Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-11-03

possession of this old ranch, with the
exception of eighty acres of corn which
we planted just for fun, and it is howl
ing failure. while adjoining fields of
cane and Kaffir corn are sea of feed
green and so sweet. Now l will tell
you how [ plant it. First in the spring,
in March or April, 1 start my listers
throwing out the old cane. Now, when
get forty acres liSted-with two listers
it takes about three and one half DAYS
then l have plank that takes five
rows at time, put three horses on each
end, and the boys ride on the plank.
and they plank that forty acres in one
day. go on this way till | get hund-
reds OF acres listed and planked. The
plank drags these old cane roots back
in the lister burrows. Now let me take
you back to the first forty acres we lis
ted. Say this is the LIST of June. not
earlier than that; you will look at that
field and hear the sandburs and sun.
flowers wink at you and tell you: Get
out, we are holding q convention here
this year, get out of here" but you will
see coming two walking listers, and
they have the corn plates in with the
box full OF pure Amber cane seed. set
for peck to the acre. The boys drive
in and ''bust" these ridges, and you
listen and you will hear the sandburs
say: Gee whiZ. they have turned a
Calling gun ON US and buried US alive.''
| and, Mr.. Editor, that does the weed
business up. We go on planting Amber
| all through June, to the 10th at least,
then we use the Colman seed; then we
put on the cane plates and plant Kaffir
corn. 1 start the gang-plows and plow
some fields, harrow and sow one and a
half bushels of Kaffir corn to the acre.
No more sown cane for me. When this
planted cane gets about eight inches
high we harrow it, then cultivate it once
and fill the trenches, and man could
| not cultivate again for me if he would
do it for nothing. Now look for crop,
dry or wet" That is a strong state.
! ment to make, but it is winner. Along
| in May plant one field thin for seed.
1t grows up tall as telegraph poles.
put men on the sleds and let them throw
| it Off in piles. The sled does not stop.
My men cut seven and eight acres each
day. We cut the tops off with corn
knives, haul the seed and stack it, leave
the cane lying On the ground till No.
vember, then open the gate and let the
cattle in and 60 hunting rabbits. The
| cattle will take care of the cane all right
you hit the rabbit. We have to hitch
up in December and haul cane out to
the cattle all winter. It is short and
sweet as school marin, and fine, too.
With fork you can pitch it on wagon.
| 1t will make from ten to Fifteen tons to
the acre. My men cut sixty to seventy
shocks each day, and no worm dust,
no broken sickles and no wind that can
| blow 1t down, and it will turn water
just like duck. With leaves perfectly
green, it is the finest feed l eyer fed
cattle. They eat everything up. Let
the dew get off in the morning before
| cutting, for it will mold if damp. After
rain, wait one day before cutting. Let
the sugar come up, as the sugar goes
back when wet. You see, Mr.. Editor.
and my farmer brothers, we can grow
the cattle here, for the mortgaged hills
won't sell. We Craze the cattle and
make growth. Let the boys full feed
them IN central and eastern Kansas
and Nebraska. don't like these west
ern cattle, but they are all right if you
stay with them. 1t takes one year to
get the sage bush out of them then they
will grow just like this wild and woody
west will if only managed right.
! ELI g. BENEDICT.
Medicine Lodge, Kas.