El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-10-26

, bushels at rs cents a bushel, fetch
nearly $1,000 II he gets only so cents,
the return is S27OO.
We want a weed killing machine and
we are going to have 1t before very
long. Doing the work thoroughly and
cheaply it will greatly lessen the cost
Of producing tomatoes, potatoes, corn
cabbageS- and other 'InterClled" crops.
L should be understood that the main
object in the cultivating Of corn after
it has started growing is to kin IRE
weeds. Formerly the notion was that
the process of cultivation broke up the
capillary tubes in the surface soil, and
thus prevented the moisture from ris-
ing to the surface and evapOrating-
But we know now that this was a mis-
take. The moisture has no tendency to
come up. because the roots OF the corn
absorb it.
COwpea Machine Coming.
Among other coming and much
needed machines is one that viii gath
er the seed pods of cowpeas from the
vines. When il arrives the farmer, his
crop easily and quickly harvested can
Dlow the vines under the soil for a
heterogeneous fertilizer.
Let US not forget. in a discussion
like this, a croD so vastly important as
hay. Much loss to the hay crop, while
it is curing is caused by rain. which
d1SsOlVes out more or less OF the sol
uble nutrients contained in the hay and
diminishes it palatibly. Damaged
hay sells for low price But recent
green alfalfa. if taken Immediately
after 1t is cut and put into a kiln to
dry quick is converted into the most
wonderful hay ever known. 1t re-
ter relished ty stock than hay cured
in the ordinary way.
Artificial Curing of Hay.
II Is evident that when a method
is devised for artifieially curing hay
on a wholesale scale Immediately after
cutting, at low cost. great quantities
OF hay that are lost under present con-
ditiOns viii be saved. and the quality
Of the output will be much improved
This is q matter of special Importance
in regions of heavy rainfall, most par
ticularly where il is liable TO rain
heavily in the summer time. as is the
case anywhere. east OF the Rocky
mountains
In the near future. doubtless. we
shall have a farm engine utiizable for
many purposes. The horse is such an
engine, and may be turned to account
for a great variety of uses where
power is required. But we need a me-
chanical apparatus with the strength
of many horses. that is similarly con-
yertiole. and which can be employed
for ploWin. narrowing. seeding, cult
waiting any harvesting
Flowing by traction power has been
developed to a point where it is very
successful on large farms Thousands
of engines, which look like miniature
locomotives of primitive type, dragging
gang plOWS behind them, are IN use
today for the purpose But small ma
chimes of the kind adapted for family
farms" have not been found satisfac-
tory. being less convenient and less
economical than horse power To De
economical an expensive implement
must be utilizable a great many days
in the year. On a small farm there is
not enough blowing to be done to keep
such a machine busy.
Already efforts to produce such an
engine. practical. easily managed. and
not too expensive, are being made In
fact. inventive ingenuity today is be-
slowing far more attention upon ag-
ricultural problems of all kinds than
ever before in the history of the world
The machines I have mentioned, and
many others will be evolved before
very long They will enable the farmer
to substitute mechanical power for
hand labor. and will so far augment-the
quantity Of his output relatively to
work performed, as to lift him to
new and higher economic plane.