Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-06-15
FARMING NOTES.
(From Field and Farm,

]. Eubank of Grover. Weld county,
is through lambing and from 1000
ewes reports lamb crop equal to
ninety-f1ve per cent. of the she stock.
Mr.. Slayton of Carr in the same coun-
ty, writes: I'VE have had fine wealth
er for lambing and have raised large
per cent. in this part of the country.
The grass is extra good this year"
Notwithstanding dry spring. the nl-
falfa crop looks fine everywhere and
in some sections work will begin on
the first cutting next week. The start
ing price this season will be 50 in the
field and a few contracts have already
been let on this basis. Alfalfa will
pay 100 per cent profit on this figure.
and with so many hungry cattle and
sheep in the country the growing of 1t
should be considered u safe business.
All is not gold that glitters in n nur-
seryman's catalogue. That most arctic
of all domestic plums, the Tatge, which
was supposed to stand 100 degrees be-
low zero and never know 1t. fell down
badly the past winter and is black
ened beyond recognition. Other inva-
lids in the plum family are Communal,
Long. Blue, Burbank and Abundance.
all of which goes to prove that we can
and that they may not be so hardy rs
some of the old boys.
Every day or two we hear of.cattle
being killed while loafAng on a wire
fence during thunder storms. This
should remind stockmen of the danger
of having their wire fences unprotect-
ed. 1t Is only necessary to connect
the wires of the fence with the ground
noon Sf0r1nllv IN l-n tIn tl,r
safest place during storm. All elec-
trtcity requires is place to get off the
wire into the ground. and IL this pre-
caution Is taken there will be fewer
losses from this cause.
1t is estimated that there are now
over 100000 sheep on the open ranges
of the Pecos valley in New Mexico and
about 12.0OO more on the alfalfa pas
lures for which the sheepmen pay So
an acre. Although last winter was n
particularly severe one for the valley.
the loss Of sheep did not amount to
over l per cent. and In many locali-
ties even less than that. During last
years run of the beet sugar factory
here about 5000 lambs were fed on the
pulp and so successful was the expert
ment that this year over 10000 head
will be shipped from the factory's
pens.
In recent years, says Professor Dick,
good many farmers have removed TO
cities and towns in order that their
children might have the advantage OF
better schools. l believe that the nd-
vantages of city schools are overesti-
mated. knowledge OF n kind is, of
course. gained, but when we compare
the product of the city school with
that Of a well conducted country school
1t Is very questionable whether on the
whole the former has any advantage.
If the country teachers were more
qualified to teach the rudiments of ag-
riculture. the schools would be of more
value.
One Of the best windbreaks on n
western ranch Is the Carolina poplar
or broad leaved cottonwood. Seedlings
set at Laramie, Wyo., in 1893 subject to
the exposure of the open plains have
lived, though the growth has been COM
paratively slow. They have attained n
height of eight to ten feet and diam
eter of two or three inches. They were
undoubtedly dwarfed somewhat by in
jury from plant lice which were found
in great numbers on the leaves in 1896
and 1897. Prevailing southwest winds
have caused them to lean in the oppo-
site direction. Russian willow killed
back every hard winter.
People who are fond of sweet pota-
toes often complain about not being
able to grow them in this country. The
natural conditions are generally very
favorable In all warm, sandy valleys,
but knowledge of the nature of soil,
water and cultivation seems to be lack
inc Nnka n q,
the tubers in, laying them close enough
together so they will not touch each
otner, cover with two inches of earth
and keep moist. When the plants are
six inches high set in hills eighteen
inches apart, the rows being three feet
apart. lrrigate very little, cultivate
slightly, not digging below the surface.
and never touch the hill within one foot
of where the tubers are to grow. Set in
sandy soil, with warm southern eX-
posure. If the vines are too prolific
some growers cut Off the ends and do
not allow them to take root between
rows. Follow these instructions and
good sweet potatoes of any variety can
be grown here rs anywhere.
In observing the action of alkali Joel
Shoemaker writes: "A field was cul-
tivating had much alknli in the sub
surface strata. The presence of miner
nj was not noticed when the ground
was plowed but MS soon as cultiva-
tion began and irrigation was given
the surface began to get white and
small clusters of soda would form
along the furrows. This was supple
mented by the springing up of pecul-
lar, strong odored bush or grass that
crowded out other vegetation. The corn
stalk began to wither and give every
appearance of dying. 1 plowed fur
row on each side of the corn rows and
flushed good head of water through
! the bitches MS quickly us possible. This
was not permitted TO collect around
the growing plants but went Off Just
as soon rs It carried away the alkali.
The minernliZed water was deposited
in waste ditch and from there car
rled to the stream. This resulted ben
| ficinlly and following with cultivation
! ca In f,. or tI,.