The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1914-07-11

~ = A-N0AO AdS OLA pei AAACAS So
tions, all but one Of which
are in the western third OF
the state The Oldest station is at
Manhattan and was established in
1888 by a federal act which passed
Congress the previous year and pro-
vided $4,000 a year for an expert
ment station in every state and ter
ritory in the Union. At the present
time it is being supported about
equally by state and by federal funds.
All the stations but the one at Man
haitian are maintained by state ap-
propriations. The United States de-
partment of agriculture, however, is
cooperating with the state in con-
Quoting farming investigations at
Manhattan, at Hays, at Garden City
and at Colby. Likewise, the depart
ment Of agriculture is cooperating in
irrigation investigations at Garden
City.
At each of the points just named,
we are lifting water from 80 to 120
feet for irrigating purposes. At the
Garden City station, the pumping out
fit cost something like $4,000, while
at the Colby station we are testing
out a less expensive pump and en-
CINE, or one valued at about $4,000
for the whole irrigation plant, build
ing of reservoirs, etc., and we expert
it to develop sufficient water to irri-
gate some twenty acres of land. The
Garden City plant supplies water for
about eighty acres. From these two
irrigation plants we hope to ascertain
-
produce a ton Of alfalfa or a bushel
of grain, as well as the best time and
manner to apply the water ID the
crop.
Practically all the economic crops
produced in Kansas came originally
from sources outside of the state, and
mostly from foreign countries. Tor
example, the winter wheat which is
grown in this state. and which is
priced so highly as a milling wheat,
came from Russia, and nearly all of
| it that is being grown today came
from seed originally developed and
| improved at the Manhattan and Fort
| Hays experiment stations. Hundreds
! Of varieties, from all parts Of the
world, have been brought together
[ anu ICSIC0 at OAC VI IACSO POAAIOg Ii
! an effort to find the best ones to grow
under Kansas conditions, with the re-
suit that Turkey Red, our present
| hard red winter wheat, survived all
others. This variety has supplanted
| the spring Wheats which were first
grown after Kansas was settled, and
the soft winter wheat which has
later crowded out the spring wheat
Today at least 80 per cent of the
| eight million acres that are now
| planted to wheat in the state is OF
| the Turkey variety. This is now the
leading winter wheat state in the
Union, not only in point Of total
amount produced but in the bread
making quality of the flour as we'll
Another case like that of the
wheats consists in the sorghum
crops. Many varieties of sorghum
from foreign countries were assem-
| bled at Manhattan and Hays, and
| were tried out to learn their relative
adaptabiIity to our conditions. After
the most promising ones were select
ed, they were greatly improved fol-
| production under Kansas climatic
conditions. Now we are testing out
their comparative value with corn as
feed for live stock, in the form OF
| ensilage and in the form of grain, etc
What has been done with wheat and
the sorghum crops, has also beer
done with corn and other crops al
the Kansas stations.
In the same manner, the different
breeds of live stock, including bee
types, dairy types, horses, hogs, sheer
and poultry, have been worked with
feeding tests run, types of animal:
developed for milk production and fol
beef production or meat production
Instances are the tests maintained
in feeding cattle under range condi
tons. These experiments, carried OF
for the purpose of determining the
feeding value of the crops of west
ern Kansas, experiments, too, tina
have for their object the utilization
of the wheat straw produced in tn,
western part of this state, are Wortl
while and practical Certainly III
results of these tests clearly prov
the value of ensilage made from tn,
sorghums and balanced with straw
and a very small amount OF alfalfa
cottonseed cake, Iinseed meal, as al
economical ration to bring stock cat
tie through the winter. In the past
our corn and sorghum slower an
straw produced little if any revenue
because OF unpalatability in the Or
state. Until within the last year @
two, our straw has been burned i
the field and thus entirely wasted
and our corn and sorghum, after III
grain has been removed, have bee
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
4@A,.un.A n004