La Junta tribune., 1913-10-25
woal.D.s s.oGEsr FARM
EARNED % Theory 1has Never Z
BsasAea u Corn May ~ a,sS-
Crup Notation Pr

Here are some recent glimpse Of
the largest tillable farm In the Unit
ed States. the $4,000 acre ranch Of
the late David Rankin. near Tarkio.
No.. ~ II Is being operated today.
Horses and mules are not permit
ted to grow old on the Rankin farms.
Every year 4 sale Is held aud at this
sale every horse and every mule that
has reached respectable age. Is dis
posed Of. The United States govern
ment has figured that = horse or .
mule reaches the maximum Of its
usefulness at eight years. but the
maximum Is never reached on the
Rankin farms. Practically every
year the stables on the 10 ranches
are rehabiliAted With practically IN
entirely fresh population OF work an
imals. insustng the maximum Of eff
cheney. Al the last sale. 3s7 horses
and mules were sold and the pro-
ceeds Of the sale netted more than
| lVsSsVVVs DoyVsU NoAU AbOk4 ROtuSS
hundreds OF miles distant to TarkiO
to attend these sales.
In the last three years rs sios
have been built ON the Rankin farms.
There are nearly 100 windmills. The
first silos were built OF wood. II was
found that these silos were easily
blown down and that they were 9TH
erwise unstable. aud for the last two
years all the silos have been built Of
hollow tile. REINFORCED with concrete.
II has been more expensive. but more
economical.
An. eloquent argument for good
roads is furnished by the Rankin
farms. The farms extend from Tar
kio up into Iowa. the distance from
one end TO the other being IS miles.
Five thousand cattle were fed on the
farms this year. Fourteen thousand
acres Of corn were grown. 5000 Of
wheat and 5000 Of oats. The crop
from the 3.soo acres Of wheat. which
averaged between IS and 80 bushels
to the acre. WAS sold In Tarkio-the
only crop that IL ever sold from the
Rankin farms. The corn Is fed 10 the
cattle and the oats to the work AMI
mails that keep the farm In operation.
Yet. Notwithstanding the vast acre
age Of corn raised on the farm this
year. As In other years. corn will be
purchased to feed stock on some parts
Of the Rankin farms this year. Corn
will be sold on that part OF the big
farm which lies nesr Tarkio. aud
purchased from neiEhbors for feed
gu that part Of the farm fsrthest
away from the town that has been
built up by the Rankin farms.
According to W. =. Rankin. presi-
dent Of the Raukin Farms. this Is due
u the bsd soads 10 Nodaway county.
II In cheaper 10 sell corn on the farm
nearest town and psrchsse corn u
the extreme cad Of the place. than
70 haul the product from the oae
farm 10 the other.
n Forty years ago. David Rankia
came from Illinois and began TO buy
these rich Missouri acFes. And Ia
vid Rankin believed In rotation Of
erOps. On the Rankin farms corn has
never been grown more than five
years in succession. After five years
OF corn. the ground usually has been
sown 10 wheat. with . carload Of tim.
othy and clover. After the wheat ID
harvested The timothy aud clover
has been allowed TO stand for five
years. psstSrtng the land. Then hack
10 corn. Bse aotwithstanding this
rotation Of crops. the present mana.
gers Of the fssm have not been xat.
isfied. 10 tAjs year two carloads Of
fertilizer Asyt been purchased and
so~a with. ibS acres OF the wheat.
This wheat csop viii ~ watched with
great care. u must produce enough
additional wAsae over The Ordinary
crop 70 PAY, tss The fsrtiiises snd .
profit sssi1ss. OtAsswiss the uss Of
fertilizer WIN b shaadonsA.
The fssn 10 diviAsd isto ten
rascAss rsaS(as IL siss fsoa see
acres to ~.7s1 acres. Five Of the
ranches ara eessatsd On . partner.
shiD basia. The Rsakin fssns fusnish.
Ing the lasd 0Bainst the labor Of he
Darsssss. ne records 10 Tie office
II TsskSe sAew that tAs oofs Deofit.
sbls farms are e0ssatsA direct from
the TastSo Office b The Raakins
thsnsslvss. ssdss . system By which
they employ The labor asd look after
Ill details.
II The profit IL rosad figures on the
sntiFs farm fos ths year wss &c.,.
ess. The IasA 10 vslusA 10 ths aeigh.
boshood Of ei3s - sefs. rspesssat.