Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-06-16
FARM NOTES.
From Field and Farm.)

the past week on account Of II cold rain
which followed shearing.
The Arkansas valley sheep feeders
have organized an association and Will
hold n meeting at Rocky Ford on the
18th inst, to complete the business.
The scope of the association takes In
the valley from Pueblo to the Kansas
line.
There has been more rain than usual
this season and all says in the pastures
are filled with water. If the milk is tG
be of wholesome quality the stock
must be kept away from such places,
us the water is stagnant and Mt best OF
doubtful quality. There Is nothing
more serious to the milk supply than
murky. puddle water.
Notwithstanding the unusual amount
of lnilfall this spring many gram
growers in northern Colorado have been
irrgating their crops and have used
the water rather freely. They did this
becauscof the threatened shortage latel
on and are justified in the practice al'
so because the most of them have only
secondary rights in the canals.
Charles S. Owens of Byers, Arapahoo
county. has sown Il good-siZed area to
barley this spring to raise grain for his
sheep. Last year he grew oats and Is
now trying barley in comparative
way. Mr.. Owens appreciates the value
of grain for his flocks in winter and is
experimenting to determine which vii!
do the best. He ought TO try hog mil
let.
Seven head of cattle are about suf.
ficient to Craze on an acre of alfalfa,
and n PRACTICAL test of this kind has
just been made In the Pecos valley.
The cattle have been run alternately
on two pastures and the fields are now
just as good as when the stock went
onto the alfalfa two months ago. II
ordinarily takes thirty acres of open
range In this country to run one steer
1t Is said that the government has
already made contracts for 10000 head
of cattle in Texas to he shipped tu
Cuba to supply the army. More cattle
will he needed If the invading forces
are increased. which Is likely. This l.
the first intimntion we have ever hnG
that there We're rs many MS 10000 IN;
cattle In Texas. and we hope they nre
not going to feed our army on raw
hide.
The time has come and gone. never
to return. when the market will Il,
ovcrstockcd. Cattle will never bccom
| Il drug on the market. 1t will take u
number of years to ill our ranges with
| stock to take the place of those which
have been shipped east during the last
F; few years. The demand for beef Is
yearly increasing and cannot possibly
catch up with the demand and pass II,
so ns to cause an ovcrstockcd market
There has been an unusual shortage
OF poor butter on the markets the pas,
season. and this is Il good showing. ~
such goods only 20 to the bakers nj n
ruinous price. If the goods are made
up ut home II small cheese outfit will
do much to keep the prices of home
made goods up to the point where II
| small profit can he made in handling
them. Prime goods made at home and
put on the market In nn attractive
shape will win u reputation for tlicii
maker as well rs an advance over all
competitors.
The Wyoming wool clip along the
line of the Union Pacific railroad Is
scarcely onc-hnlf shipped. 2.50OOOC
pounds having gone east out of n total
shcaring this year of nj least 6O0O.OOC
| pounds. The wool Is. owing to the con
tinucd SHOWS of last winter very clean
and averages eight and one half pounds
to the fleece. Nearly all OF the wool
has gone to Philadelphia or Boston on
consignment. with an advance of from
SIX to ten cents. What little has been
actually sold has brought from ten to
thirteen cents. which are no better
prices than obtained last year.
Strawberries have been ripe in III,
Grand valley for the last ten tays and
Mt F'ruta. Mesa county. the growers
have ear set out for them every 9th
or day in which to ship their goods. 4
number of growers have contracted
their entire crop to the Grand Junction
association mt S1.5o n crate. 1t is gen.
orally thought the grower has the bic
end of the deal which Is a good price
| Tor the seasons run. One grower
named W. ii. Boss. has three acre,
which ripencd early and his first ship.
mcnts ncitcd him almost 81 n crate
and for three days shipments he rc.
ccivcd SOB. This shows how early
berries pay best.
Some of the best corn growers in
Colorado attribute their success to IN,
narrowing which they gave the ground
shortly after the young plants nppcar
Some go over the field two or three
times in this way until the stalks bc
come nearly knee high. after which the
narrowing ceases and by which time
the greater part of the seasons culti.
vation Is completed. Thereafter no
rule can be given. positively. as to frc.
1uency of cultivation. II is quite nos.
sible to cultivate. but this Is not often
| the case. So long as the surface is rrcq
from weeds and is loose and free from
any tendency to form u crust or br.
come overly compact there seems lii.
Tie reason for repeated cultivation. Gen.
orally 1t Is helpful TO cultivate soon nf.
ter rain or irrigation.
| II is well enough to have the big hcod
once i'll while. and this Is csprcinIiy
true in regards to the application nf
water in irrigation operations. A val.
ued correspondent tells an iptcrpstin,.