Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-03-01
OTERO COUNTY
FARMERS INSTITUTE
[ooNrINuEp FROM FIRST pAoKl

You people can hardly believe It IL
l tell you that before the summer
was out, we had sod schoolhousc.
about thirty-fve pupils. Had church
op Sunday, and Sunday school. and
singing school, and fine time gen.
orally. After we put in our crops we
had lots of time.
Along about the first Of July It got
so dry we had to take n drink to
spit. Now we lived there eight years
and we raised two crops. OF course
we raised some cane. millct and fod.
der. One year we had in forty acres
OF corn. The land was in as fine
shape as any Campbell ever prepared
his. There was not weed in the
whole field. The Fourth of July II
had the best prospects ] ever saw in
Iowa. and on the fifth the hot winds
set in. and in two days you could
have seen jackrabbit all over the
whole field. We went to work and
cut it up. hauled II into the barnyard
and piled it up. Then in September
we sowed the field with rye. Some
OF II came up as we had n little ram,
but along in February one of Colo
radios dust storms came up. blew all
one night and day, and when IL ceased
| went ont over the field. and. could
see the mark OF tile plow from one
end OF the field to the other. The
rye we never saw again. ] think II
wen, into the Gulf OF Mexico. The
second year we were there rciinquish.
ments were selling from $4,000 TO
S.ooo.oo per quarter. Even loan com
panics would let people have as high
as ono thousand dollars to prove up
on. Every quarter section was fled
on. just rs smart and intelligent pco-
pie settled up tina, country as lives.
There were towns everywhere. There
is ono thing l must confess. Colo
RADIO has the most beautiful town
sites of any country. outside OF west
crn Kansas in the world.
Profit in Lamb feeding.
This is n subject that has many
sides to il. II may have a dry side
to il as well as dry farming. But
this is business Of itself which takes
time and care in handling. Money
can be made but more easily lost.
In the first place man must like the
business. or he will not give the care
il deserves. No man can 60 into
sheep country to buy sheep. unless
he knows what he 10 doing. You
ought to buy the goods worth the
money. A close study Of the bust
ness Is the surest criterion to 20 by.
There are many men who 20 out TO
buy. who do not know whether thev
are buying . yeasling or four year
old. Nearly any one can tell . lamb.
but whether Il 10 the right kind cs
not. he is at sea.
The most OF the lambs that are
on feed this winter are bought tool
high. Feeders will have to get eight
cents per hundred to make any mon |
ey. and feeding for the fun 10 time
thrown away.
The situation a. Il looks to ne. this
year ID about like this: The averaged
selling price as Kansas City 10 $7.sol
per hundred, averaging eighty lbs.
These figures make the average price |
per head $500.
The cost was ~ follows: Lamb
Says. corn $i.is. alfalfa Sse: interest,
commission. yardage. salt, loss, etc.
SOC. Total $s-7S. The profit on these
figures Is rs cents per head. These
figures will work on any price either
At loss or q gain. Some years you
can buy a little cheaper per head.
but corn and hay, yardaRe and COM
mission. will vary but little from
these figures. Should feeders make |
their lambs weigh s. pounds or more
they will be just that much ahead.
Railroads and Transportation.
There Is one thing certain. II the
railroad transportation is not chang
cd, our stuff will be worn out on the |
railroad. II appears certain that
managers of railroads save ouiiisei
the times, or in other words, they do
not keep up with ihc times. Ill
would be good thing IL there could
be a better class of men at the head
OF our Dads, men who would keep up
with advancement of the country.
The government should take tho |
matter in hand to see IL this trans |
portation problem can not be REM
cdicd. The last sheep shipped from
here were on the road fifty-six hours
from Rocky Ford to Dodge City.
No man living can stand such treat |
meni as this. The feeders here have
decided to drive our stock to the /
Missouri Pacific, when VIC ship.
Some have already been driven over
there and received good treatment,
getting on the market in good shape.
But since writing this understand
the boilcrmakcrs on the Missouri
Pacific have struck. Perhaps we arc
better off here on the old Santa Fc |
r. X. after. all.
o. ]. Baxter contributed a tip on
Mr.. Harsin's "reminiscences of dry
farming. He also suggested as to
beet culture that narrowing after roll
ing down the land, as described by
Mr.. Harsin. was not advisable. Mr..
Harsin accepted the amendment.
Frank Grove was the next man
WHO got the floor for a paper. II
was on Topping and siioing Bcc,s."