The Ordway new era., 1909-03-05
FARM NOTES
Early Seeding and Farm Values
Topic for This Week


pruphctic-it's Ia the very air. Al
though ''hOpe blooms eternal in our
breasts" regardless Of past experiences,
yet the Ordway farmer certainly never
upon spring campaign-to plow and
sow and reap-ncvcr has our soil turn
ed up with such promise. What a
year for seeding down to alfalfa. In
the moist mellow dirt every seed must
gcrminate. While twenty pounds per
acre Is none too much in the cold and
clOddy earth, ! shall hesitate this
spring To SOW more than twelve pounds
per acre. In similar spring Of '9i,
secured IA very good stand OF alfalfa
from seven pounds per acre, and that
from screenings. IL has been csti-
mated that il every seed would
germinatc and at equal distance
apart, two pounds per acre would mat
the ground over perfectly. Some day
when you have no other work To do,
count the seeds in one teaspuonful Of
alfalfa and see how many square inch
cs Of ground it will cover giving one
seed to every square inch-wait until
you have done your spring seeding.
though.
Ordway farmers are seeding oats
and spring wheat a month earlier than
usual, ] am glad to see, while Il few
early birds have completed this work,
most every one is ready to begin with
the drill. This is doubly important
TO get the oats and wheat well rooted
and in sight before the dry days come;
especially is this true since the Twin
Lakes are about empty and will not
be filled before the June melting OF
snow. If james Graham, OF the Cow
Creek district, in Greeley, can safely
SOW his spring wheat the 10th day OF
February, As stated in the Denver
Republican, we can sow with as great
safety by February lst, as our season
is fully ten days earlier. i think,
when we get fully awake to this sub.
jeCt, we can raise good crops OF spring
wheat il desired, but we must be early
enough to have the grain well filled
before the intense heat OF July, or
rust aud smut will surely catch us.
The writer must drop farming notes
a minute and answer an important
question asked him few days ago
"Do you think Colorado irrigated
lands worth the present selling price,
|. c., from 500 to $500 per acre." My
answer must be infcrcntial. You will
agree with me that good farms in
Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, etc, are sell
ing for $50 per acre and at the same
time are renting for from 81 to So per
acre, cash. Colorado land set in al.
falfa rents readily for from So To Sl2
per acre. cash. Now, let's try again
Good, irrigated land in California,
Oregon, Washington, Idaho. near Il
railroad station. is selling at from 500
to $500 per acre. Why not Colorado
land, considering we are from ! 900 to
>, 600 miles nearer the eastern market?
Let's try again-as an investments.
Suppose you don't find cash renter
and have to take One-half the hay for
rental. You will agree again, that
from to 6 tons per acre Is not a
"bumper crop" at all, and that 1925
per ton is really less than IL Is selling
for. That gives you from $l2 to $ls
per acre annually, and based on east
ern values, should give you about $3.50
per acre. Now mind you, l am not
writing of intensive farming-should
| do that, you would Immediately
accuse me of "boosting" which shall
sincerely try to avoid in these letters,
but my opinion was asked aud Is
given without sinister motives.
| see other strong reasons for land
values in the west,-climate and mar
kcts standing first. 1t would be use
less to write of the former, but as to
market we frequently err. The over.
crowded East s only awaiting
means and opportunity to send into
the west half of the United States
millions of it's best young families.
Homes, homes is the cry. The water
cannot be increased-a little more
can be conserved In reservoirs, but
not IT all in proportion to the immi-
grafton. Dry farming will make
thousands of homes but they will
never raise alfalfa-really will In
crease the demand.
Then we must not forget the cause
Of all this emigration from east to
west, First, of course, 1t Is only In
harmony with the great unexplained
natural cause, "Westward the Course
of Empire Takes its Way;' but chietiy
the great exhaustion of soil Is the
| -. ,..,aninllv In the nnrf lpa at AND