Gilpin observer., 1908-03-26
HON TO GET SUCCESSFULLY
STARTED oS THE
PLAINS.
BRING COWS and HENS
FIELD AND GARDEN CROPS THAT
WILL BRING BEST
RESULTS.
By j. E. Payne.

many years. Besides early training in
Kansas, he was in charge of work on
the plains for the Colorado Experiment
Station from 1896 to 1904, as superin-
tendent of the sub-station at Cheyenne
Wells, and as field agent for the EN-
pertinent Station. Is now in the en-
ploy of the United States Department
Of Agriculture in the Dry Land Di-
vision, to be located at Akron, Colo
rado.)
| We recognize ii as a fact that many
| aew settlers have taken up residence
/ n the plains region during the last
..ew months who have merely enough
capital to put up houses, break few
acres of sod, and live during the first
Dix months.
The people cannot wait for results
promised by the exploiters of ''Scieu-
tific Soil Culture" They must have
results this season. 1t is to this clase
of people that we would address the
following suggestions:
First. If you have a milch COW give
her the best care possible, and get as
many more as you can. Sell cream.
or make good butter or cheese. Sod
cowhouses are within the reach of all
who can work.
Second. Keep as many hens as you
can take care of. Feed well and p-o-
tect from coyotes and other beasts OF
prey. If you can raise turkeys and
geese they will pay. Turkeys and
geese may be herded by children, and
turkeys are the best grasshopper> ex-
terminators known.
Third. For field crops on sod, plant
early amber cane, yellow Milo maize
and corn. The seed used should be
grown in the vicinity if possible, if not,
choose some early variety If you are
able to do SO, prepare a small field
for fall wheat
Fourth. Plant a garden. II you
have no well, plant a small plat near
the house and water it with the waste
water. Bury every drop of waste wa
ter beside some vegetable by making
furrow beside the plants and after
the water has SINK away fill the fur
row with dry dirt. Old tin cans sunk
In the ground by the side of hills Of
cucumbers aid in watering them eco
nomically. Punch holes in the bottoms
of the cans.
If you have a well. plant a large gar
den but plant all garden stuff in rows
so that 1t may be cultivated with horse
power. Use the water with the same
economy that You would if using only
waste water. Never flood the ground
purposely. If any should be flooded,
stir it thoroughly as soon as it is dry
enough.
1t is a common mistake with begin
ners in irrigation to try TO make water
take is to plant a larger area than can
suit is failure. Another common mis-
take is to plant lorger area than can
be watered from the well. Better be-
gin with only few square rods and
extend the area as experience dictates.
In case you cannot irrigate from a
well, select small patch of ground
upon which you can turn the flood wa
ter from the prairie by means of fur
rows. If you can make a small reser-
voir above the patch. do it, The res
ervoir may hold few barrels of water
until you have time to direct II to the
plants which need il. Cultivate thor
oughly and keep all weeds down.
Besides the small truck, a good
patch should be planted to Mexican
beans. early COW peas, watermelons,
muskmelons. stock melons, pumpkins.
squashes, popcorn, sweetcorn and po-
tatoes. These will sometimes bring
good crops without irrigation. Enough
should be planted so that a plentiful
supply of winter food for the family
Will be assured. Stock melons are
very productive. and IL stored in sod
buildings, above ground, they will fur
nish green food for the milch cows
during winter. l have grown stock
melons at the rate of twenty tons per
acre. | have kept ordinary water
melons until the last of November by
packing them in hay and storing theus
in room where they kept cool but
did not freeze. There are varieties or
winter watermelons and muskmelons
which are good from Christmas until
March.
BY planting the following seven vari-
eties of sweetcorn on the same day
and often near the last of May have
had roasting ears from July Goth untn
September Goth. The varieties were
Cory, Black Mexican, Perry's Hybrai.
StowelPs Evergreen, Country Gentle
man, Mammoth Evergreen, and Egyp~
tian. The large varieties may be dried
for winter use or allowed to ripen To
be used parched. Parched sweetcorn
Is luxury, but one which Is witifn
the reach of the poorest settler. Whsees
Pearl and Queens Golden popcorn
have done well for me. and my family
have had many meals consisting only
Of whipped cream and popcorn.
Potatoes. squashes and pumpkins
may be grown successfully by keeping
up constantly successful fight against
potato beetles and squash bugs. This
means to battle almost daily with the
pests from the time the potatoes are
up until the middle of August. nsso
from the time the squash plants arv
up until the squashes are ripe. To
describe methods OF lighting these
ppgfc would raunirn yplurnny h,,t -.
advise you to use your ingenuity in
killing them. preferred to kill them
with clubs.
Grasshoppers are the worst enemies
to field crops, but by keeping plenty
Of noultrY the gras sshnnncra will h