Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-11-16
FARMING MATTERS.
Note. From Field and Farm.

Win SUO sHceI iHrouEh ta''"e .Na
natural increase they now nave LOW
head.
The Alfalfa Land and Cattle Cnm-
pany Of Otero county has taken 10 the
home ranch near Fowler 5000 cslves
and yearlings to feed on alfalfa dur
ing the winter.
A heavy stock raiser In Chaves coun-
ty, New Mexico. tells n local paper that
his company paid n dividend OF 10
per cent last year on the full amount
OF the capital stock. That Is as good an
Investment as any one should want.
And yet, ten or twelve years ago this
company came very near going 10 the
wall, and was only saved by the for
tunatc purchase OF n large herd OF eat
tie on terms which enabled II TO put
part OF them on the market at time
when prices had risen sharply. That
pulled them out OF the ditch and they
have made money ever since.
The State Veterinary Board has or
dered that all sheep which are 10 be
exported must be Inspected before
they leave the state. Heretofore IL has
been the custom merely to have sheep
coming into the state Inspected. the
shippers bearing the expense. This ac-
agreed upon 10y the Stat. Board be-
cause II was earnestly requested by the
Department OF Agriculture ut WASH
lng;on. The Idea Is, that sheep going
from this state VIII hereafter bring bet
ter prices because guaranteed 10y the
state authorities 10 bc free from dis
ease.
The sheep now In the stale Of Colo
rnI. UN.FiURs shnfS
grades. A large proportion Of I'll. sheep
in southern Colorado trace hack to the
Mexican has. aud. though this strain
OF blood IN not esteemed highly hy
practical sheep rnl.crs. there i no r,n-
son for conc-ssiins the merits OF the
Mexican sheep. their aiapabiii,y 10 the
climate. the range nni TO the pioneer
methods of conducting the business. IL
rcluinrs hut very little capital TO rct
a start with sheep Of this class and 10y
using pur,>bE-,i ncrino rams the hock.
may soon tr graded up. These sheep
nrc grca,iy Improved by our present
method OF handiln. and feeding.
Many growers SUPPOSE that pruning
wcnkcns the tr-- nnd short-ns Its life.
There IL. however. no r.nson for this
belief other than tho general state
tacni iint pruning i unnatural. Man
seldom prin-s ~ heavily n. nature In
removing sui-riiuous limbs In the
growth of young saplinsS In the forest.
Furthermore. nature pEiin-. nj aii sra
sons and In IL. rni-st ways iiy this
u should not l., tin.i.rstooi. however.
that c.inr il not Necessary In the me-
chnniCai operation of pruning. on the
other hand. II is 81 the gpaI-et import.
anc~ that large limb. h. ~moS-i with
-an- aad the wounds i,aini--i to pre-.
vent decay. In training young tEr..s
all cEo,ciicS should H. avoided. u had
cToichcs should lsc found ,n -xis; In
fE-.S ten or innrc years oil they should
hr hraesi by means of mn iran irsit.
Much damage may b. avoided II tsoiis
arr used In season.
SomC farmers ursti- ,ha, ,hcr,- ts no
man~y In Scrnt butter fat. hut that
.--c-Hi trcf rays. Lrt us s~c: AT the
Minnesota -SI-Fin,~ut station sis high
grade ShnrthnSu s;rCrs wCrc f-i Hui
every pound put on their carcass rn$i
IL c-iIi>. \ hrr,l ot grade iiol.;-iu anil \
Jersey cows prusiurs,i butter fat n, the
sainC iiis" nj n CDst af 7 ernis pound.
Every i'qIiui u l-cf cis; J crut mon,
than pound OF butter fat. saying
no'hinE uf laisoF in either ease. Deal.
rTs would have raid last w~yE i.f. c,,uts
Tor prime bycf OF a prpiii ~ IL cents
n POUND. while - Truts tratiii hay,.
i-cn paid for the batter fat. or a pr,,ti,
Of II crnis on fC,,l Consumed isy the
cows. Possibly We cannot produce
either tC~f or butter fat 50 chrariy as
IN this Casr II not 80 much the worse
Tor the br"f. siucN uuiy slight nst.
vance in the ~1s; would wirc out the
pr"Ht. ln producing the butter IN. W.
haV" much wI'lcr margin upon which
!" uirrai". and We still have the ami.
NAL. which in iiuc will make nearly as
much lCUf as the stc-r
u has i-Cn shown a, many -Sp~ri.
tnCni stations that an orchard which
is cultivated viii grow more than one
that is not cultivated. The tiiinnis .s.
pertinent station officers made tests TO
IND the superiority. II any. Of crliiva.
ton over grass. They found that with
Zen Davis apple trCc< the ,IiatDr,rr of
the trunks onr foot above the surface
pf the soil was about tWlrr as sr,rat in
the case of the cultivatc,l Mat ne in
the ease n that in the grass. Al tho
california experiment station apriro,
uccs during one season in the rul,i.
Natcd field showed iwig growth Of
over ihrcc iert. while those in the uu.
cu'lva'ei hrld made n growth Of no;
wv ~ Wv NNlAFNc tllf WIFI al |
iaIia the dchiliiaiine effect on growing
'Ters Is even morn apparent. aud In |
this conclusion every oli.timc orchard |
grower In Colorado who has studied |
the subject will concur. Still There nr,, |
few men in this country who bnvr
decided opinions of their own. AMI
they continue 10 grow alfalfa among
their trees.
Now is the time to lrgin THINKING
about fighting next seasons rrn,, n |
thrips or lcafh"ppDrs which nfY-,t
grape vines 80 badly in this country.
and which In many Instances hny.
caused grape growing 10 bccomc an
abandoned occupation near Denver.
The prevention of injury by the leaf.
hoppcr is very difficult problem. The
hcst rhnnrns Of rrlinf ,riil ....,,... 6.......