The silver star., 1898-01-27
Farm Department.

annually, but in Colorado the average
will fall short Of 200 pounds.
Frank Logan of Logan county says:
II raised 20S pigs last season from
fifteen breeders, and fed them on q
seven-acre field OF alfalfa. l am now
feeding for market eighty Of the hrst
litter on corn Of my own raising. l am
wintering my stock hogs on the third
cutting Of alfalfa hay, an excellent
feed for young stock
The farmers In the Arkansas valley
have found that they do not need corn
especially for the raising of hogs, since
they can grow unlimited quantities OF
peanuts. With alfalfa. artichokes. peas.
sugar beets and peanuts, or any two OF
these, the farmers can raise plenty OF
pork and add the profits to those COM
ing from the increasing business In
sheep and cattle.
The ranches and live stock Of the
Detroit Land and Cattle Company, In
which Secretary Alger is the principal
owner. have been sold to Levi Baldwin
of Socorro county, New Mexico, for
$500, 900. The lands are in Sierra and
Socorro counties, and aside from the
improvements are stocked with 2O,OOO
head of cattle that were transferred at
an average price of $40 a head.
II the water flows in the ditch now Is
the best time of the entire year to irri-
gate a young orchard. 1t Is now con-
ceded by all experienced horticulture
lists in arid America that more young
trees are killed by winter drouth than
summer heat. and we now believe fully
in the efficacy of n good wetting In mid
winter In order to circumyent as far
as possible the damaging results OF the
peculiar drying out process which Is so
apt to shrivel our young stock between
now and early spring.
We have the usual winter complaints
just now about the ravagcs of rabbits
working at young trees in the orchard
and from the western slope the most Of
these complaints are now coming. Our
first advice would be to use a Page
woven-wire rabbit-proOf fence around
the plantation. but If this cannot be
afforded resort can be made to poison
GUS whitewashes or to the liberal use
of beef livers or blood spread upon the
trunks of the trees and kept fresh by
applications every few weeks. There
need be no loss from the gmwings of
rabbits II the proper precautions are
taken.
We believe that many farmers are
too much afraid of getting their cows
too fat to give milk. We believe that
If COW has a natural tendency to pro-
duce milk in large quantities, and has
been bred for that purpose from line
of milk producing ancestors, she will
turn her food to milk instead OF beef.
But we believe that II the amount of
food given her is gradually increased
with care that II Is Of the right sort.
she can digest and assimilate food
enough to increase the amount OF milk
she will give. and at the same time the
amount of fat in the milk and the
amount of fat In her body.
Hops can be grown In Colorado to
perfection, and no such wild hops are
to be seen anywhere as compared with
those to be found each year along the
fOOthill slopes both east and west of
the mountains. The brewerlcs OF Colo
RADIO are annually sending nearly S1O.-
900 away for hops, while there are less
than fifty acres in the whole state as
yet devoted to hop culture, because
people lack experience in growing and
curing them. Colorado could largely
supply the great breweries OF st. Louis
and Milwaukee with hops, but as 1t IL
the land here remains idle and the wa
ter runs to waste. Still we should say
that prices will have to increase before
many people will devote much space
and time TO hop culture.
This is good time to dynamite
ground upon which to set fruit trees
and where 1t is on virgin land with te-
nacious hard pan 1t will surely pny,
ns the cost does not exceed . cents n
charge. Drive the holes with n steel
rod and maui. Make the holes from
three TO four feet deep and charge
with third OF Il stick OF giant. II un-
acquainted with the explosive and
method Of handling 1t. get some one
who knows all about 1t to do the initini
work and give instructions. After the
blast. take n long-handled shovel and
throw out the mass Of earth In the hole
caused by the explosion. If the holes
can he irrigated mt once with as much
water ms they can hold 40 much the
better. Set the trees mt the usual time
In the spring.
An increasing sc0urge OF the range
Is wild animals-wOlves. coyotes and
mountain lions. The herds OF buffalo
and antelope that these cnrniverous
beasts used to follow and subsIst upon
are gone. and they have. through me-
ccssity, been compelled 10 turn TO do.
mesticated stock, and arc working
much havoc. The calf which the moth.
er forsakes to seek water is seized upou
by the sneakIng coyote and killed. The
herd In winter or summer II promptly
hnmstrung and throttlcd by n witch.
ful pnck Of wolves, and when they are
particularly hungry they break into 4
herd and seize anything that cannot cs.
cape them. State and county boupties
will not rench the difficulty and stock.
men must resort to their own resources
with hounds and poison 10 rid the
ranges OF their greatest evil.
The stnmp OF hcredity In our great
herds IL beginning TO predominant fOr
the better. A. q. Boycc. who manages
the big Capitol syndicate ranch, snys
his concern now Inns no trnce OF the
original 100000 hend Of Texas rnnge
cattle. His plnn was TO usc p,irc.brcd
bulls, cut out all poor md off.colo,
cows, send them TO market ana breed
the best cows with tho mOst nnnro,rs