The Columbus journal., 1898-04-27
D.,ry,.e for The Aria Rexs...

From the Canadian line to the coast
line Of the Gulf Of Mexico IL . broad
strip OF territory that has afforded .
moro or less uncertain support to the
people that inhabit 1t. Before the
advent Of the white man this section
OF country was the feeding ground of
millions Of buiRaloes. which emigrated
from section to section ~ the feed
failed. This should have indicated the
use to which the land should be put
by its new owners. But for long
time the whites tried to raise grain on
these old pasturages. That the land
was rich is not to be disputed. but
the water for the crops came not at
all or came 1T the wrong time Of year
In most CASES. Sometimes. however.
1t came at the right time. resulting
In most abundant harvests Of high
quality grain. At last the farmers in
that region have awakened to the fact
that the COW IL the best friend Of that
part Of the country and the best sup
port on which tho Inhabitants can
lean. This will continue to be the
case until the time comes that the
region in question can be properly ir-
risated, when it will again be used
for the growing Of grain. orchards
and vegetables. Till that time we may
expect to SEQ dairying tho most re-
liable branch Of farming possible to
fhA ~nA~A ~A~SC
Correspondents Of the Farmers Re-
view report that the facilities for that
industry are unbounded. Much Of the
land IL Of such q character that plow-
ing is positive injury. The corre-
spondent in Ellis county, Kansas, says
that he has been plowing his land for
twenty years. snd believes that 1t has
resulted in great injury. He has
known years when the entire plowed
soil blew away to the depth Of the
plowing. A tenant Of his has since
followed the plan of drilling in the
seed in the unplowed stubble and gets
better results than had been possible
by plowing. In harvesting. only the
header is used, the stubble being thus
left almost as high as the grain had
been. This protects the soil from the
work of the winds.
This Is another indication that the
land should be used for dairy pur-
poses. wherever railroad facilities are
sufficient to make q market possible.
The blowing away of the soil will be
by the grasses Of the per-
manent pasture. In this case the num-
ber Of permanent pasture grasses
would necessarily be small. Alfalfa
would in some cases be the only one
that would stand through all the vary
ing conditions of the year. With
root that reaches sometimes 25 feet
into the soil for moisture it will be
able to stand the most severe dr0uth.
This plant is already being very ex-
tensively grown over much of this re-
Eion. 1t is the forerunner of the dairy
COW. The cloudless skies Of the semi
arid strip are agreeable to the develop
ment of the plant. Kafilr corn also
stands as q prominent factor In the
aairy development of this section. II
will grow where Indian corn will fail.
Is has been demonstrated in preceding
years.
The windmill stands as a third fac
Tor in the list. Many farmers are u.s.
ing 1t to irrigate q few acres each, for
he growing Of vegetables, even when
hey have no reservoirs. Some that
nave reservoirs have been able to ir-
.igate as many as 20 acres. As irri-
gated land will sustain a greater num-
yer of pasturing stock than most any
,ther land. it is readily seen that there
ire great possibilities before the small
lairyman in the far west.