The silver star., 1897-04-15
FARM NOTES.
Arom Field and Farm,

(frrom Field and Farm.)
It Ia a great snap to seek bonus for
creamery In q town and then put up plant
worth only half the amount subscribed. Be-
ware Of false capitalization in such enter
prises.
Wool has lately taken great advance.
Stephens Brothers OF Pueblo are all over the
Arkansas valley paying as high a. 13 cents
4 pound. As It looks now 1t would be u good
scheme to hold the WOOL
Some of the progressive people north OF
Granada, Prowers county, will make trial
trip with melons this year. William Bruin-
field and Fred. Coolidge think they can
come into the market . week ahead OF
Rocky Ford II this ia true. 1t will mean
many good, hard dollars for Granada.
Tests Of wheat, oats and barley second
year from alfalfa sod. us compared with
similar contiguous land that had not been
In alfalfa. were made lust year by the Col
orado station. and in each case the alfalfa
sod produced much the better results. with
wheat as 100 TO 30 oats as 100 to 90 and
barley as 100 to AZ.
A good many Mexican cattle which have
been rushed across the line before the bars
are put up have reached Denver. fully 1900
head coming mp during the past two weeks.
These cattle are known dogies and are of
the old long-horn Spanish type. without any
pretense to improved breeding. They are
mostly bound for the northern grass ranges.
In writing on the interesting subject Of
cherries u Salt Lake man named B. H.
Boneer says For this western country
the Late Duke seems to take the lead In
lateness and productiveness. Its quality is
also good. On account OF Its lateness 1t
usually commands better price In the mar
ket than those of the same family which are
earlier"
Too much reliance Is placed In this west
ern country on the disk harrow as n substi-
tute for the plow. There is no implement
more useful than the disk harrow, but Its
place IL to cut up the sod and render the
soil fine after the land has been plowed. but
farmers frequently the disk harrow for
preparing stubble land for grain. leaving
out plowing altogether. There is something
more In plowing than simply loOsening the
surface for seeds. When land is plowed 1t
holds more moisture absorbs warmth rap
Idly and permits OF greater feeding capacity
for plants.
The prospects for a fruit crop all over
Colorado were never better at this time of
year than now. and great preparations for
big yield are going on everywhere. The
danger of destructive frosts is growing less
day by day and April VIII soon be gone to
nllay our worst fears. Fruit buds remained
dormant all winter and showed no signs OF
starting until after the vernal equinoxial
storm had passed, and this was common
place enough and did no damage A reader
mt Fruita. Mesa county. writes: 1--WE will
nave more fruit this year in Grand Valley
thah all the previous years put together"
And this condition will apply to every other
section over on the other side. Buds are
now swelling aud the sap starting. but the
season seems to be three weeks later than
last spring. which Is an advantage as a guar
antee against injury by frost.
In computing the cost of setting out n
ten-acrc orchard man in the Pecos valley
Is surely high enough when he gives the
following figures: Land and water right.
at S3o AN acre. $50: fencing with barbed
wire. $40; piowing and narrowing at 81 an
acre, Sib; trees one year old at 10 cents
each. 100 trees to the acres. 500: carefully
planting the trees at so nn acres 500
Total, SG4O. The cost Of water rental Is
s1.2o an acre a year. The cost of caring for
and cnltivating an orchard for four years.
until the trees come into bearing depends
OF course on circumstances. II the owner
takes care Of the orchard himself, the cost
Is Of course very little Strawberries and
small fruits do equally well when planted
with apples Last year man had one
third Of an acre planted In Strawberries. and
tney more 100 gallons of berries"
A correspondent in Rent county makes
inquiry as TO the best plant for covering a
sloplng bank Of an irrigation ditch, TO keen
1t from washing out. In answer we would
state that one Of the best plants for this
purpose Is the Forsy thia viridissimn. some
times called the golden bell plant This plant
mas widely ramifying roots. which send up
shoots or suckers. and rapidly makes per-
iect thicket with roots spreading in all d.
rectionS The plant IL very hnrdy, and In
one or the earliest and most profuse bloom.
Ing shrubs we possess; II Is one OF the most
enective plants In shrubberles Masses or
groups OF these plants when distributed 1u.
dicionsly In parks and ornamental grounds.
towering as they do on the first approach
or spring weather. form one Of the brightest
ornaments Of the vernnl season. Its com.
pact root system would make II Invaluable
as protection TO the weak spots along the
bnnks Of canals.
In Nebraska the improved machinery anA
methods have greatly reduced the cost Of
sugar beets on cars for shipment to the fac
tory. In 1893. Mt Ames. the cost was q 30 4
ton. the yield thirteen tons an acre. In 1894
the cost was $3.50 In 1895 they were fed
to stock and In 1890 the cost delivered on
tho cars was $3.50. the Yield being twenty
tons nm acre. This shows a wonderful proR.
rers In the matter Of cutting down the ex-
pcnses Of culture and harvesting. Beets
are now dug with plow which has q share
made Of piece Of steel In the shape Of the
letter u. something like tree digger This
piow cuts or the small roots and lifts tho
beets 10 that the pullers raise them without
enort The toppers follow. cutting on the
tops Just nbove the crown. The wngon fol-
lows into which the roots nrc loaded. Con-
tracts for the care Of the field have been
mnde ms low as $3.50 an acre. which give~
an nvcrnge Of profit with fifteen tons TO the
acre at - IA ton. or about $35 an acre. OF
course every fnrmer has 10 make his own
experiment at nrst.