Rocky Ford enterprise., 1904-04-22

Until recently. when Eliza died. New
York possessed the oldest hen In the
country. She was seventeen years old.
having been hatchcd In May. 1857.
She was just common breed Of fowl
and was Mt first kept for her cgg-pro-
ducinS qualities. but later to zee how
long she woGld live.
a sitc has been selected Mt Chico.
California. for government expert
mental station. seed farm and plant
Introduction garden which will be the
most Important institution of It's kind
In America and will probably become
| the greatest In the world. One hun
dred acres OF ground will he Immediate
ly planted and within short time
three hundred acres will be used. Al
most every plant of the known world
will be grown In the garden.
The Santa Fc- stock yards at Trin!-
dad. Colorado. are being improved In
anticipation OF large early move
ment OF cattle from Texas to the Da-
kota and Montana ranges. The move
ment Is estimated ut over 300. 900 head.
Last season the movement was more
than 100000 and the yards were not
finished when the rush had started.
During last season this yard made a
, and shipping more than 1000 head OF
cattle In one day. This year It is looked
to pass even that big figure.
Ben Davis. the originator OF the apple
bearing his name. was born in Prince
Edwards county. Virginia. in 1775 and
| throughout his long life was n faithful
representative of the old fashioned Vir-
ginia gentleman. Somewhere near the
year 1900 he settled in Butler county.
Kentucky. where he acquired large
tract of land and up to the outbreaking
of the Civil War owned about twenty
slaves. He was the pioneer apple grow
er and nurseryman of that section OF
the country and his long experience in
propagating finally produced the Ben
Davis apple. There is probably not
another species of apple that has re-
ceived more merciless criticism or
higher praise.
Tomatoes do very well on new land,
and especially that which inclines
slightly to sand rather than
clay, but the application OF
manure from the cow shed or
sheep pens is OF great value to a crop.
In test of producing tomatoes for the
early markets J. H. Crowley OF Otero
county found that with plants grown
Ill HUl UcuS, " DotS
later to the open field and where all
conditions were most favorable. those
in the part of the field where nine
loads of sheep manure to the acre had
been applied gave much tho best yield
and ripened three weeks earlier. giving
ripe fruit the 4th Of July. The crop
from the manured land was about six
ty per cent. greater than from the area
not fertilized.-Field and Farm.
Hens nests should be in the darkest
corner of the poultry house. An inch
OF SO Of ashes or layer of tobacco
stems in the bottom of the box helps
to keep off vermin. Nests should be
we'll provided with clean hay which
suits better than straw and as it is
rofter, will not break up and settle
down so badly Excelsior is also n
most excellent material for use in the
place of straw in nests for sitting hens.
Oat straw is much softer and therefore
better than wheat straw for the pur-
lose If excelsior cannot be obtained.
The nests should be on the ground in
this dry climate. A. good-sized room
with nests all around makes very
good place for setting hens and In the
middle on the floor should be a pan
with fresh water and box OF feed all
the time.