Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1913-11-27


ClNCE THE buffalo roamed ovel
~ the plains from the Panhandle
of Texas TO the Dakoias is moi
50 long. only about forty years. anc
yet In that time Western Kansas ha'
seen the boom Of the SOS, the decline
o: the COS. and the boom OF decade
ago and the decline OF the last few
years. These alternate periods OF rise
aud fall have been due largely to d
lack OF knowledge of Western Kansas
conditions by those who have come
- build homes in the region and
also TO some degree TO seeming cycles
o. favorable and unfavorable years
Many vino have gone into the region
however. have solved the problems
confronting them and are now making
permanent homes. In this they have
been aided remarkably by the work
OF the Kansas State Agricultural Col
lege through It's branch experiment
stations. the agricultural colleges OF
other states and the United States
department OF agriculture, all oil
which have conducted extensive in
vcst!Sa:!onaI work ip the semi-arid
area.
from the experiences of the
"Grcuth-rcsistant" settlers and from
the careful experiments and study OF
these large state and federal institu.
lions a fund of knowledge has been
secured and q few fundamental prin.
ciples OF agriculture for the region
have been developed. These, II fol.
lowed. will do much TO insure asri.
cultural independence for Western
Kansas. Everything that helps TO es.
tahl!sh them and to put them into
practice will be Of great benefit to the
region and the demonstration agents
OF Western Kansas have been placed
here to study, suggest and help in
their application.
The first thing that must be con-
sidered to insure success is correct
tillage methods by which the land is
put in condition TO receive the mois.
ture when it comes and to prevent its
evaporation after ii has been re.
ceived. Though many mistakes have
been made in the application OF such
methods. 1t has been demonstrated
that fall preparation or very early
spring preparation by d!sking or list.
Ing Of the land for intartilled crops,
such as sorghums and corn, is highly
beneficial II has also been demon
strated that. for this country, meth.
DDS of summer tillage. with tools
which do not purverizez but which
leave the ground In the rough, should
be employed at least once every
three or four seasons to put the
ground in good physical condition, to
conserve moisture and to liberate
plant food.
Second: In place Of growing the
small grains. wheat and oats. exclu.
sively. which AZ the best are uncer-
tain crops In Western Kansas, more
crops. such as kaiir,
milo, the sweet sorghums and broom
corn must be grown. II Is very
probable that other crops. such as the
Sudan grass. sweet clover, the Span'
ish peanut and the Mexican bean. may
prove exceedingly valuable, but for
their use in Western Kansas thus far
has been largely experimental and
not general.
Third: In order to secure proper
market for both forage and feed, these
crops should be fed upon the land to
dairy or beef cattle. sheep or hogs
aid disposed of in concentrated live
stock products, such as cream. butter.
beef, hogs. muttcn or veal.
Fourth: II forage and feed crops
are to be economically used and to
bring the largest returns possible, ST.
los are necessary; both to provide sue
culent feed during fall and winter
and TO tide over periods OF drouth
when otherwise cattle would be
starved or scld at a loss.
Firth: If agriculture in the region
Is to be permanent. If the virgin fer
tility and misunderstanding capacity
Of the soil is to be maintained, and II
soil blowing Is to be prevented, the
fertility and humus must be conserved
by proper rotation. the use OF barn
yard manure and straw and the utili-
zation of green manure crops. This
Is really one of the most difficult
things to put in practice for the whole
Western country. as manure and
straw decay very slowly in semi-arid
climates and must be used with care
so as not to injure the crops imme-
diately succeeding. That 1t is abso-
Iutely necessary. however, to main
tain the humus is demonstrated by !