Rocky Ford enterprise., 1896-05-21
The alfalfa
CONVENTION.

uU3 Vss "p'
CONVENTION.
The Arkansas Valley Alfalfa Grow
ers' Association Organized at
In Junta.
In pursuance OF call issued by a. r.
Bent OF Lamar large number OF farm
ers as se,nbled at the court house In La
Junta, May II
Tho meeting was called to order by
Mr.. Bent, who said that lower freight
having been secured, aflording farmers
better profit, the noxt thing was to work
MP market. We now have splendid
opportunity to introduce q big lot Of alf-
alfa into the dairy districts adjacent to
Chicago. But TO do this We must ship
none but the best OF hay or tho business
will get black eye. 1t is proposed to
have an organization having local repre-
sentatives to protect tho quality Of hay
shipped.
The meeting was organized by elect
ing A. E. Bent chairman and +. NJ. Wei
land Of Fowler, secretary.
j. B. ONeil OF La Junta asked the
chair for statement Of the amount OF
hay shipped under the reduced rates and
the prices obtained.
Nj. Bent said that 80 or 40 cars had
been shipped from the valley during the
last few months and TINT 811 per ton had
been received at Chicago. In the Elgin
dairy district, the largest in the world,
the pastures generally fail in the late
summer and there is demand for such
forage as alfalfa. II the valley farmers
are IN shape to furnish a first-class arti-
ole about the middle of August they will
find ready sale for it. II we organize
and meet this demand remunerative pri-
cee can be realized.
Col. j. A. Lockhart saw the necessity
for holding up the quality We must
prevent inferior hay from going 70 east
ern markets. This il particularly i'm
must establish . reputation. II We can
supply the ElRin dairymen With . fodder
which will produce moro milk and bot
ter than that they now use and. at prices
NOT in advance OF those now paid, We will
establish Q great demand for alfalfa.
I. L. Dieeon OF Garden City, Kas, 0aid
that his section vas interested in tho alt
alta movement Great precautiou..
should be used to prevent the shipment
OF any but 6rst-clas hay.
Senator Swink said that having o low
freight rate We can now get . big bud.
ness by shipping none but the best ol
hay. There is too much cheap, alp ahod
work in hay making. Much alfalfa y
neither cut Rt the right time nor cured
right. It should be partly cured in the
cock as fully curing on the ground l0sea
large portion OF the leaves which ara
the best part OF the hay. Tests made st
experiment stations have proved that the
value can be increased one-third by cut.
ting OF the right time and curing right
Should be cut when going into bloom
Where hay has an abundance OF leaves
the stack is bette. protected from rain;
We must perfect an organization and
have inspectors TO prevent the shipment
Of poor hay. While it is to the interest
Of the farmers to ship none but good hay
yet some would ship the poor. We car
not compete with the eastern hay unless
We send the best Of goods.
II. NJ. Fosdick, Jr., said the object ol
the proposed organization should be to
ship No. I hay and work for q market.
The chair appointed the following com.
mittee to report plan of organisation
J. A. Lockhart Of Fowler, J. B. O'Neil
of La Junta, w. @. Burk OF Las Animas
G. W. Swink Of Rocky Ford, l. L. Die
sem Of Garden City.
Judge g. w. Parker Of Olney said
that hay was most uncertain farm CROP
for profit. He had much experience
within 80 miles Of Chicago and 81 to q
per ton was the average price. Every
other year perhaps hay ran up to $40 il
Chicago; Feeding hay to cattle was fal
preferable to shipping east: It will moi
cago year after year, there being toe
much hay land in that vicinity. Hay il
now relatively higher than corn and the
present price Of e11 cannot be main.
tanned. The e5 rate is cheap, but 1,O0(
miles is too far to ship and compete with
Illinois farmers.
A. e. Bent said that all farmers cor
not buy enough cattle to eat the hay they
raise. Fred Harvey of Prowers county
annually puts up from 4, 900 to 5000 tons
Of hay and feeds from 5000 to 5000 head
Of cattle, yet he now has over 500 tons Of
hay for sale. Between Dodge City and
Pueblo there are 125,0O0 acres OF alfalfs
producing from 100000 to 100000 tons o.
hay. This year hay can be bought in
the stack as low as rs cents per ton
This movement is to cover a temporary
condition-an effort to get cash for the
present surplus. Our alfalfa can be sold
in the dairy districts In preference to tim.
othy. Government reports Of analysis Of
various kinds Of hay show the following
percentages of nutrient qualities: All.
ella 14.2S, red clover 1882, Kentucky
blue grass 5.84, timothy 587. Feed here
il you can, but try shipping to the dairy
districts and if the alfalfa is ms valuable
to the dairy men as we have reason to be.
ieve, they will either buy our hay OF
come to the Arkansas valley and 70 into
the dairy business.
F. M. Weiland asked If any conditions
accompanied the IS rate and how long il
would last?
Mr.. Bent said that the former rate was
50 40, but that in view of the probability
of a large business the Santa Fe had
made the S5 rate which applied to all sta.
tions from Dodge City to Fowler. The
rate is not likely to be advanced.
Hon. W. N. Randall had trouble with
hay damaging in the stack, the wind
blowing Oh the tops. II stacks arc
topped out with green hay as soon es
wilted this damage will be largely pre-
vented. Rains soon after stacking caused
injury. Holbrook farmers will cut while
grass is In the bloom.
Jessie Patterson said that il stacks