El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-11-04
MAKE GOOD WITH
VALLEY FARMERS
Supervisor Urges the Water
Users Association to
Help Ranchers.

Make good with the farmers you
already have before bringing in any
more, urge farmers to run their farms
on business basis, TO rotate crops and
TO study their soil and crops" / D.
ODOnnel, secretary Franklin X. Lanes
ned agent and supervisor of lrrlga-
ton, urged the members Of the Water
Users association who attended the
meeting Wednesday night at the cham
Der of commerce.
It was a friendly informal meeting
during which the water users asked
the speaker questions about crops, wa
Ter service and other questions of vital
interest to the farmer and a vote OF
thanks was given Nj O'DOnnen upon
molten of Felix Martinez, who presided
at the meeting.
Talks With Farmers.
when secretary Franklin K. Lane
TOOK charge of the department Of the
Interior" said Mr.. ODOnnell, "he want
ed a man in the service who could
visit and talk with the farmers as
melrber of the reclamation service. 1
was picked out to talk with the farm
ers, set their point of view and give
them any assistance that 1 could. If
the farmers are interested It Is SIM
pie enough thing to turn the water on
the lands afterwards. My motto has
been: Better farming, better living
and better business for the farmer
Make Coed With Farmers.
Many Ct the chambers of commerce
IN the north have dropped the old idea
of interesting outside farmers and are
taking Up tue task Of making good
with the farmers they already have.
Instead of spending huge sums on ad-
verust0g matter they devote their en-
erSics TO securing backing, financial
and otherwise, for the farmers in their
community. Those farmers make good.
They write Letters TO friends telling
how they made good. The result is
that many Of these chambers OF com
merce are getting more desirable farm
ers than ever before
l am strong advocate OF dlYersl-
fled farming. on my ranch in Mon
tana 1 make an income of 10 percent
on $40 acres of land and : value every
acre at $3.50 But this is done by di
versification. In the % years that 1
have been operating my farm I have
never sold a pound of alfalfa. 1t all
goes into good pork and beef and re-
turns far higher than if it were sold
off the field. We buy cattle in Texas,
feed them our alfalfa, and then make
a profit in shipping them.
Rotation OF Crops Urged.
Rotation is another big item that
is all important on the modern farm.
I have had my crops planned ten years
ahead. The system of rotation leads
up to the very best results in farm
ing.
Inc SlICr III my opinion IS sun III It's
experimental stage Understand, 90
not say that it is not a valuable ad-
junct. In many cases it has proved to
be, but, for a man just starting out
think it better that he go very slow
" before putting a big sum into a silO.
Thorough cultivation is another i'm
portant item TO be borne in mind. It
is important to wait for just the right
time in blowing, being sure that con-
ditions are not too wet nor too dry.
Make Farming n Business.
Business farming is yearly becOm-
ing more and more important Farm
ers must keep accounts if they are to
get the most out of their business.
Whenever a new patch is started,
load of produce sold or some livestock
purchased, jOt it down in a book. It is
Just as important for the farmer to
keep books as for the merchant. In
this way he knows where he stands. If
he is losing on one crop he knows It
and he can change to some other. I
have known farmers who year after
year have planted part of their land in
Improbable crops and have never
known where the losses were coming
in.
Study your soil In every section,
sooner or later. some special crop is
developed. In Michigan, for instance,
after having only fair success with
various crops for years, beans were
finally tried. Now the4G is a part Of
LnaL state InaL IS growing Glcn on
nothing but beans. This section Will
in time develop its certain crop. like
onions, but whatever it is, a study Of
the soil viii lead to its discovery
quicker than mere accident will
81 plan to meet all of the settlers
at the various projects and talk with
them. I expect to return to this sec
ton this winter and I hope to make a
thorough trip up and down both Of the
valleys"
A vote Of thanks was rendered Mr..
O'Donnell on motion of Felix Martinez,
who acted as chairman.