The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1907-04-20
TANNING MILLS ON FARM.
Prof. Thomas Shaw Declares Every
Farmer Should Have One.


The natural thought would be that
every farmer would look upon fan
ming mill as an indispensable adjunct
to bis farming. Nevertheless. the fast
remains that on the majority Of tho
srain.growing farms OF the Northwest
there are NO tanning mills. THIS
means that before all the farms are
thus equipped. from 200. 900 to 100000
tanning mills would have to be sold
In that territory.
To farmer living East II seems IT,
comprehensive that any farmAr
should think Of growing crops with.
out 4 tanning mill. The explanation
10 found In the methods Of farming
that have been followed. The aver
age Northwestern farmer settled On
virgin lands. where foul seeds had
never grown. The lands were 80 rica
that he was able to grow crops In sue
cession for many years without think
ing much about weeds. For the time
being. he found II cheaper to send his
grain from the threshing machine to
the elevator than to build granaries
In which to store 1t and to buy .
tanning mill and clean the grain BE-
fore selling It,
II also left on his hand large
amount Of screenings. which he had
NO stock to feed to. and which would
have been drug on the market
Seed wheat was bought In many In.
stances. under the idea that q change
was good. In this way. foul seeds
multiplied apace. This is largely the
explanation Of the disgrsceful condi-
ton OF SO many OF the farms Of the
Northwest At the present time. be.
cause Of the extent to which they are
infested with noxious weeds.
The times have changed. The sys.
tenn must change. 1t has been dis
covered that home grown seed Is
more valuable than what has been
purchased. and that seed carefully
cleaned and graded is much more val
liable than seed brought in from
abroad. To have such seed It IL in
dispensable that every farmer shall
have q tanning mill and he ought to
have the best that can be got. Thus
should improve every year. and this
should mean q corresponding increase
In his crops.
Tho time has also come when II IL
imperative to SOW clean seed. Tho
only way to insure this 10 for every
farmer to clean his own seed. which
means that he must have = tanning
FvNt11 M IA H.
grain OF various kinds and II Ia equal.
ly important that the seed Of these
shall be we'll cleaned. ~ that the seed
Of wheat shall be so prepared.
Live stock Is also being introduced
more or less on many farms. This
means that the screenings taken from
the wheat or other grains sold can be
turned to excellent account In feeding
one or the other Of the various kinds
Of live stock kept. The screenings
sent to the elevators are given away.
The farmer IL locked SO much for
screenings and nothing IL allowed HIN
for the dockage.
When the Importance Of the fan.
Ming mill II considered to the North.
west farmer. II would seem that II liz
not putting II too strongly to say
that the man who sells fsnning mills
10 engaged In q benehcent work, even
though when thus engaged he has no
other thought than that OF earning
. commission on his sales. Tho cost
IL so small that tanning mill is with.
In the reach OF every farmer.-Orauke
Judd Farmer.