The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1908-03-27
HOW TO GET SUCCESSFULLY
STARTED ON TH1
PLAINS.
BRING COWS and HENS
FIELD AND GARDEN CROPS THAT
WILL BRING BEST
RESULTS.
By J. +. 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 supcrin-
Wells. and as field agent for the Eh-
pertinent Station. Is now in the cni-
ploy of the United States Department
Of Agriculture in the Dry Land pi-
vision, to be located at Akron. Colo
rado)
We recognize it as fact that many
new settlers have taken up residence
n the plains region during the last
,ew months who have merely enough
capital to put up houses, break Il few
acres of sod, and live during tie first
Xix months.
The people cannot wait for results
promised by the eXploiters of "Scieu-
tific Soil Culture They must have
results this season. J., is to this class
Of people that we would address the
following suggestions:
First. If you have 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 a.
tect from coyotes and other beasts OF
prey. II you can raise turkeys and
geese they will pay. Turkeys ami
geese may be hcrded by children. and
turkeys are the best grasshoppei cH-
terminatOrS known.
Third. For field crops on sod, plant
early amber cane, yellow Milo maize
and corn. The seed used should he
grown in the vicinity if possible, if not.
choose some early variety. If you are
able to do so, prepare small field
for fall wheat.
Fourth. Plant a garden. II yuti
have no well. plant small plat near
the house and water it with the waste
water. Bury every drop of waste va
ter beside some vegetable by making
a furrow beside the plants and after
the water has SINK away fill the fur
row with dry dirt. Old tin cans sunit
in the ground by the side of hills nf
cucumbers aid in watering them eco
nomically. Punch holes in the bottoms
OF the cans.
If you have well. plant a large gar
den but plant all garden stuff in rows
so that il may be cultivated with horse
power. Use the water with the same
economy that you would if using only
waste water. Never Hood the ground
purposcly. If any should be flooded,
stir it thoroughly as soon as it X dry
enough.
1t Is 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 he
gin with only few square rods ana
extend the area as experience dictates
In case you cannot irrigate from Il
well, select small patch of ground
upon which you can turn the flood Wa
ter from the prairie by means OF fur
rows. II you can make small reser-
voir above the patch. do it. The res
crvoir may hold few barrcis Of water
until you have time to direct It TO The
plants which need it. Cultivate thor
oughly and keep all weeds down.
Besides the small truck, "A good
patch should be planted to Mexican
beans, early COW peas, watermeloHs,
muskmelons, stock melons, pumpkins,
squashes. popcorn. sweetcorn and Ir3-
tatoes. These will sometimes bring
good crops without irrigation. Enough
should be planted so that a plentifu.
supply of winter food for the family
will be assured Stock melons are
very productive, and if stored in sod
buildings, above ground, they will fur
nish green food for the milch cows
during winter. ] have grown stock
melons at the rate of twenty tons per
acre. | have kept ordinary water
melons until the last of November '*
packing them in hay and storing thenf
in room where they kept cool hut
did not freeze. There are varieties of
winter watermelons and muskmeIon.S
which are good from Christmas until
March,
BY planting the following seven yari-
eties OF sweetcorn on the same day
and often near the last of May have
had roasting ears from July 2Gth uDt!i
September Goth. The varieties were
Cory, Black Mexican, Perry's Hybrid
Stowells Evergreen, Country Gentle
man, Mammoth Evergreen, and Egyp-
tian. The large varieties may be dried
for winter use or allowed to ripeH to-
be used parched. Parched sweetcotn
Is luxury. but one which is within
the reach of the poorest settler. White
Pearl and Queens Golden popcmra
have done well for me, and my family
have had many meals consisting OnIs
Of whipped cream and popcorn.
Potatoes. squashes and pumpkins
may be grown successfully by keeping
up Il constantly successful fight against
potato beetles and squash bugs. Ttssi
means to battle almost daily with the
pests from the time the potatoes are
up until the middle of August, atsS
from the time the squash plants are
up until the squashes are ripe TO
describe methods of fighting hes.
pests would require volumes, but W.
advise you to use your ingenuity iE
killing them. | preferred TO kill them
with Clubs.
Grasshoppers are the worst enemies
to field crops, but by keeping plenty
of poultry the srasshoppers will be
kept down.