The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-08
KANSAS NEWS.
A Model Improved Farm is the
Deming Place.
Largest and Finest Tract in La
bette County.
UNDER CULTIVATION.
Thirteen Hundred Acres Along
the NeoshO River.
In Addition Has $50 Acres in
Pasture Lands.
UNDER CULTIVATION.

Parsons, Kan, May 8.-The Sun says:
The largest and finest improved farm IN
southeastern Kansas is the r. Q. DEM
ing place, located in Labette county, II
miles southeast of Parsons. This farm
now consists of l. 800 acres, practically
all of which are under cultivation, and
in connection with this Deming has 500
acres of additional land, a greater por-
ton of which is used for pasture. The
1900 acres, which lie in a body along
the Neosho river bottom, have been ac-
uired by degrees by Denltng since july
1895, when he purchased $50 acres.
Nine hundred acres of this land were
covered with heavy timber and brush
and 200 or 300 acres We're covered with
water for many years and OsWego peo-
PIE used to enjoy fishing and boating on
this lake. Deming has cleared all this
800 acres and drained the lake into the
in the river bank and built leVees that
prevent this land from overlooking, as
was formerly the case nearly every
year. He has employed for year or
two 30 or 40 men the entire year, as they
put IN their time in the winter clearing
the land and digging and blowing out
stumps, and in the last six months III
tons Of dynamite have been used in
Blowing out the stumps.
The ground is now all under culti-
walton and among the growing crops are
200 acres of alfalfa, 400 acres of oats,
300 acres OF corn, zoo acres of timothy
and clover, so acres of mi1lets so acres
of flax, 20 acres of rape, so acres of red
top, so acres of Kaff1r corn, SO acres OF
sorghum, 80 acres of blue grass and
white clover, acres Of beets for hog
feed, 5 acres of artichokes and 2 acres
of casSaYa.
This cassava is the first planted in
Kansas and Deming imported the seed
from Florida, where it is being very
largely grown and used as hog and cat
tie feed. This produces more tons of
I'D tn 10 al
known and if 1t can be grown success
fully in this country it viii be of great
benefit to the farmer.
Deming has had great success with
his alfalfa and this fall viii largely in
crease his acreage.
There are in constsslt use on the place
40 work horses and mules, and Deming
has 60 young mules and horses from
to 3 years old. There are now on the
place $50 head of cattle, $50 of which are
on full feed and Will be marketed in a
short time. The heaviest animal weighs
1,70O pounds and viii be shipped to KAN
SaS City with the first shipment. DEM
ing last week invested in 20 registered
shOrthorn yearling heifers and now has
on the place 200 hogs and pigs and with
good luck this year he expects to be able
to sell at least 1000 fat hogs this fall
The place Is well fitted up with build
ings, there being a number of houses
for the men living on the place, in adj
ditl0n to a nice residence for the super
l44lEAQH4t Oh tlAE Aa1lls >. III
this farm is the largest barn in SOUTH
eastern Kansas. being 96 feet in ,-idth
by 1856 feet in length and 40 feet froa4-
the foundation to the peak.
It took 10000 shingles to cover the
barn and the barn comfortably afforded
accommodation last winter for the en-
tire number Of cattle on the place, which
was $50 1t viii hold 1900 tons of hay
and is fitted up with every convenience
to aid and facilitate the work of hand
ling and feeding this large number of
cattle The lower floor, where the cat
summer and every feeding lot in con-
nection with the barn Is supplied with
a large tank into which water is pumped
by means of a windmill.
A boarding house has been built on
the place. which accommodates Is of
the workingmen and saves the time
that would otherwise be required to go
to neighboring houses for their meals.
The farm is being fenced in with 80
inch woven wire fencing and the fences
will be such that there is no danger OF
the stock destroying growing crops.
Adjoining the feed lots on the north
is a tract of 20 acres of wood pasture.
All OF the underbrush and small trees
have been cleared off Of the tract and
it has been soWed with white clover
and blue grass and will support during
the entire season a large number Of
beth cattle and hogs.
Deming has posted himself thoroughly
in the work being done by the Agricui-
tural Experiment station at Manhattan
and is adapting all of the neT ideas of
agriculture.