Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-09-19
OF which is in wheat and 1000 in corn
and other forage crops.

and other forage crops.
Two thousand calves are born or
the ranch every year, while s, 1000 steer
are fattened and shipped to the mar
kets. The lands of the ranch are di
vided into pastures, something unus
ual for so large tract. That is, cattle
which are to be fattened quickly ar,
given the best grass land Chat neares
the lowlands), while those that are be
ing held over for some time are giver
the poorest pasture in which to Craze.
There are sixty-two square miles In
the Sherman farm. A telephone sys
tenn connects the various ranch houses
There is a general manager and an ex
pert for every department. Mr.. Sher
man employs thirty to fifty men the
year around. These are paid $40 9
month and board. During harvest
season they are paid bonus of IS to
keep them on his place instead of 60
ing to work for other farmers during
the rush and high wages of the wheat.
cutting season. He has started plan
of giving his hired men two hours of
at midday during the summer, a plan
which is being generally adopted on
all of the immense farms of the South.
west.
Another big ranch in Kansas is the
Forsha farm, near Hutchinson. This
is modern in every particular. "Sam'
Forsha, the owner, commenced twelve
years ago on . small scale to raise al.
falfa and cattle. Alfalfa is compare.
lively a new crop, and he found it
comparatively a new crop, and he
found it hard to grow upon the plains
of Kansas. Now he has an 1,10O-acre
field, the largest alfalfa field in the
United States. Indeed, he is the sec.
ond largest grower OF this crop in this
country or any other, for that matter.
Alfalfa makes an ideal food for fat
tening steers. He puts up thousands
of tons every year from his fields. AL.
falfa, as grown by Mr.. Forsha, gener-
ally produces one ton to. the acre for
each cutting. The value OF a ton 10 81
net-that is, free of expenses Of put.
ting it up. II the season is favorable
be cuts his alfalfa fields three times
and pastures it two months during the
year. In this way he realizes q profit
of not less than SIS an acre from this
crop. This 10 twice the profit to be
had from either corn or wheat.
Mr.. Forsha's ranch property covers
5000 acres. One thousand acres is
sown to wheat and sugar corn and
kaffir corn; the remainder, exclusive
of the alfalfa fields, is thrown into pas.
lures, where roam from 1900 to 1000
head of fattening steers. These are
fattened with ground feed and alfalfa.
Mr.. Forsha has Touring and feed
mill at his ranch headquarters. He
buys all Of the wheat raised in his
neighborhood, and much OF his -four 10
shipped across the waters. He does
not follow the general rule of cattle
shippers-that 10, to fatten and ships
his herds at certain seasons, but he
keeps a carload or more fattened all
the time. ready to jump into the Kan.
sas City markets at every rise in
prices. He has long distance tele-
phone connections with the Kansas
City and Wichita markets.
On this ranch ia postofice for the
convenience Of the manager and his
employees, where there is government
weather bureau to keep record OF the
rainfall and temperature. His ranch
house, containing eighteen rooms, is
heated by steam and lighted by gas
plant on the ranch. An innovation in
ranch houses as established by Mr..
Forsha is bathrooms for the hired
hands. This improvement is heartily
welcomed by the workers, too.
John T. Stewart Of Wellington is q
modern farmer caption Of industry.
He came to Kansas in 1876 with $50
in cash. Securing work in . Wichita
real estate Office, he soon became &C.
qua:nted with the land situation, and
invested his small amount to advan.
tage. Within five years of work in
the real estate Office he had accumu.
lated $1,000.
He then removed to Wellington
Kan, and commenced investing in
farms. Now he owns 140 in Kansas
and 40 in Oklahoma. He rents them
all on shares-that is, he takes one
third Of the crop for the rental. He
superintends them all himself and re.
invests the profits in farms surround
ing those he already possesses.
His land holdings in Kansas alone are
are rated at $l,O0O,OOO. Mr.. Stewart
is said to be the richest man in Kan
sas. having made it all in the farmi nG
business. There are scores of Other
men in the Southwest who have big
ranch properties, but their systems are
copied after the pioneers already men
toned.
If q financial crash comes as rea'
son OF the over.capitalization OF cor
porate enterprises, the usual blame
will be attached TO the Democrats
What q pity the Democrats were mol
in power at the time OF the Northern
Pacific panic.