Rocky Ford enterprise., 1897-09-23
WESTERN FARM NOTES.
(From Field and Farm.)


the Southwest, from eight to ten MIL
lion pounds being annually marketed
there. 1t Is the center of m old sheep
| growing community, the MeXicans
having maintained fiocks there for
more than 200 years.
Some of the men In Mesa county
who are growing small peaches ought
to turn their attention to something
better. such as the production Of large
potatoes. eating yams, feeding corn or
marketable grain. The country over
there IL too rich to restrict Its useful
ness TO one crop. and peaches are the
most perishable crop grown on the
place. The dairy COW Is neglected
over there and so are the pigs and the
poultry. There are a hundred and one
things needed on the western slope
which ought to be produced there and
more general farming. while not so
fancy as peach growing. would pay
better.
One OF the most remarkable
crops of timothy ever grown on the
fO0tstOOl has just been cut on Mr..
Grubb's Mount Sopris farm In Garfield
| county. Over 200 tons were taken
from forty-sevcn arccs In one cutting.
averaging very nearly four and half
tons to the acre. The ground was nn
old blue-stcm meadow. 1t was diskcd
and cross-disked last spring. manured
heavily and seeded thickly. 1t was
irrigated for five days and water was
Withheld two days, and so on through
out the season. 1t stood chin high and
the ears OF the big mules pulling the
moving machine could just be seen
while looking across the stand. This
Is probably the best crop of timothy
| ever grown In tIiIS other Stltp.
At this time II does not look as IL
Colorado feeders will buy as extern
sively from New Mexico breeders as
last year. The heavy advance In the
price of lambs and the prospect OF
costly corn is the cause for this.
Colorado buyers. In their bargain
hunting trips to New MeNico's ranges
this summer, have encountered brisk
competition In the way of traders
from other states. One Nebraska
dealer has tied up 5000 head
Of everything from weanling lambs
to tOothless ewes that lie Will
peddlc out to the feeders OF
that state. New Mexico flock own
ers are doing right to get all they can
for their lambs, but u prohibitive price
will kill n business that Ind assumed
most respectable proportions.
In the high, dry. windy prairies of
Colorado. Nebraska and other western
states the unobstructcd winds absorb
and carry away the moisture of soils
and the sap Of the plants very rap
idly. These winds are mostly from
the southwest during the growing
season. Hence windbrcaks on the
south and west sides Of the fields give
better results. BY examining the soil
OF protected and unprotected fields II
was found that belt of timber pre-
vents much waste Of moisture. by
actual measurement 1t was found that
evaporation was much less In pro-
tcctcd field than In one unprotected.
1t was also found that millet on the
protected side of n windbreak gave
much better yield than that on the eN-
posed side. 1t Is suggested that mul-
berry. being of quick growth. makes
n good windbreak. and belt of mul.
berry and cherry trees will harbOr and
feed birds to destroy insects and pro-
tect orchards and crops. The null
berry, when grown. makes durable
fence posts and cherry Is one of the
finest cabinet timbers.
The sweet potato crop should be har-
vested before II frost: but failing to
accomplish this, il frost is indicated.
go over the piece with sharp hoes and
cut the vines loose at the crown of the
hill: leave the vines piled up on top
of the ridges. If the ground was put
In proper condition primarily the crop
may easily be dug either with n fork
or pronged hoe. In harvesting the
sweet potato 1t IL of the highest i'm
portance that 1t be not handled I'M
necessarily, or cut or bruised: the
| juices are so rich in sugar that it is Il
poor keeper at the best, and whenever
the cuticle is broken decay follows rap
idly. The best plan Is to sort them as
taken from the row. placing the mar
ketable tubers carefully in barrels and
remove at once to the place where they
are to remain until sold. Lift the bar
rels In and out of the wagon instead
of rolling. and In every way avoid
jarring or bruising. Thus handled
and stored in dry place. with Il uni
| form temperature not exceeding 90
degrees. they will keep until after
midwinter. and the increased price
then usually to be obtained will am
ply repay the precautions used.
The best melon growers in the Ar
kansas valley are thinking about going
| out of the watermelon trade in order
to confine their efforts more especially
to the canialoup. as the money-maker
of the future. As Il matter of fact the
Rocky Ford watermelon is rapidly
losing cast on the big markets while
the gem canialoups are gaining pop
ulnriiy in a like ratio. This year
these goods have not sold under 10
cents II crate. while last year the
greater part of the crop went at 30
cents. This price is considered more
profitable than watermelOns at 3 cents
each. Tie superior excellence of this
"a antuloup has created an immense de-
mand for this prime fruit and the cN-
permcutal shipments have widened
their market SO that the shippers. in
stead of being dependent upon Den
yer and the local demand. have all
the large cities of the United States
sending heavy orders for "Rocky
Fords" A small trial shipment to
Philadelphia brought an order this
week from that city for five carloads.
The greatest care In seed selection
must be maintained In order to keep
up the prime quality of the cantaloup.
This done the soil and climatic con-
ditions of the valley provide the other
necessary requisites for the production
of the rich and spicy Improvement on
the original nutmeg melon. The
Santa Fe road now runs Il daily fruit
q. L.