Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-06-20
UP ON THE PLAINS.
Heavy Rains nnd Good Prospects In
the Panhandle Country.

registered at the Mansion, and know
ing that he would give The Gazette
readers full and true account OF the
upper Panhandle or Plains country. he
was looked up and gave the following
report in his answers to the various
questions propounded.
How long have you lived on the
plalns7
This is the eighth summer, as 1 went
to the plains country after the Fort
Worth and Denver railroad commenced
to construct the line northwestward
from Quanah.
How does this spring and summer
compare with the previous years for
rainfall?
My experience Is that up 10 about
four weeks ago II had been the dryest
winter and spring that have known.
In fact. up to about four weeks ago
there was not sufficient fall OF rain to
terminate seed sown. and the seed
planted In March, April and up to the
end Of May remained In the ground
without sprouting, but heavy rains fell
late in May and abundance has fallen
every few days since. and the plains
are again green with a heavy coat Of
short, curly mesquite or buffalo grass
and cattle are now in excellent shape,
and early shipments will be made from
Amarillo, which has the reputation Of
shipping more cattle to the Kansas,
Dakotas and northwestern fattening
grounds and to Kansas city, Chicago
and st. Louis than any other point In
this country.
You advertised that country as be-
ing the granary OF the world Now,
The Gazette wishes you to inform II
what are your convictions, based upon
actual knowledge and experience, and
what is the plains country best adapt
ed to.
For the first four years excellent
crops Of wheat. rye, barley and oats
were made. The rains fell In the early
spring and were continued through the
summer, but the last four years the
seasons have seemed to change. and
our rains have come in May and June,
and as n consequence the small grain
crop has been practically failure,
| and to add to the farmers troubles, last
year and the year before the entire
| plains country was scourged by the
lipnsas army grusshopper The set
| tiers however, who planted extensively
sorghum and other summer forage
crops have done well. have known of
| settlers who turned their attention to
| raising forage crops who have cleared
| from $50 to sos per acre from their sor-
| ghum crops alone. and while some of
| the settlers have made success In
| raising small grain. others have not,
| but have never known~Df Il man who
| raised sorghum who did not make
| more money from 1t than can be made
| from cotton, corn or small grain in
any part OF Texas.
| That IL a remarkable statement.
| WIN you please let 1t be known how 1t
| Is done2
| in early spring and break up the land
! as deep as their teams can do the
| work They then let the land lie until
| they get ready TO SOW the sorghum
| seed. Generally by that time the weeds
| have all come up as the land has set
| tied, aud as there are but few seeders
/ or planters the farmer goes to work
and sows the seed broadcast and COW
ers Il with disc harrow. This cleans
| the ground Of weeds, and the seed then
| terminates and makes a rapid growth.
| and in about sixteen weeks from the
time that the sorghum comes up there
| Is a sulendid crop. Frequently as much
IA seven tons Of dried sorghum can be
made to the acre. but only a small por-
| ton OF the crop IL cut and saved for
| winter use The method OF rcnlizing
the best results from the crop Is AS fol-
lows: wait until the seed has ripened
on the greer sorghum and then pur-
chase. II you have not the stock on
hand, two or three steers or cows &c
the acre of land, more II the crop Is
very heavy, and then drive the stock
into the field for not over fifteen min
utos the first day, twenty or twenty
five the second. and for the next foui
- .afal. 10.
until at the end OF week they car
remain In the field until they are ready
TO be sent to market. This will bs
from four to six weeks, and win war,
rant that an acre Of good sorghum will
fntten more cattle and quicker II thu
method l have spoken of Is carried Out
| than any other crop raised in Texas
have known OF men clearing as higt
as $500 from fifty acres of sorghum
| sown broadcast and never worried OF
cared for aftcrward. BY this methot
the land Instead OF being Empower
lshed, Is enriched, as every particle re
| turns 10 IT, and the crops are bettel
inter he land has been used for fcui
or five years than when the first croI
was planted This Is explained by tn,
| stntements OF experts who. upon eN
animation Of the virgin soil. say that 4
lacks humus or any kim
OF vegetaele mold. ana N
| luilllnk Nlliti VI NtfN NNhNAefbh
matter improves the land Regarding
stock farming. every man who, 81
far as my observation goes, has fat
tened Inttle on sorghum has mad
money by the operation.
Is there any other forage crop tina
win grow there and make good re
turn
Yes. There are quite number o
sure crops. Millet is a good one. KAN
corn or milo mniz, win also make goo,
returns, ard have experimental witt
max. buclSwheat, stock peas ~ man,
varieties and new forage plant know
In England by the name OF vetch.
do not know the name of II In mi
country. All these crops will matur
In summer or early fall--the time wkel
on the plains Ia the rainy season. Fla
or buclSwheat ms whole feed Is not
good one. but n cattle are fed about
hnd ration Of either and let run In IN
pacture they will IN a very short tim
turn into fat. sleek and glossy animal,
What would be yolr advice TO ma
going 20 settle on tho plains2
would tell him that II no wnnte
sure thing to take about four sec
tiors OF land, fence and cross fence
and then put IN from 100 10 200 aero
OF sorghum and other FORAGE crops an
then purchase bunch OF poor cattl
and fatten them for market on IN
crops by this means the money In
| .saotnd IN the cattle can be more thr