Rocky Ford enterprise., 1895-03-14

and preparing his ground down TO that
Of putting it into the very best market.
The one particular phase OF the prob
lem that now interests the farmer more
than any other is that OF determining the
character OF the seed that is to be the
basis Of his com crop for the year. 1t Is
too frequently the case that the farmers
corn CRIB shows the same loose system OF
his business that his hen
house does for that branch Of his opera
tions when he permits the same old
rooster or their descendants to hold sway
over the destinies Of the flock year after
without . thought as TO the infusion OF
new blood.
1t is not only part OF the farmers bus
iness to select the best com he can get
for seed with view TO obtaining purity
and vitality In the seed raised under diff
ferent conditions, at least he should not
plant seed obtained from certain piece
Of ground back on that ground il hs
would get the best possible results. 1t
is found to be good practice to change
seed each year, 30 We are doubtful Of the
propnety Of planting seed back to the
ground from which it was taken under
any circumstances Whether there IL any
scientific principle involved here that
would neceseitAte this practice, We are
not quite sure, at least We might not be
able to snunciste it % that it would be
acceptable to corn growers generally
without their own confirmation Of il
Our opinion In the matter 10 based upoa
facts As follows:-Under our system OF
mixed farming and rotation Of crUps with
several varieties Of grain and grasses,
making up the program for the years
transactions, it is clear that In . little
time the soil elements are thrown out OF
balance, 80 to speak, by reason Of the va
nous forces brought TO bear upon them
in the way OF drawing upon the resources
Of the soil. In other words, field treat
ed TO one form Of rotation for certain
period would then have its stock Of avail
able elements adapted to corn culture ex-
isting in different proportion compared
with other crops growing elements con-
tanned in the soil from that of the neigh
boring field, treated differently. But il
We plant corn raised on q certain piece OF
ground back on the same ground, and
that ground has any defect a. . corn
growing soil, that defect is visited on the
next crop, not only by virtue of the de-
feet, or short-ooming which il inherent IN
the soil itself, but also by reason Of like
defect in the seed planted.
1t IL known that pure, strong seed u
best developed by change Of seed from
one year to another. This matter Of Be-
lection and development of seed as q
thing we'll calculated for tho lasting good
of the grain seed we raise, as now looked
upon by progressive farmers, is . bit Of
practice they can no longer afford TO ig-
more, no matter how important the after
features Of the whole process Of planting
and cultivation . field Of corn may be,
they must all necessarily depend for the
complete fulflment Of the promise they
may give OF good crop upon the good
character and quality Of the seed planted
To secure the greatest success in this
is like iu all other farming, it must be
done well So when we have obtained
the good seed it is necessary to have fer
tile land, and as we live in an arid
country, where rainfall is light. grass
and weeds grow short Except thistles and
on the land to decay for plant food, hence
it il necessary TO use some fertilizer.
This we have in our luxuriant crops Of
alfalfa by plowing under the third crop
In the fall, then replowlng in the spring.
Then harrow well, level it up nicely, and
we have a field for fertility second to
none in the land. But not to lead people
astray as to the natural qualities Of the
land, We can truthfuIlY say we have
raised forty bushels per acres with NO
fertilizer.
But on alfalfa sod. as stated, We have
more than doubled that number of bush
els. Our habit heretofore has been
to plant with checkrower and cultivate
deep both ways, but from Observation on
two seperate lots adjoining us, one plow-
ed nicely, put in good tilth, checkrowed,
cultivated and watered we'll, and the other
put in with Lister poorly cultivated, not
we'll watered, yet with all it advantages
yielded ten bushels per acre more.
W. II. McCaskill opened the discussion
on Mr.. Kain's paper. He said that it was
once said that this was not corn country
as it has also been said that we could not
grow potatoes. The latter we will, when
we have little more experience, grow as
successfully as is done at Greeley. For
corn we should have a good seed-bed,
thorough cultivation and plenty Of water.
Irrigate before breaking. Three irriga-
tions after planting is not too much un-
less there il sub-irrigation. You can't
we'll use too much water. We can in the
Arkansas valley successfully raise any
thing which belongs to the temperate
zone.
J. G. Kahn was asked il his paper was
to be understood as recommending List
ing. He said that listing had commended
itself to his favor. He would use q lister
which would plant the seed midway in
the loose soil, but not a. deep as some
plant. From ground planted with q
checkrower he had raised 81 bushels Der
acre.
A. l. kellogg with some warmth
warned the audience TO 60 slow ON listers
In one piece he had success and on an
other complete failure. One 7O-acre
field Of listed corn he thought cost him q
loss Of $500.
w. Il. McCaskiIl said that he had
known . number Of instances in which
corn planted with the eisenhower had
yielded crops which sold for moro than
the land would have done. He had
raised 65 bushels per acre on Is acres,
and the returns we're greater than the
the land would have sold for. The same
big profits have been secured in raising
alfalfa seed. Alfalfa sod plowed under
needs more water than other land. You
should irrigate when your corn needs
water-that's what the bitches are for.
He will stick to the planter and Let the
lister alone.
G. w. Fenlason recommended select
ing your own seed year after year, where
by you can have a constant improvement
in quality. One irrigation after planting
is enough. Extensive experiments in |
Illinois has proved that the best results |
were obtained by growing corn on the |
.ama aoi1 war oftor vo.r ooIno&;n<, A. =. |