The silver star., 1897-09-30
WESTERN FARM NOTES.
(From Field and Tarm.l

,ne largest wool shipping points in
me Southwest, from eight to ten mil
non pounds being annually marketed
there. 1t Is the center of an old sheen
growing community, the Mexicans
having maintained flocks there for
more than 200 years.
Some of the men In Mesa county
VINO 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 Is too rich to restrict It's useful
ness to one crop. and peaches are the
most perlshable crop grown on the
pace. The dairy COW Is neglected
over there and so are the pigs and the
poultry. There are hundred and one
Things needed on the western slOpe
which ought to be produced there and
more general farming. while not so
iancy as peach growing, would pay
| better.
One of the most remarkable
crops of timothy ever grown on the
footstool has just been cut on Mr..
| Grubb's Mount Sopris farm in Garfield
county. Over 200 tons We're taken
from forty-scven arces in one cutting,
averaging very nearly four and half
tons to the acre The ground was an
old bllIe-stem meadow 1t was disked
ana 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 he seen
while looking across the stand. This
Is probably the best crop of timothy
ever grown In this or any other state
At this time 1t 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 Mexico'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 he will
| peddle out to the feeders of
that state. New Mexico flock own
ers are doing right to get all they can
for their lambs. but Il prohibitive price
will kill n business that had assumed
most respectable proportions.
| In the high, dry windy prairies Of
Colorado. Nebraska and other western
states the unobstructed 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 windbreaks on the
south and west sides of the fields give
better results. BY examining the soil
of protected and unprotected fields 1t
was found that Il belt Of timber pre-
vents much waste of moisture. by
actual measurement 1t was found that
| evaporation was much less in n pro-
tected field than In one unprotected.
1t was also found that millet on the
protected side of n windbreak gave n
much better yield than that on the ex-
posed side. 1t is suggested that null
berry. being of quick growth, makes
Il good windbreak, and n belt of null
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 he har-
vested before frost: but failing to
accomplish this, II Il frost Is indicated,
go over the piece with sharp hoes and
cut the vines loose ut 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 he dug either with a fork
or II prOngcd hoe. In harvesting the
sweet potato 1t is Of the highest i'm
portance that II he not handled I'M
necessarily. or cut or bruised: the
Juices are so rich In sugar that 1t is a
poor keeper at the best. and whenever
the cuticle IL broken decay follows rap
idly. The best plan Is to sort them as
taken from the row. placing the mar
kctable 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 uni
form temperature not exceeding 30
degrees. they will keep until after
milwinter. and the increased price
then usually to he obtained will am
ply repay the precautions used.
| ! ut DtSl iutltu SIoWtIH tuc
kansas valley are thinking about going
out of the watermelon trade In order
TO coniinr their efforts more especially
Ia the caninloup. ms the money-naker
IF the future. As II matter OF fact the
Rocky Ford watermelon IL rapidly
losing east on the big markets while
the gem canialoups are gaining pop
ulnrity In n like ratio. This year
these goods have not sold under 20
cents u crate. while Inst year the
greater part of the crop went at ~
cents. This price IL considered more
profitable than watermclons mt cents
cnch. The superior excellence Of this
cantnloup has created nm immense de-
mand for this prime fruit and tho OK.
detrimental shipments have wi''ened
their market so thnt the shippers. In
stend OF being dependent upon Den
yer ana the local demand. have nll
the large cities Of the United States
sending heavy orders for Rocky
E.,,,, I" A snnli trial slllptucnt to