The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-11-23
4 KANsAs rARM AND rAEMEn
Good Laaa. Plenty Of Tame Grass and
IrnnroEed Stock


TIE following account of the mosiel
farm Of Mr.. j. r. Blackshire, one of the
representative farners OF Chase county.
is furnished by u correspondent ef the
Marion Record II may serve as "A re-
ply 10 some of The questions that slrang-
ers are often inclined TO ask:
His farm of about twenty-four hun
dred acres is located on or near the Cot
tonwuod river, on the main road be-
tween Elmdale and Cedar Point. About
three-fourlhs of it is bottom land, and
The balance is second bottom and bluff
land One hundred and fifty acres of
bluff land are fenced ia pasture, with
stone wall. a large portion of bottom
land is nicely laid out and fenced and
under excellent cnlliyati IN. A nolicea-
bic feature, aud 10 most Kansas farmers
an encouraging one, is the large amount
/ of land seeded TO tame grasses.
About two hun 1red and h4sy acres are
| seeded, one hundred and fifty or more
TO alfalfa, the balance to clover and Tim
othY. Red clover and timothy seem to
do well, the latter cutting two tons of
hay TO the acre. But alfalfa, with Mr..
| BIackshire, has the decided preference,
as be considers il more hardy and profit
able than red clover Its tap-root ena-
bles 1t to penetrate deeply into the sub
soil. and thus pump up moisture, even
in the dryest. seasons. Il is cut three times
in a season, for hay, and yields an aver.
age of two tons al cutting, or six tons
Of excellent tame hay per acre. Farmers,
| stick a pin there. But its excellence
does not stop there. It makes excellent
late fall aud early spring pasture. ellis
one hundred and twenty calves were lux
uratIng on it, 1t is not affected by frost
like prairie grass. 1t would be excel
lent FOR sheep range in fall, winter aud
early spring. The seed is contracted for
in advance, more than Mr.. Blaekshire
can supply at present. at $15 per bushel
lie saves seed at second cutting. Once
seeded you have permanent meadow
or pasture, one piece having been seed
cd eight years and no signs of running
out.
He cuts six hundred tons of hay; mol
coarse prairie grass, but nutritious
domestic hay, mostly alfalfa, with clover
and timothy, which Will need much les:
/, corn with il to fatten animals. He has
one hundred and sixty acres in corn
but when he gets more seeded to alfalfs
will raise less corn. (Note that also,
, He raises no wheat-has no time u
raise wheat. He rakes his hay in wind
rows and elevaies on the wagon with {
patent hay-lOader attached to the bacl
end OF his wagon. The loader is a cyl
. inder arrangement which catches up thu
hay. and u carrier similar to straw
) carrier lands it on the back end of thu
i wagon as fast as two men can load ii
He draws his hay 10 a sheltered place
where he wishes to fodder it in the win
| ter, and unloads with horse fork.
I Mr. Blackshire has over six hundred
! head of cattle. He raises about on
c hundred and twenty calves each yea
: from FLOODED bulls. This year he !
making a cross on two hundred cows.
He has tour yearling bulls of the poll
e ed Angus breed, and one bull calf, i'm
G ported from Scotland, valued ct $500
e He thinks the polled Angus more hard.
e than Durhams, and consequently bette
e graZers, and equally heavy, at same age
a as Durhams. They are Jet black, poll
ed, or hornless, and have long, gloss
q hair, are heavy set and strongly bull
/. animals 1t will be a long stride in tn
4 right direction when we get clear of th
c ugly sharp, and superfiuous horns. Nj
Blackshire sells about one hundre
i three. year-old steers yearly. Has no.
that number tor sale, estimated TO aver
1 age fifteen hundred pounds each, wort
say six cents a pound, making the IL
a worth the modest sum of nine lhousan
e dollars. Does that pay?
n | should have added in the pro pc
: place that Mr.. Blackshire's orchard
- seeded to orchard grass, which is pc
n feet mat of luXuriant grass about 81
y inches high, that would make Kansa
!. calf laugh. 1t is a perfect success
Y Farmers, seed your land TO tame gras:
: es, grow stock, and be happy.