New-York tribune., 1909-05-23
OAT RAISING CONTEST.
Wyoming Farmer and Canadian
Syndicate IN $40. 900 Duel.

Laramie. wyo.. May 22.-'Bes you 5000 7 can
raise more oats an acre my Laramis Plains
farm than any other man in the world can rass
on his farm" said Colonel e J. Bell. Of Laramie
Wen take that bet" answered a syndicsts Of
Western Canadian farmers. headed BY PrOfsssor
W. H FaIrchild, OF Lethbridge. Alberta
And the great International cat raising contest IS
on.
Colonel Bell is one OF the notable figures Of
Wyoming and has made fortune IN cutvattns
his big farm south OF Laramie. Professor Fair
child has made study Of Southern Alberta lands
and IS the oracle to whom all the farmers about
Lethbridge turn for advice in farming.
The contest IS not alone one OF Canada against
the United States but IS a contest OF two systems
OF farming we'll
Colonel Bells farming is all done by artificial
means His entire farm Is under ditch" and prac-
tically all the watei his crops receive comes BY II
rigation On the other hand. the Canadian farmers
who are backing up the claims OF Alberta as tns
greatest cat raising field earth will use no lfi-
cation whatever, but will depend entirely upon
Jupiter PIuvius to send enough rain to cause then
crops to grow and mature On this point the ca
nadians are handicapped. Colonel Bel IS aoso-
lutey sure OF sufficient moisture 20 ripen his crea
while the Canadians must run their chances How
ever, farmers who live around Lethbridge, Whefs
the Canadians will grow the oats with which tnes
expect to win the $1,000 prize. say there has never
been an Oat failure in that country since the -
vent OF the white man IN Western Canada
A curious feature OF the contest IS that most 81
the members OF the syndicate which is baektns
Professor Fairchild are former Americans who hsFs
sought new homes in the Canadian Northwest ana
have since transferred their allegiance and theh
patriotism to the government Of their homes
Colonel Bell has record OF having raised 81
bushels Of high grade oats the and he says
that by specially preparing the land seeding easr
fully and seeing that the proper amount OF Taisi
is turned his field he can increase this yield con-
siderably.
The country around Lethbridge Is famous among
Canadians for its heavy yield OF oats. and accoro-
ing 70 the farmers of that section. crops runnhs
one hundred bushels to the acre are the usuA
thing although the average yield OF the prosH'1'
drops to about forty-nine bushels. But the aselas
yield in Wyoming also drops below the reeoFu -
the Bell farm the state averaging hfty-Ave bushes
an acre. Alberta farmers have taken pFi1s a.
prize in oat contests in Canada. while "yOsA- -,
holds many records in Western agrtculturai I'-'
and exhibits
The conditions governing the contest are snip1s
First there must be one hundred acres OF ths %. -
entered In the contest. Secondly, the OATS ms
grade to standard" There no rules Sow
ing the amount OF seed to be sown; no cona-li'-.
as to the manner OF preparing the ground Lo' m -
to harvesting and thrashing- The contestants -
permitted TO any system they chO0Ss =.
manner OF farming. N a.,
LAST wear duriug harvest time Colonel Bel sn-
tertained at his big farm party Of thirty-n's
ing railroad men, headed by Vice-Presidenl ~ .
Of the Union Pacific. \ photograph was ~ - -.
the party standing in the oat field The ST.
go high that only Mr. MohIer's head could DO sesn
and Mr.. Mohler is considerably more than slA
In height Photographs OF the Alberta oat - -
show that a similar condition existed IN tn@' ~
ince during harvest last year. -.
The stakes have already been posted ana 'ne % q,
are now being planted. The harvest Will eoLI , :.
seDtember. and the championship award VIII
made by the officials OF the National Corn As'0''
ton Immediately after thrashing.