The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-06-16

II
DoO can raise more oats per acre
In NV Laramie Plains farm than any
Otber man in the world can raise
/ In his farm" says Col. E. j. Bell
Df Laramie.
We'll take> that bet" answers "a
kvndcate of western Canadian farm
Prs. headed by Prof. w. H. Fair
#rbild of Lethbridge, Alberta.
And the great international oa$-
Raising contest is on.
Col. Bell is one of the unique char
acters of Wyoming, and has made a
ortAne cultivating his big farm
kOuth of Laramie.
Prof Fairchild has made study
Nj southern Alberta lands, and is the
: Dracle to which all the farmers
&bout Lethbridge turn for advice in
Earning.
The contest is not alone one of
SCanada against the United States,
] Ind as such, calling forth the patriot
SIN of farmers and others on each
$ide of the international boundary,
Hbut it is a contest of two systems
&f farming as well.
Col. Bells farming is all done by
artificial means. His entire farm lis
rndor etJ;4ob on1 ,1ro o4ioo1Iv oil
I he water his crops receive comes
by irrigation. On the other hand
she Canadian farmers who are back
/ ng up the claims of Alberta as be-
#ng the greatest oat-raising field on
Rarth will use no irrigation whatever,
but will depend entirely upon Jupiter
Pluvius or some other god of rain
d send enough moisture in the us
! bal way to cause their crops to grow
&ld mature.
On this point the Canadians are
handicapped, as Col. Bell is ahso-
! utely sure of sufficient moisture
with which to ripen his crop, while
1he Canadians must run their
chances. However, farmers who live
IN the vicinity of Lethbridge, where
PIE Canadians will grow the oats
with which they expect to win the
$4,000, say there has never been
sBn oat failure in that country since
j he advent of the white man in west
#m Canada.
Canadians Are Former Yankees.
A curious feature of the contest
rs that most of the members of the
syndicate which is backing Prof.
sFairchild are former Americans who
ave sought new homes in the Cana
4 an northwest and have since trans
wed their allegiance and their
ltriotism to the government OF
Atleir new homes.
Col Bell has a record of having
Faised 1877 bushels of cracking good
#Oats to the acre, and he says that by
specially preparing the land, seed
] ing carefully and seeing that the
proper amount of water is turned
pm his field he can increase this
yield considerably.
The country around Lethbridge is
famous among Canadians for its
Aeayy yield of that section, crops
cunning 100 bushels and over to the
2acre are the usual thing, although
S.ne average yield OF the province
drops to about 40 bushels.
But the average yield in Wyoming
1iSo drops below the record on the
pen farm, the state averaging 90
bushels per acre.
81 Alberta farmers have taken prize
aIJer prize in oat contests in Cana
I'd, while Wyoming holds many rec
sOTaS in western agricultural fairs and
exhibits.
The conditions governing the con-
.eSt are very simple. First, there
stluSt be 100 acres of the oats en-
.eIed in the contest. Secondly, the
pats must grade to standard D."
No Conditions as to Methods.
There are no rules governing the
d di4l of seed to be sown; no con-
SlIIons as to the manner of prepar-
lug the ground, nor as to harvesting
ala threshing. The contestants are
c aS to use any system they
moose. The wager is on the results
~ De obtained, not on the manner
Of farming.
po LAST year, during harvest, Col.
''' mad a party Of 35 prominent