The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1890-07-26

While the farm may not always return
asl arge profits as some other business, yet
with good management a fair living may
be made, and all that can be had is a liv-
ing, even with millionaires.
In the Arkansas valley and in some
other parts of the State the farmers have
commenced cutting their second crop Of
alfalfa. This second cutting will be a
little lighter than was the first.
A Boulder county farmer writes US to
this coming fall. Says he: ''The market
will be glutted with it." What will be the
matter with cattle and sheep? It's cer-
tain they will not refuse to eat it.
Until Colorado produces the raw mate
rial and manufactures its own binding
twine there will continuously be panic
in twine just before the harvest We
have grand opportunity to grow flax for
the seed, and from the fibre of which the
best and cheapest of twine can be made.
1t is now quite evident that the wheat
yield in Colorado will not be as good this
year as it was the last year. However the
output will be much greater from the in
creased acreage. And then the yield will
be greater per acre than in any other
State of the union, lest it be in Dakota
The present season not only in Colorado,
but in Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and
part of Iowa, has more fully demonstrated
the fact that by irrigation is the true
method and only reliable one for farming.
One irrigated acre in Colorado this year
will produce more wheat than two non-ir-
rigated acres in any of the western States.
The day is not distant when the United
States will not only supply her own mar
kets, but will go into the markets Of the
world with American beet sugar. No
State in the union has soil and climate
better adapted to sugar beet growth than
has Colorado. What is needed will be
application and concentration Of capital.
If good third growth of alfalfa is
plowed under deep late the present fall
thirty-five bushels of wheat or fifty bush
els of corn may be had from the acre next
season. The land can then be seeded right
back to the great hay plant again, and
the fertility be ever onward. There need
be system and modern method to make
farming pay in these late days.
As we go along our farm people are
learning much OF interest in the matter of
using water for irrigation They had
lately discovered that the early irrigators
were using too much water for the best
good of the crops, and now they are dis
covering that fall and winter is the i'm
portant time to run water upon the soil.
1t has taken time to learn these things.
There can scarcely be too many oats
grown in Colorado. Two or three million
more bushels than will be produced this
year could find market and be used in the
State ere the crop can be grown another
year. 1t is the best grain for all around
feeding yet known. Oats are the best
grain for the horse, the dairy COW, the eve
flocks and the fattening sheep. There is
no danger of having too much Of them.
The most neglected part Of the majority
of farms is the pasture. Once seeded it
is left to shift for itself is the usual rule.
This should not be so. No part of the
farm will respond more generously to
TO irrigate the grazing grounds. 1t will
pay. Cut out the brush and weeds, sow
grass seed in their places and give it a
good top dressing OF manure in the fall,
being careful to spread it well, and the
growth of grass the next season will be
increased astonishingly.
1t is the opinion of one of the heaviest
ditch owners in the State that it is nee
essary for the average farmer when he
first commences to farm by irrigation to
lose one or two crops before he will learn.
Says he: ''You can't convince man who
has never irrigated that he must irrigate
on time whether it rains or not, and that
he must use the water when he has got
it and not wait until the last minute to
do SO, for if he does it necessarily brings
all the shiftless farmers after water at
one and the same time, and there will
not be enough to go around"
When to cut Alfalfa Mr.. Frank L.
Watrous of the State experiment farm at
Rocky Ford has this to say about harvest
ing alfalfa: 'Dr. David O'Brien, chemist
of the agricultural college made an anal
ysis in four different stages of its growth:
Alfalfa in bud was found to contain 1919
per cent of albumen; in full bloom 1922
per cent; bloom half turned, 1887 per
cent, and fully ripened seed IL 81 per cent
From this it will be seen that alfalfa
reaches its maximum value for feeding
purposes just as it is coming in bloom,
and that its desirable qualities decrease
as it ripens. The tables also show that
water, fat and crude fibre increase as the
plant ages. Ii alfalfa is cut at this point
of growth it will usually be standing, will
not clog the mower, will cure and handle
easier: besides, the stems being less
woody, hay will be eaten cleaner than at
any other time. This is what science
has proven"
IL ~ ludL WlIQln u SnOru Llm9
the agricultural department expect to
make an interesting experiment, probably
on the plains near the State line of Colo
rado and Kansas. In the agricultural ap-
preparation bill, which is expected to be-
come law this week, is an item appropri-
ating $1,000 for an experiment in produc-
ing rainfall by an explosion of dynamite.
This paragraph was put in the bill by the
influence of Senator Farwell, who for
many years has believed that rainfall
may be induced by the use Of explosives.
Secretary Rusk thought well OF the idea
and the Senator induced the committee
on agriculture to make provision for the
experiment. Senator Farwell's notion is
that about twenty five pounds of dyna-
mite should be exploded at time Lalf
mile or so in the air, the material being
sent up by means of inexpensive paper
balloons and exploded by time fuses.
Senator Farwell and Secretary Rusk be-
lieve succession Of such explosions will
cause rain to fall over considerable area.
At least the experiment in their opinion
is worth making, for il it should succeed