Gilpin observer., 1900-05-31
FARMING MATTERS.
lTrom Eiel1 and rarm.l

81
W. NJ. Harsin of Otero county has just
sold the last of $500 common range
lambs which he fattened during the
winter. His lowest average on weights
was seventy pounds and his highest
Seventy-eight pounds. Prices ranged
1915 to $3.50. He bought the lambs
last fail and the average cost corralled
IN his own pens was S1.S9. Feeding
was commenced October 4th. Mr..
Harsin estimates his profit in the eight
months on the $500 head at $4,000 or
nearly $1.50 Il head.
A large portion of the bees in Colo
RADIO are kept on shares, 1t very often
happens that one man own 200 or 800
colonies, and work them as his owE
property, and. of course, in this case,
receiving all the profits or suffering all
the losses. In all probability he can
not only take care of his own bees,
but also of POO or more colonies belong
ing to Il neighbor who has some other
business. An agreement is made.
whereby the owner of the 300 takes
care of the 200 coolnies not his own.
For years the bee-keepers around
Denver have suffered much loss by
death OF bees which evidently were
Sbled from the poisonous fumes email
Hting from the various smelling works
found dead in their hives whenever the
course of the wind brings the smoke
down upon Them and some people are
now advocating legislation on the sub
Ject, which is Il great problem. We hear
similar complaints from Salt Lake
~here much damage from smeIters is
reported.
One Of our travelling men now So
jouring in the Arkansas valley on his
regular summer vacation reports that
the tendency among the sheepmen in
that country is to raise their own lambs
hereafter. Until this year most of the
feeders have purchased their feeding
lambs in New Mexico. AT least half
of the lambs that will be fed there next
season will be home-raised- They be-
lieve they can raise them as cheap as
the Mexicans. Practically all the feed
erS have closed out heir holdings this
spring. A few are feeding the second
time, but second feeding is not gen
eral
The loco weed. which has leaves and
flowers as we'll as seed much like the
pea, is exceedingly dangerous in the
early spring. 1t is one of the first plants
to appear and as the sheep are then
hungry for fresh food. this is eagerly
eaten. Where this plant abounds ev.
ate it. Those who go about on foot
shoul go armed with Il broad. heavy
chisel or spud on a stout staff and cut
OFF the root below the ground by
thrust of this tool Every plant thus
killed lessons the stock. This weed
can Inc put down in pastures by follow
ing this course The larkspur is a
vicious weed that should be treated
much in the same way, as it is very de-
structive.
The moving machines started last
Eeek on the earliest and best crop of
~/alfalfa that Colorado has seen for
many years. The second crop this year
will be reserved for the seed. and in
this way good hay yield is guaran-
teed in advance. Some growers are
now figuring on four straight cuttings
OF hay this season and will probably
y get them if irrigation and rainwater
&olds out to flow and the various har-
vests are attended to as promptly as
they should be. Alfalfa planting is
still going on in many sections and seed
is cheaper. Mr.. Strain of Lamar this
week announces a cut to nine cents for
first-class homegrown recleaned seed
free from dodder and this will sell the
ton or so he has on hand quite readily.
There is no new method. and none
VIII IN iouuu nv WHICH crops may bp
grown without work and by which
moisture may be produced in some
mysterious way II is Il fact. however.
that there is less evaporation from the
surface when the soil Is loose on top
than when ii is hard and compact all
the way down The reason for this is
that the loose soil acts as a mulch
through which the moisture from be-
low will not pass and evapornte. The
practical method that is open to west
ern farmers is to keep the surface OF
the soil loose. cultivating as soon as
possible after the soil has been com-
pacted by irrigation or rain. This plan
will keep the water in the soil for the
use of the growing crops. The implc-
ment which will do the work most eco
nomically is the best. which must be de-
termined by what is available for the
purpose.