Rocky Ford enterprise., 1896-03-26
WESTERN FARM NOTES.
(From Field and Farm.)

Arbor day In Colorado Is set Tbs
year for April 18th.
Tree planting around Denver Is 60
ing on quite lively. The ground is in
excellent condition with no frost and
plenty of moisture. The season is 60
ing to be quite nn active one.
Orchard planting In Morgan county
could be made great feature of that
fine district II the people would only
apply themselves In that direction.
Trees make the country after all.
Judge Hutchcraft of Sheridan Lake,
Kiowa county, has gone to Kentucky to
pick up two carloads Of dairy cows for
his neighbors These cows are needed
to furnish milk for creamery.
Shearing will begin this year In cen.
tral Wyoming and other localities as
early as April 10th. We do not look fol
1t to start so early in Colorado unless
the weather continues very open and
warm, which is quite improbable.
The first lambs that went to Chicago
from the Fort Collins district this win
ter topped the market the day they were
on. The range Of prices was from $4.4C
to $3.50 while ewes brought $780, These
prices are thirtythree and one-third pei
cent lower than last year and can bs
credited to the gold humbug.
The sheep business has not been espec'
tally profitable since the tariff on WOO
was pulled OF In the early 0Os. We are
only able to get thirty and thirty-fve
cents for clean western wool to-day,
where the old price was from sixty tt
sixty-fve cents. Wool in the grease is
now selling at from seven to nine cent?
a pound. just one-half the former price
A farmer In Boulder county writes
Last spring l planted at an expense
for labor Of less than s.. some pump
kin seed in my corn field, and without
any further expense or trouble raised
about 100 wagonloads Of fine pump
kins which I fed to my stock. two
loads a day. The result is my stock
is all sleek and fat and we have Q
large increase in golden butter"
In speaking about putting up wool, +
J. Huling of Las Animas county says
1T Is my opinion that more wool Is bad
ly prepared for market through ignor
ance than through intention to deceive OF
dcfraud. But It IL a fact that much WOO
is handled on the ranches In such wa!
that there Is a loss to someone which
may be avoided. II the man who buys
wool from the grower uses good Judg
ment. the grower Is the loser. II tho
grower sticks the buyer by deceivins
him or permitting him to deceive himself
he-to use the translation Of Mexican
expression wnlch covers the case pretty
well-'.dismerits' his wool. and causei
the buyer to be more than cautious on
second trade. And without any defin
lite understanding on the subject. buyer
In general sooner or later become well
Informed on parties who have the name
for poor packing Of their wool.
Those who have large alfalfa run
will find that 1t pays to raise geese. They
need very little attention when provided
with such run. as they find ample food
in the field on which to feed. Naturally
they are fond OF water and It IL really
Of some kind In which to swim. Where
there Is no natural pool for them to use,
It Is easy to provide them with one by
excavating the soil. lining the sides with
boarding and turning In lateral from
the ditch. Geese lay about dozen egsa
before desiring to sit. and It is well to
only Use seven eggs In one sitting. Cos
linss are hardy and should be hatched a.
early as possible after the pasturage be.
comes plentiful. Provide the goslinea
with dry and warm coops. Like old
geese they need plenty OF water. The
first food for goslings should he hard
boiled egg chopped fine. bread crumbs
and chopped alfalfa. II the food Is scat
tered upon their backs they soon learn
to eat It. and there Is no trouble with
them after they have eaten the hrs,
mouthful
A planter in jefferson county who
has had more or less trouble with the
woolly aphis gives the following meth
oil of finally getting rid OF 1t: After
yainly experimenting. dug deep
around each tree and found masses Of
diseased roots attached to the main
roots. woven together in a labyrinth
and | think from three to four inches
In diameter. In the interstices were
thousan nds OF the aphis In different
stages OF development. cut the dis
eased masses OF roots clear up to the
surface OF the trees. and put In the
hole quite close to the trees between
three and four gallons OF wood ashcs,
and then filed up with earth. 1t was
except on five or six trees. and did not
lose one. From then to this time
have had no woolly aphis." 1t is quite
likely he would have Just MS good re.
suits had he used lime instead of
ashes. The secret of the whole thing
Is to place some such caustic at the
seat of the trouble and II sufferers
from this insect pest dig about the
roots OF their trees and apply tho
remedy at that spot they would have
no further trouble.
p. NJ. Housed. OF Boulder county. In
commenting upon some articles that
appeared In this journal about the
best mode of blowing writes: "A four
tecri-inch steel plow run eight to ten