Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-03-08
NEW STOCK COUNTRY.
Livestock Are Being Patterned on kaffir
Corn In Arid Southwest.

I
Fort Worth, Tex. March S.-"We
Ihave the most promising undeveloped
country In the United States asserted
Geo. III. Webster, the we'll known Pecos
valley livestock man. He said 1T with
an air Of confidence that offered no
opportunity for dispute and then pro-
ceeded to demonstrate the truth of the
assertion. Mr. Webster was in Chica
go all last week marketing a big band
|of New Mexican LAMBS. the first OF
their kind ever sold on that market
and is we'll satisfied W tn results which
fully demonstrated the feasibility of
sending finished meat from feed lots
in the semi arid region to Chicago,
using nothing but home grown pro-
duct
1T has been truthtully said that
most of the country west of the Mis-
souri, can never be Il corn producing
area said Mr.. Webster, but expert
ments extending over five. years have
convinced me that we, have something
equally as good In Milo maize and KAT
fir corn. I have demonstrated that
Il can put 80 pounds on a sheep in 80
days feeding with nothing but these
grains, which can be grown as cheaply
in the southwest as can Indian corn In
Iowa or Illinois l hare put two pounds
per day on both cattle and sheep. We
grind the feed for steers and hogs
and thresh 1t for sheep. ! have worked
the latter up to two pounds gain in a
day.
There Is but little difference be-
t,ro Kaff NV nh ivn ay.
cept that the latter is the more nitro
genous in its make up, hence they
combine To make q wei balanced RAJ
ton Eventually they will constitute
the standard crops OF grain west of the
Missouri as do corn and oa.s east OF
that river. On ou- rich valley land
well Irrigated, / have raised six tons
OF grain TO the acre, but these crops
csn be grown prof ably on land 80
poor for Indian corn. Western Kan
SIS and Nebraska eastern Colorado
and the Texas Par baadle are to be
Sasfir corn ana Milo maize producing
+egions, but irrigation will be needed
o produce maximum results. The
area of the Indian corn belt may be
we'll defined but these grains will go
everywhere in the west and they will
cut wide swath in the production of
tae food supply of tile nation within the
next few years.
Milo maize and Kaffir corn fodder
made alfalfa unnee essary. Our work
horses leave alfalfa for 1t. When
wanted for fodder we broadcast it
thickly, SO that it produces an abund-
ance of leaf and but little grain.
Our sheep are Shropshire on I'M
proved Mexican NJ erinos. / get pure
bred bucks from Canada and find they
do we'll crossed with the improved ma
tive stock.
.sThe only handi zap to the develop
ment of the irrigated west heretofore
has been alkaqi. Wherever irrigation
was practiced alkali salts soon rose to
the surface, blackening it and render
ing cultivation improbable. Recently
we have solved this problem by resort
ing to the Egyptian method pursued
in the Nile valley of washing the all
kali out. This is done by underdrain-
ing and flooding the land, by which
means the alkali Isl driven out. ! took
10 acres two years ago that was alb
black and grew six tons of
Katrir corn on 1t. The result is that
those who were reluctant to mitigate
and Improve these lands are imbued
with confidence, and progress will be
rapid from now on. We have the
most eauable climate in creation and
the time is not far distant when the
whole Pecos valley will be densely pop
ulated."