Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1902-05-17
new EXPERIMENTAL FARM.
The Fort Hays Branch of the State Agr1cul-
tural College, From Which Benefit Will Be
Derived for Kansas Farming interests.

Derived for Kansas Farming interests.
new state institution, or rather
new branch of an old state institution,
which Is just getting into good work
ing order, and from which great re-
suits for the farmers of this state is
expected, is the experimental farm on
the old Fort Hays military reserva-
ton, which will be conducted as de-
partment of the State Agricultural
college at Manhattan.
To Superintend the work which is
to be done there The regents picked
upon J. @. Hlney. He is the product
of Kansas farm, and for some years
has been devoting his attention ex-
ciusively TO strictly up-to-date and
scientific methods of farming.
He was reared on farm in Repub-
lie county. lie took the agricultural
couse at Manhattan, graduating from
that Institution in 1899. For two
years lie was aSsiS. ant in feeding and
field work at Manhattan, under Prof.
Cottrell. For eight months, in 1901,
he was in old Mexico as agricultural
agent of the Chihuahua Il Pacific
railroad, aud returning from there he
spent some time ut the Illinois agri-
cultural college studying their meth
DDS of working with corn and the
equipment in use. In January he
took the short course in 1--we stock
and grain judging at the Iowa agr-
cultural college, and from there went
to the Minnesota agricultural college
and spent two and one-half months
studying seed breeding under Prof.
w. NJ. Hays aud stock judging under
Prof. Thomas Snow. He commenced
his work at the Fort Hays branch the
latter part of last March. and. as he
expresses it. ''hopes that he may stay
there fifteen years"
Mr. Hiney has furnished the Capt.
tai with the following matter relativ,
to the reservation. the manner il
which it WAS acquired by the state
the work that has been done and TIL,
plans for the future:
The EGrt Hays military reservation
is situated 290 miles west of Kansas
City on the Union Pacific. The res
ervation embraces $500 acres Iyins
along Big creek in Ellis county.
The soldiers were withdrawn in
November, 1889, and since then til,
buildings at the post and the tImbe
along the creek have been subject Il
the usual neglect and abuse. LII
March, 1899, Il bill passed Congress
ceding the land to the state for tn,
establishment of western branches o
the Agricultural college experimental
stations and State Normal school
which was approved in February
1901. During the summer of 1890 The
reservation was enormously reported
open for settlement and nearly every
quarter was squatted on. Some O
filings were even accepted and home
stead papers allowed. The appropria
tions maze by the state for beginning
the work were not to be available un
til clear title was secured to all the
land. Some of the squatterS recog
nized their error and relinquished
Others had made some improvements
and were given leases of from three {,
five years.
The board of regents of the two in
stitutions made a division of the lane
which gave the agricultural colleg,
all the land along the creek, which
fuuo otdSOhdilg OhtOuSA JnC 4QetI tcli
for four miles. The land slopes gent
ly back from the creek to an elevation
of perhaps 200 feet, which gives
great variety of conditions.
This location, being typical of TIN
great western plains, is expected t.
make a great experiment station.
Thousand acres or so will be reserves
for pasture and breaking at futur
times. A large area of alfalfa will b.
planted, and other areas devoted t,
trials of various forage plants tina
may be adapted to the West. FIT,
acres of land are being prepared TO
planting forest trees next spring, ant
undoubtedly whole quarter section
will later be devoted to this
The first burrows were turned in tn,
Sod during the last week in March
Three hundred acres have beer
broken. and there will be 100 NOR,
broken. Thirty acres of the sod were