o t w i t h s t a n d i n g o u r o w n loss, I still t h i n k t h a t , with p r o p e r c a r e a g a i n s t infection, a n d c a r e as t o c o n d i t i o n s to p r e v e n t g e n e r a t i n g t h e d i s e a s e , t h e loss will be small, a n d will fall o n t h o s e w h o a r e t r y i n g to overdo t h e b u s i n e s s by k e e p i n g l a r g e h e r d s i n too close q u a r t e r s .