The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1902-03-07
GOBURR'S ADVICE TO FARMERS.
Plant More Sorghum, Kafr Corn
and Alfalfa.
some Suggestions with ReEard 20 Plant
ing for Future Security BY the Sec-
rstary Of the state Board OF
AErfcuIture.


F. D. Coburn, Secretary Of the state
board Of agriculture, gives the following
advice % the farmers Of Kansas.
@Beyond question. the period Of Kansas
! greatest agricultural prosperity has been
the last decade. and this prosperity has
] been eontemporaneous WITH the recogni-
I ton CT alfalfa and the sorghums as fac
/ tors Ia Der agricultural economy. Prior
to sbout ten years ago. neither Of these
crops I'D been deemed Of sufficient i'm
portsno5 to be taken notice OF il the
statisii, Of the state board Of agriculture.
In 3s93 the state had Of alfalfa 1890
acres OF sorghum, for forage, I32, 205;
and II the non sacchsrine sorghums
which included Ka8r corn, milo maize
and Jerusalem corn 1899 acres. In 1901
-asre were 319142 acres Of alfalfs= Of sac
charine sorghum, for forage, 81 .821
acres; and Of non -ssccharine sorghums,
including Ka6r corn, milo maize and
Jerusalem corn, 627.432 acres, but OF ali
this great area 61s,sI6 acres was given to
Kafr corn.
Those whose experience has been with
the ssccharine sorghums are tenacious OF
the idea that as q forage crop nothing Is
better. more productive OF more profit
able, while those who know most OF the
non saccharine sorts, of which Kafir corn
is coming to be the main reliance, are
saDguine that taking into consideration
the grain it produces, along with Its for
age, nothing is more desirable. and parti-
cularly 50 where for reasons Of climate
and altitude Indian corn is by no means
a reliable crop.
The figures given disclose a marvellous
increase IN appreciation and planting Of
these, crops, which, DO matter what the
season may be, never fail outright. Ka6r
corn, while yielding extraordinary guam
titles Of forage. a. the same time Yields
from 10 to 50 bushels Of grain per acre,
which the experiment station people de-
clare practically on par in nutritiTe and
fattening value, pound for pound, with
Indian corn, and as said already, does
this IN territory where corn viii not grow
During the past season in localities where
corn was exclusively planted, and largely
failed, those farmers who had diversified,
and planted part Of their land in Kafr
corn or sorghums, not only have forage
and grain for home use but are IN posi-
ton TO divide on a very profitable basis
with their Deighbors.
The ssgaciOus western farmer sees
from the lessons Of the past the desir-
ability Of not attempting to market all
their eggs IN one basket. nor trust to
making or breaking by reliance upon a
single crop; experience plainly points out
the possibility Of such variety that cir
cUmstances and seasons likely to make
failure Of one may yet give him an sbund-
snce Of others, fOrtifyiDg him 10 a way
that a generation ago was unknown. The
day of a shrewd farmers reliance on q
single crop seems as remote as that Of
the wooden plOW, and as absurd
Nothing better could happen to Kan
sas in an agricultural way than to have
her acreage Of alfalfa, sorghum and Kafir
corn doubled IN 1902. II this policy were
pursued the position Of those who fol-
lowed it would be impregnable, and the
shortage Of the crop of Indian corn or Of
wheat would be but the merest ripple in
their prosperity, from year to year.
If there Is one message that would
send to our people at the beginning Of
this new year, it would be: Plant more
alfalfa, plant mOre sorghum, plant more
Kafir Compliant then right. give them
proper attention afterwards, and all the
time carry some improved and improving
live stock, and your situation viii be IN
eomparably better than that Of a5y other
agricultural people. ~ any common
wealth, IN any land. The opportunities
here are unreasonable. and are ours for
the Selling. The surest methods for this,
1 believe, from my % years Of close OBJ
servation here, are as have indicated,
and would impress 1t with emphasis
upon eTeryone can reach