Abilene weekly reflector., 1912-07-18

last week from Topeka to Dickinson
county going one route and return
Ing by another, making trip of 2bO
miles through central Kansas fields
While making our headquarters in
dickinson, the county of our birth
and for 80 years our home, We ex-
tended our travels into the edge OF
the surrounding counties, So we
had fairly good look at things In
general and talked with many farm
ers In many localities. Those Of our
observations here recorded we have
endeavored to make sufficiently gem
eral in their application to prove
or interest to Kansas Farmer read
ers in all parts Of the state, The
general crop outlook is fine. Farmers
are feeling good over the prospects.
The wheat crop along our route was
mostly in shock, and It promises to
exceed the early spring prospects
Corn Is small but Of good color, is
growing rapidly and the fields are
unusually clean. Sorghum and kafir
forage is promising, and wild grass
pasture could not be better.
Dickinson's Alfalfa.
Everywhere that the harvesting Of
wheat had not lnterfered the second
cutting OF alfalfa was being cut. The
yield is above the average for thel
second crop, and the quality Of hay
fine. It was being harvested,s too,
without one drop OF rain. The same
harvest conditions excited with ref
erence to the first crop. We be-
IIeve that farmers through the loT'
caIIties where alfalfa is considerably
grown are more enthusiastic about
That crop now than ever before. An
Increased acreage Of alfalfa will this
lfaiI be sown throughout the entire
territory covered BY our travels.
lspeakIKs of alfalfas haExaatiug allel
methods or TO-DAY are vastly differ
ent as compared with those Of ten
years ago. Improved methods are
due to a greater appreciation OF the
value Of the crop. More alfalfa hry
is each year being saved under sheds
and stack covers than before. and
many growers are actually curing
rather than drying the hay before
stacking. You may recall en- cdi-
torial in Kansas Farmer Of last week
on the curing versus drying OF hay,
alse on proper curing and the dis
advantages resulting from the for
mer methods OF drying. In Dickin-
SON county wheat harvest was in
terfering with the cutting Of the sec
ond alfalfa crop. and on this account
many fields will be permitted to
seed. We think this condition pre-
walls generally throughout those sec
tions where considerable wheat is
raised, and It is our guess that the
alfalfa seed crop in Kansas viii this
year be larger than normal, but
not so large as last year. Another
thing alfalfa growers have learned
10 that It is essential that the crop I
be cut as the fret bloom appears.
This, not because alfalfa at this Ftage
makes the best hay, but because
when cut at this stage the growth 1
of the succeeding crop is stimulated.
When cut as the plant Is just enter
ing the bloom the crown at once
sends up numerous new shoots which Il
make the succeeding crop. II the 4
plant is allowed to stand in full (
bloom the shoots which make the II
succeeding crop are much slower inli
starting. One successful upland I
grower OF alfalfa in Dickinson coun-
ty told us that by cutting alfalfa II
early he could In normal years har- Ii
vest one crop more per season than ID
he had been able to do formerly I
when he cut later and the yield was 4
heavier. I
We find a great growing tendency s
toward the baling Of alfalfa from 6
the wind row. In times past when !
alfalfa was so handled the crop was
shipped and sold. Those t
balIng alfalfa this season are storing i
the baIed hay under cover for mar =
ket later. One grower who has baled I
upwards Of ESQ tons 50 far this sea-
SON. gave as his reasons for baling I
put OF the wind row that the plant Z
then he baled cheaper than at any {
other time. that there was less loss i
and wastage in the handling Of the o
srop. that the storing Of the same d
was more economical. there was no a
loss from rain and when favorable =