The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-02-16

I
the Livestock meeting here yesterday by
Fiofessor John Fields. director OF the A.
/ and NJ. station AZ saltwater.
Every time I talk with a stockman,
and do It every time get chance the
question OF grasses ami forage plants
| comes up. If the stockman Is farmer as
well he is after a grass that will grow
/ In July and Angus s;ay nice and green
| In dry weather and furnish plenty of
pasture. TO quote a ietter recently re-
celved: "We especially want something
20 yield gNat amount OF pasture. early
and late and all the time between" And
| he'll not get a.
| II the stoclunan depends almost solely
ON the native grass pastures. he wants
something to improve these pastures to
make them grow more grass and better
grass and pasture more catte-all to-
gether. And-he'il not get SC. Not get IL
In a practical, mOney-making way while
the summers are hot and the winters cold.
and the steers continue rusuing.
| | shall endeavor 20 present summary
Of what has been done toward the I'm
provement OF the ranges and Indicate
some OF the ways that are at your COM
mand
The United States department OF agri-
| culture has conducted an Investigation
OF the grasses on the ranges OF central
Texas and recently issued a bulletin re-
porting the results. Much. n not all. that
is applicable to central Texas viii apply
IN oklahoma. In this report. after a dds
cOssion Of the causes which ruined the
ranges Of this section, there Is q chapter
entitled How the Stock Ranges May be
| Renewed" AS this was written by a man
Who had given the question close study
on the ground / fell that ] can do no bet
ter than quote what he has written
"In considering the question OF how the
ranges may be renewed. the idea and op-
inions Of the leading stockmen OF this
section have been solicited. They vary
from that OF giving the grasses absolute
rest until the ground has been reseeded
with the best native varieties to that Of
partially breaking the sod and seeding
down the land TO sorghum, johnson grass
or the best OF the tame hay grasses.
III the natural pastures arc to be once
more brought UP 20 their original con-
dition certain precautions must be taken.
There must be no more overstocking OF
the ranges. on the contrary, as far as
practicable, the land must be systematic
ally rested. Some OF the leading stockmcn
are now dividing up their holdings in.o
several pastures, one being held exclu-
slvely for winter use, another for spring,
another for midsummer or autumn. This
practice will in the case Of the winter
pasture enable the early grasses to ripen
and shed their seeds. To be successful
there should be rotation in the seasonal
use of these pastures. Thus a pasture
which is grazed closely during the win
ter for three or four successive years
should then be grazed only in summer for
like term. in order that the late ma
turing grasses. which would naturally be
The ones eaten during the winter. may
have an opportunity to reseed themselves
and regain their former abundance. BY
this system Of rotation the carrying ca
pacity OF the pastures may be doubled
or rrebied in the course OF a few years"
j quote further what the same report
says concerning the "Netd Of hay and 9TH
er forage"
"It will be necessary also 10 provide
hay and forage, which may be used during
storms or In case OF unusually severe
winters, or I'm years when through drought
or other causes the natural herbage Is
even when abundant, may be injured by
such unusual occurrances az heavy au-
tumn rains as TO be worthless as food for
stock During the severe winters thou
sands Of cattle and sheep often die from
starvation Five per cent. OF their value
invested in hay or other feed and kept
available for use during winter storms
would not only have saved their lives but
have brought them through The season
in a healthy ami growing condition. Vast
quantities Of hay, could few years ago,
be secured anywhere for the cost OF cut
ting and curing With a renewed range,
this condition may again be attained,
ami even n the Wild hay cannot be de-
pended on or cannot be secured a suffi-
cient crop OF sorghum kanir corn, or
some OF the coarser cultivated hay grasses
should be planted 10 supply tedd in time
Of scarcity.
PONCA CITY COUNCIL MAKES CON
TRACT FOR BUILDING WATER
WORKS.
PONCA CITY, FEB. 15-Cspecia )-The
city council last night let the contract
for the building Of the waterworks sta
ton 20 Lee Herman as lowest bidder for
S7i5. II Is to be a brick structure and
first class in every particular II wil be
located on the Cunningham sappington
claim, east OF the city, where lies an in
exhaustible supply of water.
KANSAS CITY. FEB. IA delegation
Of twenty Kansas city business men was