Rocky Ford enterprise., 1900-12-14
FARMING MATTERS.

In spite OF the reports At every hama
OF the farm population turning cNy
ward, the census says that III. Iarinefs
in the United States have Increased
100000 during the last ten years, IL
would he a good thing II we could be-
lieye that men are going back to the
land and away from The consenied cen
tcrs.
Even II grain raising Is profitable,
the time has come when the FARMERS
Of the Rocky Mountain sections mus,
pay some attention To f"rtiiizihI 'he
soil. A small bunch of cattle is sf'at
help In keeping farm prohnetiN..
Feed during the winter In a corral WIN
sheds, and provide IA good supply oi
be,i,iins-any refuse hay ar straw is
GOOD FOR the purpose. Haul all the
manure onto the land AMI plow under:
This policy, pursued year by year, VIII
add greatly TO the productive value OF
a farm.
We have said considerable about the
efficiency OF drainage for nlkaii lhnd.
Jacob Ic,zcl OF Boulder county has
worked on the idea that ditch aug
about hye feet deep, and boards pinch
In the bottom, with sides ana Top
or two boards placed In the form of an
Inverted Y, without bottom, 80 con
structcd to run across the How OF Inc
water underground. and thus catch III.
nlknIi and run IL OF. N the proper
method. lie has been at work on This
plan about two years. and has ALREADY
seen such good effect on his land thnt
he Il causin. about thirty'nvc or forty
acres to he piowcd that was white with
nikaiI. The cost OF these bitches he hI.
uncs at So for 100 rois.-Flcli AMI
Farm.
Usually straw Is considered OF very
iitti. value. In many Instances. In
stead OF nm economical Use being made
OF II. Who'll. stacks nrc burned. and IN
stead Of the plant food contained IN
the straw being returned TO nnd thus
cnrichInc the soil. II II wasted. Feed
Ing trials prove concinslvc,y i.int straw
can bc used advaninscously for fc~l-
inr. In connection with our most CON-
mon forage crop. alfalfa. Experiments
made OH the digcsiIbiiity of straw
show that two.iifths of the total nutri'
mcnt including the crude tibrc are Ill.
crstihlc. at least by r,iminants, thus
making II very little below other coarse
folders MS regards dl:,Silblliiy. Straw
il rich In crude fibre aud poor In pro
tcin. hence II IL not suited alone 10
form ration. hut IL very desirable
when fed as u f0ddcr rich In protein.
MS alfalfa. Oat straw stands first. bar
ley next and wheat last In feeding
value.
Perhaps II is not generally known that
there are some in.ODD establishments
In the United States devoted TO the
growing OF plants under glass. The
statistics ON III. point are not perfect
hut enough II known To convey an np-
proSimntc Idea OF the volume OF bus
incss transacted hy the Industry. II Il
estimated that $4,000 Il Invested In
these 10000 establishments. and they
bring forth products that sell at whole
sale for S225O.0ro and ut retail for
I.iDO.OOD. Florists are not included In
the foregoing. hut there are no fewer
than 9.OJO OF these with .2!Dp.cro
square feet OF glazed garden valued ut
Sii.25D.OOo. The retail value OF How.
crs sold annually Is Si2.5pp.OoO. OF
which SG.OnO.OOo Is expended FOR roses.
Si.pCO.OOo FOR carnations. S15n.ppo for
violc,s. s5OO.Ooo FOR chrysnnthcmums
and the rest for flowers Of divers other
names. The retail value OF pottcd
plants sold annually Is Sio.SbD.Ow.
EN.Govcrnor Pillsbury of Minnesota
has given 1000 acres To the state for
cstry board FOR the purpose OF cncour-
aging state forestry reserves In Min
ncsota and giving the state board
chance TO experiment with cut-ovcr
timber tracts. with view to dctcrmin-
ing the extent to which the growth OF
timber can he renewed. Mr.. rillsbury
specifies that two-thir,ls Of the rcvc-
nucs which may he derived from his
gift must 20 to the State University
at Minneapolis.