The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1895-08-09
Piow Fire Guards.

Owing to the favorable senson the veg
citation on The praries is much heavier
than common. All kinds of grass have
/ made II fine growth and wherever lnnd
that had been broken was not cultivated
it is covered with very heavy growth
of weeds. Such being The case every
farmer knows that the danger from prai-
ne fires will DO greater this coming fall
and winter than common and more than
usual care will be necessary TO avoid
damage from FIRE. Owing 10 tho heavy
growth OF weeds aud grass, II will not be
safe to rely upon the ordinary ire guard
OF narrow strip OF plowed ground for
experience has taught the farmer that
even in an ordinary season, owing 10 tue
heavy winds which we have here, such II
flreguard cannot he safoly relied upon.
Tho safe llro guard for this season,as ad.
vocated by many OF the farmers, is TO
plow two pieces OF ground aud burn the
vegetation ON tho land between them.
iH Nhis uhHu'i "a NV sh"Ah Seh bS hA"h'
that will be absolutely safe and that is
certainly what the farmer wants It
has beon suggested thnt several farmers
living in the same neighborhood join in
making their fire guard which would
very materially lcsscn the labor required.
In conversation recently with Henry
Hargrsayes Of this county In regard TO
the ! Ios6ibiliiy of retaining the moisture
IN tho soil by means OF shallow cultWa'
tiou he expressed himself Ms fully salts
iiod that shallow cultivation would al.
ways provo Rucceraiul In thia country
when tho ground had bocn thoroughly
wet down during the early part oi the
soason. Mr.. Hargreaycs also claims that
9aeoessful farming can bc done in this
county by plowing tho ground 10 the
spring and planting no crop on Il I'LL the
nost year, keeping the ground free from
woods aud retaining aH much moisture na
possible by menns Of shallow cultivation,
lilo says that by shallow cultivation, the
land being free from vegetation, the
most OF tho moisture that has been IN.
ken up by the soil will bo retained to
all IN raising crop tho next year He
.,y- that In 1888 ho hnd MI acre Of land
broken In thu spring which hc had no
oned 10 plant 10 corn aud ho put no crop
on this land, but during tho growing
season kept II free from weeds. The
next year he planted 30 neres 10 corn
md tnia aero oi land wus In about tho
middle Of The Held aud the corn on II waH
! planted In tie same manner and received
the Snmo cultivation ~ the corn on lbr
balance OF the ilold. on this mere ~ land
he raised coed corn while tho corn nD
tho balance Of the 30 acre Held was
burned up with tho drou,h and made
aothlng, He accounts Tor this 10y tho
fact that this ncfe 0f land, being ffeo
from vegetation the previous bcnf 10
,aincd thu moisture that fell upon II
during 1898 md this uioihtufc made ,he
crop Of corn W 1850 lie nnys that he
han uot r2porimrntcd with this plan IN
a large tract Of lauti set, hut he hhs tried
II for gardening purp"ses aud finds that
II Is quite suceenaf,l Land In plenty.
tho plan Is certainly very reasonable
one mud having rruvou saii factory on Il
test by Mr., lihigfeaycH Il viii certainly
bo to The hlrrrt VI r,grS ifmer In tlo
county uip Tide plan most ,phr