The Colfax chronicle., 1901-01-12
FARMER AND PLANTER.
A WORD TO FARMERS.
Been Secured . Period Of
Thinking II I'm Order.


study on subjects pertaining to our
business All farmers should
now look back over the crop season
and note all their successes and fail
ures. This has been a peculiar season,
few old farmers ever saw one like il
give SO much to think of and room
to plan for surroundings that we
know now may come again. So much
rain through the year has made it the
hardest year to farm / ever saw. No
man could plan one day what he
would do the next, but had to be
ready for any emergency, always hav-
ing two strings to his bow. Many
OF us almost lost our wheat crops on
account of so much wet weather. If
we had stacked our wheat soon after
harvest much of that loss would have
been saved. How many of us will for
get this before another harvest, and
against those who moved their wheat
out from the fields, broke the stubble
at once and planted in corn. Sorghum
or peas made crops on that land and
in many instances twice the value of
same acreage of wheat left standing
to rot in the shock, as much of it
did. Filled my silos with excellent
corn this year grown on wheat stub.
bic at cost for planting, cutting and
putting in silo about seventy-five
cents per ton, but we can only do
this by moving out the wheat at
harvest or threshing very early, corn
put in well the first week in July and
cultivated land. Shallow and frequent
cultivation will scarcely ever fail to
pay well for silage or fodder corn,
and this year northern 90-day yellow
corn matured well enough for seed
that was planted July 10, and peas
that were mown for hay in August
have now good crop of ripe peas on
the second growth from the old roots.
This has really been a wonderful fall;
on October 26 we gathered in the gar
den nice ripe tomatoes, crisp, tender
okra and snap beans-the Irish pota-
to tops are as green and vigorous as
in June. Clover and orchard grass of
last spring sowing now knee high.
Sweet potatoes have never stopped
growing or even turned the least yell
low; pastures still very fine. In fact,
kind Providence has highly favored
us this fall, which does much to make
up for the very unfavorable spring
and summer.
am still well pleased with the
silage for food for dairy cows. NV
silos are round stave structures,
but very satisfactory. / have three
just alike. The first one built has now
been filled the sixth time. 1t has safely
paid for itself five times in five years,
and does not seem any the worse of
the wear. 1t looks like it might easily
last 20 years-this is quite an item of
saving over the old style double-wall
square silo, the walls of which kept SO
damp that their longest life was
about five years-many would give
out in three-while they cost two or
three times as much as the stave or
tub silo. No man can afford to feed
cattle without the use of silage if he
is caring anything for expenses, and
in Tennessee, where he can
always grow our own silage as a Sec
ond crop after wheat, potatoes or
hay, and with this advantage in our
favor. 1t is strange that our people
DO not make this country real pro-
gressive, paying dairy country; we
have fine grass lands, short winters,
the finest of water in greatest abund- !
ance on nearly all the farms, in easy
and direct communication by quick |
express, with all the large southern
cities, where the demand for dairy |
products is always good; five hun
lred and more miles nearer these |,
markets than the great dairy regions
If the northwest, which now supplies |
hem. Our country by its many nat
lral advantages should far surpass
he great northeast in this business
f our people would do as is done
here, make it leading business, not
/ little side show, prepare for dairy
ng by getting good diary animals,
give them good shelter, food and at
'ention ard no other branch of farm
ng can equal it in our rich bluegrass
alleys close to the railroads, quick |
transportation; there is no prospect
If the business being overdone, or the
southern markets crowded. There is
arge and steady demand for good
,utter, cheese and cream.
Our improved Jersey cows are the
,est milk stock in the world. Our
Innate is healthy for them. l have
lot had a sick COW or one even off
Ter feed for five years. Our valleys
md hills will feed and pasture them
heaply, and at the same time those
alleys and hillsides will grow more
ertile and productive every year,
While in our system of grain farming
hey are certainly being exhausted of
ertility. growing poorer every year,
Why can not our people see such plain
20 H. /