The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-30
FORAGE CROPS AND PROS-
 PERITY.

the most earnest attention of the thinking men of any community is to encourage and develop the pro- duction of the things most in de- mand at home for which otherwise money is sent abroad.
 This principle applies with more than ordinary force to Polk county because the staples for which she pays the most money are of char acter that the cost to consumers is very largely increased because of the heavy freight charges.
 Reference is made particularly to feed stuffs, meat and flour, of which immense quantities are distributed from Mena alone. To give a more definite idea of the magnitude of the trade in these products, the Cox Wholesale Grocery Company reports that last year it sold, in round num- bers, $550, 900 worth in Polk county, the Roach Wholesale Grocery Com< pany $l50, 900, and G. w. Petty, who purchases direct in carload lots, says his business in this line will aggre- gate from $40,000 to $50, 900 year. Granting that these figures are cor rect, it would seem that the total amount of money sent out of Polk county each year for feed, flour and meat would aggregate fully 3-4 of a million dollars. And, to make the matter worse, mucl- of this money comes direct from Polk county farmers, who raise cotton and then haul loads of feed, corn chops, bran and hay back to their farms.
 l A proper study of this situation with intelligent effort should bring about a revolution in this matter that would keep each year larger portion of this money at home, mak- ing Polk county richer and more prosperous than many have ever dreamed could be possible.
 Let us briefly review the situation as we see it in the matter of hay and forage crops:
 To begin with, almost any piece of land, even old worn out fields, when cleared or kept clear of brush soon develop good crops of native grass which, if cut before too old and then properly cured will make hay that is equal if not superior to that shipped in from the north. The Star knows of one instance when twenty-eight big loads, say at least fourteen tons, was cut in one season from five acres of ground that was considered by the owner of little value for cultivation. So much for the native wild grass.
 It is well known that clover, next to cowpeas, is the best soil builder for this country, each successive crop leaving the land better than before, even though oie Or more cuttings for hay are made. Two instances have come to notice this summer where one cutting of com mon clover has made approximately four tons to the acre At the usual price for clover hay what crop can a farmer raise with so little attention that will pay half as much? Fields of clover have been seen even on thin uplands that will bring good cash returns and at the same time build up the soil each season.
 Cowpea hay is not exceled by any and cowpeas can be grown success fully. They furnish the best of feed, both forage and grain, for all kinds of stock and can be grown success fully on any fairly good ground, each crop making the land better for another season.
 Timothy grows well, as does red top and many other grasses. The writer knows of one small field off mlllet recently cut that when raked and piled up little more than Jeff room to get on the land with a wa gon to load the crop.
 The growing of alfalfa here is as