The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1911-12-01
The DAIRY FARMER WHO
WAS SUCCESSFUL

The manager of this farm had not
settled down to any permanent
business at middle age, had tried
various occupations in different
parts OF the country. About fif-
teen years ago, when on visit, the
farm on which he now lives was
offered at a low price, because the
land and buildings were badly run
down. He was able to pay down
only one-half of the purchase mon
ey, and his friends and neighbors
predicted his failure. They were
mistaken. for he had found the work
in life to which he was adapted.
During the first year on his farm,
a professor from one of the state
agricultural institutions called on
him; and after talking to him
asked him if he wanted some agri.
cultural literature. The owuer re-
piled that he had no time to read
The professors look set him to
thinking, and the result was he sub
scribed for one of the leading agri-
cultural papers. He found he was
hungry for the information the
papers contained.
Here is an instance for farmers
to think about, who say they dc
not take agricultural papers because
they do not have time to read them
The result Of reading his papers
was that he saw that to make his
farm pay he must build up a good
working herd of pure bred or high
grade cows; that he must make his
dairy barn comfortable, sanitary
and convenient; and that he must
produce on the farm the cheapest
and the best ration for the COWS, in
the form of ensilage, alfalfa and
clover.
The farm contains 1852 acres,
mostly cleared land. A large part
of it is about one of the best river
flats in the country. The deposits
of alluvial soil in some places is
more than ten feet deep. 1t is clay
loan on gravel, and in this soil any,
thing is easily grown that is adapt
ed to climatic conditions. The
value of the soil, naturally drained,
several feet deep on the average,
and filled with humus, all washed
in from a large area of country,
is very great. Part of the farm is
upland, more or less gravely. The
rougher part on the hillside is used
for pasture but it only partly feeds
the stock, and is supplemented by
spelling crops. At great expense
an old barn was rebuilt, and in it
is the comfortable and sanitary
stable. A partly covered barnyard
il attached to the stables.
The owner of the farm continued
to work along the lines taught in
his agricultural papers. He tried
alfalfa and clover. | saw, what one
seldom sees in New York, over
many acres an almost perfect stand
of alfalfa. and fields of red clover,
and so few weeds that they were
not noticeable. | was assured that
alfalfa could be grown in most OF
the soil in the state with the same
certainty as timothy. On the other
side of the line fences, on the same
kind of soil, his neighbors were pro-
ducing only light crops of tymothy
or mixed grasses. | was shown
large bays of clover and alfalfa hay,
and was told that these were the
only kinds of hay he fed his COWS.
If he grows timothy hay he sells 1t
in the city.
He has very complete equip
ment of farm tools and good tool
house. All work possible to do by
machinery is done with it. A ma
chine is discarded at once if not
satisfactory and a new one bought
With him everyone must do good
work and and do 1t at once. Nc
time is lost with inferior tools.
He does not let the weeds stay
long either in his new grass seeding
or cultivated fields. His way Of
getting rid of weeds that cannot be