Rocky Ford enterprise., 1900-03-30
FARMING MATTERS.
(From Field and FARM


While there Is no one soil that Is
good for all varieties of vegetables,
most all will do fairly well oil any
good land. The most important thing
is soil that will work easy. that Is
deep, and lays so that the water will
not stand on It, and yet is practically
level. Irrigation rows should run
with the grade, preferably north and
south. With plenty OF water light
loose soil Is best, and while such soils
are supposed to require more manure
II Is doubtful whether this Is 80 where
the land is Kept constantly under cul.
tivatIon. Light soil IL always In me
chanlcal condition To grow Il crop: all
that IL needs Is the fcrtilizing element.
Many dairymen make the mistake of
feeding alfalfa exclusively - their
cows from fall to spring. and we are
Just now seeing the Injurious effect
In many cases OF such procedure. Now,
while alfalfa IL an excellent food for
the dairy COW. II IL not u complete
ration. When dairy COW Is confined
for any great length OF time to mn
exclusive alfalfa diet she may become
alfalfa sick. lose her appetite In a
measure and will not consume enough
food To enable her to do her best In
milk production or To make a profit
for her owner. Hence we need some
thing else than alfalfa. and on the ir.
rigntcd farm II IL advisable to grow
root crops. such as sugar bccts. golden
tankard manscls or carrots. More
food value can bc obtained under ir.
riHation and proper cultivation from
the root crops thnn any other. But
when we have alfalfa and roots We
have not yet complete dairy food.
We need corn To supplement these.
and corn with alfalfa and roots makes
mn ideal ration for n dairy herd.
We nrr often in,crrosnicd about the
outlook for sheep and arc asked II this
ID a good time TO go into the business
OF raising wool and br-csiinS lambs. II
one has n farm with n nice patch Of nj.
fnifa and n little browsing outside on
the range or In the hills with . boy 10
look after a small flock In day time. one
ran start with sheep now just ns well
ns n; any futur- time and can pay ns
high rs 81 n head Tor big ewes In lamb,
II th-rr il no ranch. no range aud the
oi-n world to fisht. We would hesitate
q long time before branching out into
th" sheep business on y small capital
such as most young men possess now.
a'days. II they have money At ali-and
the most Of them nrv dead broke and
an s;iil hunt for a Jab. The shc~p
business Of the coming time win have
10 h- backed by dough tho same ns
with other lines Of trade and therv viii
H. no snaps lying around loose TO he
sobbi.-i up without money. ns WAS the
ens- hfs--a OF iw-n'y years ago when
ihinss w-rr morc d-rvn,iy rtxh; for
poor man than We md them to-day.
tn. preparation af the soil for susn,
hs-is Esinir.ss much iaisnr and ai,-n
il"n. In order 10 rru-iuc- a h-vs OF right
form AMI pure throughout, the soil must
10 such ne will isrruii; tho t-r-t TO pcnc.
'rni- II readily with it's tap root and
aiss i-rtnit IL 10 isnii~.i s-s~is wholly
ih-Erin. u this Ia not the case tho ten
irn~y II the h-vt il to .pransi- out.
which /, should no, 10. II should hay.
a single ;apfass. which taisrr~ on into
innz ibFrai.iisc at,.cn.iaSc. striking
down ticyr int. the suissail. The tr-~t
should grow under the scii o.. much ns
possible. AMI the top portion should no,
stick out above the surface. az this l.
not only irlrtrrious 10 the whole t-r-t.
but makes II nrrvssary TO cut 81 tina,
portion which pssjrrts above the
ground before Tho b-Ct is s-u, TO the
factory. causing that much in<s TO the
grower. The soil should Usually is-
rl"wci about eight iHrhcs deep the
plnw i~InE followed by a suil,saiisr
that lU"sCus ur the Earth q. the ~s;ru,
~ s"tcu inches mnsr. Then I, sh.aii
h- narrowed hack and forth until II b~s
comes thoroughly puIVcrisr,i and soft.
cred.
We arr often asked for an opinion
Ne to the irst mCth1si of CtiltjVafjps OF
blowing an orchard in tbs. spring. The
laFec orchaTiis,s Of Missouri cui,lva,.
their orchards in early sprins with the
Morgan srajins Cul'ivatpr. tirst going
ono way with this ctiliivatpF. then
cTuss-wIscs They cultivate tbrr,, tine.
each way with two horses. making sjr
CIVILIZATIONS at Intervals of n week. q,
u" STcaicT expense that II would COS, TO
pl"w the land once. They consider /
thts 'nCthp.l of cultivation superior 10
Ii"winE. In California they employ /
the turauoiCh Cul,IvatuT gtiitr scp-rntly |
throughout the season and srvrrsl car.
loads uf those machines have been sold /
in western Colorado. Cultivation
should begin in orchards. viucrar,is
AMI berry fields early In the spring. a.
'arly 90 th" soil is warm enough ,o
Woss. In many orchards tb. ground /
might hc cultivated with a yiIsk harrow /
''ci"Tc " h"CHinCs harl early in tho /
spring whereas later on this jimmie. |
n"ni w"uli have mn cfICct whatever on |
tn" hardest clay or loan sui the land
would have ." h. rlpwcyi. Hence ,brra
arc tw" reasons for beginning rrj,iva.
tl"n early. particularly " on. de.i,c.
TO avoid blowing. Deep cultivation OF
orchards Is no; necessary au,I is Iniur.
ioUs. All that is nCcrssary is 10 Ec,r
the surface loUsc. thus forming a
mulch which prevents the cvaUoTa,iou
Of moisture from the soil