Rocky Ford enterprise., 1896-02-27
WESTERN FARM NOTES.
From Field and Farm.)

From Field and FARM
Buy a sraying outfit In season this year
and do not wait until 1t Is too late to do
much service with one, as Is too often
the case.
Poultry breeders, egg farmers and the
experiment station practically agree that
hen pays 100 per cent. profit on her
product for a year.
Messrs. Haines and Gerry Of Califor-
mia have recently purchased the Allen
place near Rhone, Mesa county, and will
plant 1900 apple trees.
A number Of sheepmen in Bent county
have pooled their efforts in the construc-
ton of sheep-dipping plant which will
be located at the town of Las Animas.
William Marlman Of Bent county has
seventy ewes on his ranch. and during
the past month, they presented him with
eighty-four lambs and all are doing well.
The Standard cattle company Of Wyo-
ming fights wolves and coyotes with
Russian blood hounds and are very sue
cessful with these dogs. They are large
and powerful and can run down wolf
with ease.
J. S. Wilson, a farmer in Otero county,
last season set aside three acres for a
patch of artichokes upon which to run
his pigs In the fall and the result was so
gratifying that he will this spring In
crease the plantation and arrange for
more hogs. He says that alfalfa, arti-
chokes and corn to finish will make the
cheapest pork that can be produced In
this country.
A year ago. n Jefferson county farmer
bought fifteen cows for $500. During the
year he fed them grain worth $50. He
now has cows and calves worth S31l.
He had received for cattle sold, SG0.G0;
for milk sold, S3i2.7O. leaving him
S444.2O for care of the cows and profits.
This does not include definite sum for
hay or pasture. Items which do not cut
much figure beyond the value Of the
labor involved, and are included with
the care.
The cost Of cultivatlng an eighty-acre
orchard and marketing the fruit is quite
an item when the work is done right. A.
A. Miller Of Mesa county calculates the
annual expense as follows: Water for
Irrigation, $3.50: taxes. S35: pruning,
500: cultivating and irrigatlng. 5000:
picking and packing. 800: boxes, $500;
wear and tear. SS5; total. S1.I5S.4O. With
but a partial crop his net income for
1895 amounted to $1,000, and only 1000
trees bearing.
The rushing of half fattencd beef cat
tie onto the market keeps the prices
down on beef cattle. and with the plen'
tifulncss and cheapness OF feed there
would appear TO be no reason for such
unwisc marketing. The general scare
ity Of money owing TO national affairs
can be the only reason. and buyers Of
feeders in the far west use the beef mar
ket values as a basis for argument that
our cattle are not worth as much as they
were last year.
The spring frosts do not always kill the
peach crop and there is often great
deal of unnecessary hue and cry raised
on this point. 1t Is not an uncommon
occurrence to have fairly good crop
follow after every bud seemed to be
stone dead. Nature frequently holds
some power In reserve to provide for
emergencies When the first crop of buds
Is gone, dormant buds develop, and these
may give respectable crop OF fruit af.
ter all. Mr. Coburn of Delta county has
fruitcd peaches after the frosts were so
heavy at blooming time as to craunch
updcrfoot as he walked among his trees.
A correspondent living at Merino. Lo.
gan county. In dwelling upon the alfalfa
seed crop thereabouts writes: "All agree
that the partial failure of last year was
due to too much rainfall, that very little
water is required and that the stand
should be quite thin on the ground.
None contend for more than one irriga.
ton. Some say the best time to irrigate
is in the fall, while others say In the
spring. Many advocate no irrigation at
all. after n stand has once been secured.
One very practical farmer says 1t Is best
to plant In drills eighteen inches apart.
thin to hills one foot after the stand Is as
surcd and irrigate in the spring"