El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-06-26
AIfaIfa--A Safe and Staple
Crop In the Mimbres Valley
BY R. BEDICHEK.

A NAN who recently came to Dem
"A ing from California has the fol-
lowing illuminating experience
10 relate concerning the profit in rails
ing grapes in that state. de prefaced
his statement with the remark that
bearing vineyards IN the district from
which he came sell for the insignift
cant sum Of $1,000 per acre, or there
aboUts.
a month before I came to Deming."
he said. I was talking with friend
on the street concerning a consignment
of 2S00 crates OF grapes which had re-
gently shipped to commission men, but
upon which / had not received returns
He thought I wOu1c get so cents per
crate. l was not so optimistic. / asked
him what he would give me. He men
toned % cents per crate L told him
he had made a trade. We walked into
the bank and he gave me check for
the 2SO0 crates al 25 cents per crate.
he lost money on the deal Ihree
weeks later 1 happened to be IN stump
& Hinyard's grocery store, IN oemlng,
and ] saw several crates Of grapes with
my brand on them, and, upon inquiring
the price, found they were selling for
who got the S4.25?" I asked
Commission men and transportation
companies he replied briefly
But" said J. i thought you CalffOr-
MIA fruit men had coopera tive market
ing associations which took care Of you
and saw 10 il that you received some
thing like what your product Is worth
This evoked remark that would not
look well in print
Cooperative Fruit Association.
They wont stand hitched to a CO.
operative association 1 know fruit
man who was a member Of a cooperative
marketing association. One month he
found that he could sell his stuff for
a few cents pound more than
the association was paving. He shipped
his entire output in the name of his
brother. 50 as to secure the few cents
a pound extra This case is typical. 1t
is next to impossible TO get farmers and
fruit growers to stand by an associa-
ton. They had rather throw in with
the hogs. few years ago. he con-
tinued, I was in the Fresno district,
and they were grubblng out whey YARDS
and selling the vines for wood. Since
the raisin days have been inaugu-
rated. / believe the Fresno vineyards
are paying better. A man is a fOol,
he concluded, Ito raise produce that he
must market within a few days or have
the whole perish on his hands He IS
simply giving the cold storage men, the
commission sharks. and the transporta- /
ton companies strangle hold on him
Staple Crops Better.
Experience such as detailed by this
man from California disposes one to /
look faVorably upon growing staple I
crops such as alfalfa in the Mimbres /
valley. Alfalfa is not in any sense ner- I
ishable. If the market is not right /
when it is cut. il may be baled and /
stored away for an indefinite time. II l
the market shows no disposition to get /
right the farmer may buy stock and /
feed them and then sell his alfalfa in !
the form of meat He may feed milk 1
cows and sell his alfalfa in ne form OF 4
milk and butter Again, he may pasture /
hogs on the green alfalfa md sell his 4
alfalfa as pork. One of the experimental /
stations of the state of Nebraska made l
4 seven-year feeding test to determine 4
The value of alfalfa meal for hogs. The /
result of this test demonstrated that al /
Halfa meal mixed half and half with in /
liam corn makes a perfectly balanced }
ration, and that a pound Of alfalfa meal