Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1899-03-10

which needs to be feed as well. Let us
take as many good papers and maya.
zines as we can afford, and as we have
time to read not forgetting to buy an
occasional good DO k. First-class papers
aud magazines are published to suit the
tastes of every member of the family.
from the oldest to the youngest and at
prices that will agree with even as slim
purses as those carried by the average
farmer of the New West.
Could farmers as a class. be once free
from debt, aud situated so that they
could hold their grain indefinitely, they
would then be able to set prices on their
own produce, the same as the merchant
does on his goods The custom of hav-
ing their liabilities come due in the fall
has placed farmers at the mercy of
grain dealers who can regulate prices
to suit themselves, knowing that the
farmers are forced to sell, and must
take what they are offered for their
grain.
We should not forget to send in our
subscription to several good farm pa.
pers, in addition to our other periodi-
calls. Where advice, experience and
methods are given by ma y different
practical farmers, some are quite sure
t. prove of value to us. We might also
jot down our own successes and failures
and send them in to our farm paper for
the benefit Of those Who's experience
may have helped us. A fair exchange
is no robbery. and what we may have
learned at considers BILE cost, may be
inst what some farm brother would be
glad to know, without having to GO
through the o. pensive school of ''exper-
ience.
AT the present prices of good range
bred colts and young horses, it will
hardly pay the average farmer to raise
his own horses. He can buy yearlinge
and two year olds. for less money than
it will cost him to raise them to that
age, not to speak of the time and work
he would spend in caring for them. If
he bus range colts from reliable ranch
men who raise only we'll bread stock
they are as apt to become good, large
horses, as if he raised them on his own
farm.
Of course we presume every western
farmer to be fair judge of colts and
horses and to be able to make good
selection for the purpose for which he
intends to use them.
The old way of encouraging the boys
to destroy every bumblehees nest they
could find, for fear the bees might sting
the horses is all wrong. Bnmblebees
are now recognized TO be among the
most valuable agents in the fertilization
of plants. For instance the honeytube
OF red clover are two deep for the con-
mon honey bee. and for many Of the
smaller wild bees. and. as insect fertll.
ization is absolutely necessary for the
perfecting of clover seed, bumblebees
are the chief insects that bring this
about. have also noticed that when
only the few old queen bumblebeea
which have hibernated are flying about
the early squash and pumpkin blossoms
set scarcely any fruit, while a little
later on, when the young bumblebees
come forth, a large proportion of the
blossoms set fruit, and, as these bees
are very partial to squash and pu "pkin
blossoms, it is only reasonable to infer
that they are necessary to the develop
menL of the fruit.
Now Prof. Wilson, or some one else
interested in the welfare of the farmers
is going to introduce new species of
honey bee from the PHILIPPINES. These
bees are said to be much larger than
the common italian honey bee, and are,
moreover, greater honey garherers. If
successful the introduction will prove a
blessing to bee keeping farmers Would
there were more of them, in The mean
time. let US cherish and protect our nat
i've plant-fertilizers, the bnmblebees.
There is a large field open for expert
mentation and investigation to deter
mine the value of our native western
grasses under cultivation. We have
many species of great promise One
kind the western wheat grass (sgropy-
ron spicatum,) yields fair amount of
nutritious forage, even on the unbrok-
en- prairie This grass sends out null
titude of underground rhizomes or root
stocks like the quack grass to which,
indeed, it is related.
However, instead of being pest as
is the quack grass our species is one of
the most valuable and promising we
have in the West On breaking which
has been left idle year or 80, wheat
grass soon obtains firm foot-hold, and
spreads with great rapidity sending up
n luxuriant growth of excellent hay.
The yield on breaking, is, for few
years much greater than the unbrocken
prairie. After the earth becomes mat
ted with roots however the yield of hay
decreases. A good coating of manure
followed by a thorough narrowing or
I'LL ~ono~vo "a Tho oo;1 and fooN