The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-27
ON THE lOI RANCH.
Manager Miller Outlines System of
the 10000 Acre Farm.

Perry. Okla. Aug. 27.-Joe Miller
manager of the biggest farm in the
world, was in Perry this week II
would take a book to tell the general
outline of the system followed in tax
ing care of 10000 acres.
The field of 5000 acres of wheat has
been harvested, threshed and shipped
The production was light, as only 1917
600 bushels were realized. All the
wheat excepting about 10000 bushels
which is saved for seed is shipped d.
rect from the threshers to market
They received from "a to SO cents
bushel this year.
The oats turned out badly owing
TO the rains while in shock. A SOO-
acre field produced $4,000 bushels, but
this will not last long feeding horses
and mules on the farm 200 ousnels
each day.
A corn field of 1900 acres will pro-
duce, as Miller says, las much as corn
ever made. About rs bushels TO the
acre, suppose"
Flowing for wheat has been In pro-
gress for some time past. Last year
steam engine was used on the ,sdns
pIoVs but this has been discarded TINS
season and all the blowing IS pelns
done with mules. They are disc ploWs
Y of three gangs each and drawn by nVe
mules to the pillow. There are over 1orty
of these plows going Whlcn means
turning over one hundred ana twenty
furrows each time around the nelo-
The expense of fuel, employment OF en-
efneer and incidentalS in COMPARISON 10
the amount of work done and the cost
favored the mule rather than the steam
power and the engines were relegated
The big ranch lost, one crop, how
ever, this year After the wheat was
harvested 500 acres were ploWed ana
planted to SQuaw corn. The planting
finished July 1. Squaw corn is the
genuine Indian stock species, growing
four and five ears to the stalk, ana
F~.Tn-
planted for rough feed and no corn
was expected from the late planting.
But the Seasonable weather has ruined
the feed crop and the corn is IN roast
ing ears, fourteen inches long and
will make thirty bushels to the acre.
The grains are blue and run just
eight to the ear.
I'VE will have 100000 bushels of
corn said Mr.. Miller. "Of this we
will reserve some 10000 bushels for
seed. with enough to reed our horses
and mules, and then Il the market is
above forty cents we will sell the bal
ance. If less than that we will use all
the crop for cattle and full feed If
we sell We put the cattle on rough
feed and alfalfa, the latter of which
we are now cutting the third crop
from a 200-acre field.
I'VE feed our 800 head of mules but
once a day. We have a barn 1S5 feet
long with a driveway through IL and
a load of corn or oats is driven through
and the troughs filed each day. The
mules have oats in front of them all the
time. You can't founder a mule.
I'VE are now putting up our hay. Six
mowers are started, one behind the
other, the length of the field. Maybe
they will go straight ahead for five
miles, Just so they can make the trip
between meals. a bull rake is started
after win rows are made up with ordi-
nary rakes, and the hay is piled at in
tervals in small stacks of a ton each.
In winter the cattle are turned in diff
ferent pastures to the different stacks
which saves the expense of handling.
We never use a baler as it is too, ex-
pensive. -0
when the national convention of
editors meet at Guthrie next spring, we
have promised to entertain them for a
day" continued Miller. I'VE are going
to have the. biggest gathering of In
dams ever held in the southwest We
will have them from every tribe and
will furnish a buffalo dinner to all of
them. We expect 10000 Indians and
win kill seven buffaloes from the Good
night ranch in Texas Every arrange
ment has been made for this feature
as we'll as for transportation for the
$4,000 people we will entertain on the
farm that day"