Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-07-19
VISIT FROM
SPECIAL WRITER
Experimental Farm of Otero
Agricultural Club is Popular
MARVELS WILL BE TOLD
IN PICTURES AND STORY

"darden of the Earth" VIII Spread
the News of What May be Accom-
pIished In the Arkansas Valley
Last week the Enterprise told of
visit to the Otero Agricultural
Club experiment farm at the
northwestern confines of this city, I,
by G. L. Seagraves, general colon
ization agent of the Santa Fe rail
road, who waxed enthusiastic over
the work accomplished by the
club and promised 10 boost the
good work. In response to his
promise E. L. Vandegrift. a special
writer for "The Garden of the
Earth" a Santa Fe publication,
arrived on Monday for the pur-
pose of visiting the farm and de-
failing what he found therein by
camera and pen.
Mr.. Vandegrift was met by
members of the club and taken to
the garden patch," where he was
shown around by w. w. Kerney,
the farmer in charge, and like
other recent visitors he was aston
ished at the demonstration.
He stated that this was the
greatest thing i'll the line of agri-
cultural experimental work that he
had ever seen and he was most
enthusiastic over the great benefit
that these experiments would be
to the entire state. He expressed
the opinion that every farmer who
called himself up-to-date, no
matter what part of the state he
was from, would be greatly benefit
ed by day spent at the garden.
Mr.. Vandegrift enthusiastically
endorsed the statements made by
Mr.. Seagraves when he was in
structed, to visit the experiment
f,rm, as follows:
"Never saw anything like it. /
have been all over this country
time and again and have been
visiting the Arkansas valley for
twenty yeurs and l want to say
that'I never saw the equal OF the
conditions that prevail at the
present time. These same condi-
tions cannot be found anywhere
in the country, I'll venture"
"This country would grow great
in short time if they had as IN uch
enterprise in other places rs they
show at Rocky Ford, where the
farmers themselves are maintain
ing an experimental farm, Think
of what such an institution means
to a community. with all the in
formation of practical nature
that is available for the inhabitants
and the great quantity of seed"
The bouquets Mir. Seagraves
hands out to Arkansas valley
farmers sounds all the better after
hearing his general discussion en-
farming: conditions are chang
ing all over, and they have to-" he
declared. "You know there is
something radically wrong with
the present farming methods in
most sections of the country. In
spite of the assistance rendered by
the government, the states and the
railroads, trying to show the farm
Ell how to produce big aud good
crops. it has been apparent that
there was n change needed. Now
you take Kansas for instance.
Kansas is considered great wheat
state and yet, just think, the ave-
rage WELD of wheat per acre in
Kansas is only ii bushels per
acre. Surely there is something
wrong there, isn't there? Those
acres of land in Kansas ought to
be averaging from % to 35 bush
els instead"
He says that the reasons for the
apparent scarcity of immigrants,
in proportion to the interest in the
land movements, is due to the
great competition tn be had now.
In the east central ates-and south
vast tracts are being opened up
and people who want land are be-
ing persuaded to take it up.
Canada is drawing from SI50,000,-
COO to SITS, 100000 of American
money, possessed by farmers each
year, while Australia and South
America also are making sire
nuous bid for immigrants. He is
certain that there is great back
to the land movement at the
present time, but there is SO much
ro,,,,atit;on and sn muph land ia