Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1914-09-18

massaglng the land, so to speak.
and of drilling-a mechanical way
of sowing the seed In the cost of
raising crop, just the same as in
the cost of making carpets, shoes.
or wagons. hand power and animal
power cannot compete with mechani-
cal, power. The mechanically pre-
pared seed bed not only costs less
in its preparation but IT gives forth
more In its harvest.
The War VIII Make Horses Too
Costly to Keep.
Oats and oil are in a little war of
their own, just the same as the hu-
man back once combatted with the
reaper knife. This strife is fast be-
coming more acute because the al
ready high price of horses is being
accentuated every day because of
the large number being sold out of
this country for cavalry mounts to
be used abroad. The drain upon the
American horse supply VIII soon be
such that wherever possible mechan-
ical contrivances will be used to do
their work. We are to begin at once
and it will require five years to re-
plenish the drain which has already
been caused by the European war
The United States Government De-
partment of agriculture has estimat-
ed that it costs SIS to $50 per year
to keep a horse, and in study of
horse utility covering period of
six years. it was found that he aver
aged only period of 3.14 working
hours each day as his contribution
to reducing the high cost of living.
In contrast with this it was found
one out of every five acres which he
that he ate up the entire yield or
helped to cultivate. 1t has been
shown too. that for every hour he
worked cost about sixteen cents;
whereas a full horse power can be
delivered by high grade engine at
a cost of only two cents per hour.
in both cases. interest, fuel. food, de-
probation being figured. Again IN
plowing, team of horses can only
plow about two acres per oay In
doing this they travel sixteen miles,
which is good days pull for horses
with load. A small tractor, on the
other hand, the kind which costs less
than six horses, weighs less than six,
and with capacity of doing the
work Of twelve, will plow fully that
much in an hour or so. 1t will fur
thermore plow II deeper and keep it
up twenty-four hours each day until
the work is completed without feed
ing, resting. or growing thin. While
it would not be wise to dispose of
brood mares and blooded stock to
satisfy the foreign buyers, in the
end. perhaps. the increased prices
which their purchases will undoubt-
edly bring about will be beneficial in
forcing thousands Of farmers to adj
opt newer and more economical
form of power
Everyone who cultivates 1907
acres or more is candidate for a
share in the millions OF dollars the
countrywide adoption of this meth
cd Of plowing WIN ultimately save.
Insuring the Crop in Advance.
After plowing the first duty of a
man is to guarantee the work by the
proper cultivation and discing With
out delving into the chemistry of
plant life too deeply, the growth Of
plant is determined by the prepara-
tion of both in the soil and out Of
II, of air. water and certain salt com
pounds. Rainfall. sunlight. and air
in conjunction with the soil have
knack OF assembling these elements
in such wly that the plant grows
or failing to assemble them in such a