Bisbee daily review., 1908-09-11

farms would not follow instructions
consequently Mr.. Campbell concluded
TO stars farms of his own under his
direct supervision and with these he
has made great successes. His plan
now is TO have a community which de.
lsires to have a demonstration farm lc.
Gated in its midst donate a large farm
and to get the railroad company to
give him enough money to equip the
farm. He enters into contract foI
five years, agreeing to make success
OF farming, and if he makes a fail
ure the land reverts back to the own,
er. If he makes a success then the
land and equipment becomes his, to.
gether with all the profits of the farm.
He has already started several OF the
farms in Nebraska, Kansas and Texas
and mas several more under contem.
platiou.
Mr.. Campbell intended to spend ten
days to two weeks in this valley, but
on account of the sickness of his chief
two days in Douglas. He was very
much impressed with the valley and
particularly with Douglas. He ex-
pressed himself as delighted with the
future prospects of both the valley and
the city and hopes TO be able to make
some sort of arrangements so as to be
able to start demonstration farm
somewhere in the valley. After going
north of Douglas about seven miles
he came into the heavy black land of
the valley. where the prairie grass
now stands from two to three feet
high and as thick as it can stand. Mr.
| Campbell made the statement:
| Any land which grows such glass
as that will grow something else. I
have never seen it fail in all my ex-
IpeTience. Where grass will grow 9TH
er things will grow. Of course 1 can
not say just now what will do the
best. but | absolutely know that other
products besides grass will grow and
make very productive crops. 1 cannot
understand why wheat cannot be
grown very successfully on this heavy
soil; also corn, sorghum, kaffir corn,
trees. and, in fact, it seems to me
nearly everything ought to grow and
do we'll In fact, I am so certain of
success that l should like very much
to try it. With regards to the sandy
land I do not believe that land will
produce successfully without irrigation
one year with another. OF course
years when there is a heavy rainfall
/ he T,rOpay cpOJ nrpDG
can ne raised, but during dry years
the sandy soil will not give up the
moisture in sufficient quantities to pro-
duce profitable crops. The sandy land
absorbs the moisture all right, but it
absorbs it too deeply and when it
comes to delivering the moisture back
to the plants it will not do it like
the heavy stiff land will. With some
irrigation, together with the principles
of soil culture thoroughly applied, this
sandy land can be made very pro-
ductive. I SHOULD imagine grapes could
be grown very successfully on this
sandy land by irrigation and thorough
cultivation.
However, 1 wish to state that in
order to make a success OF soil cul-
ture in producing profitable crops the
proper methods of cultivation must
absolutely be used The farming now
being done in the valley, at least that
which I have seen, will not do. 1t is
waste of time to do the poor Earming
now being done in the valley.
Under the present methods a ARM
er can make a little something but
not enough to pay. 1t must be done
right or not at all, If the farmers ex-
pect to get any consideration for their
work. I saw several patches of corn,
sorghum and kaffir corn doing fairly
well with no cultivation, no system, in
many places the weeds nearly as high
as the corn, and yet the crops will
make something. II with all of taese
odds against them these crops do as
well as they are doing, certainly with
the proper care and attention they
would do very much better, in fact,
make very profitable returns"
Mr. Campbell's demonstration farms
are made serviceable to the entire
community. His rules are that for
one, two or three days each week any
one can come TO his farm and make
thorough inspection of the work be-
ing done His foremen have instruc-
tons to give full attention to visitors
and show them everything and to give
advice to farmers whenever desired.
In fact, the object OF the farm so far
as the community is concerned, is to
educate the farmers. In addition 70
this ne takes in enough students to run
1.-THE farm. that is IL there are enough
applicants. If not, then he hires
hands.
Such a demonstration farm as this
would be of the greatest valus to
Douglas and the Sulphur Springs val
iley. Today there are large num-
Der of settlers in the valley and but
few of them doing anything. Many
are getting discouraged and leaving,
claiming 1aat success cannot be
made. simply because they don't know
how to go at it. For the benefit Of
these settlers and those to come there
should be a demonstration farm to
show what can actually be done.
There can be no greater advertise
iment for the Sulphur Springs valley
and Douglas than the proof positive
that farming Is being done sue