The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1915-05-14
Livestock is the Basis for Big Farm
ing System.

| NY n. Is. NICHOLS In lne FARMER
Mail and Breeze.)
The farming system used on the
700-acre ranch OF e. ]. Guilbert, of
Wallace, Kansas, is founded ON live
stock. Mr.. Guilbert does not believe
In the grain farming methods so pop
ular with many western Kansas farm
ers. There are 24S pure bred Gal
loway cattle on the farm, and large
herd Of hogs, which includes 60
breeding sows. A percheron stallion,
jack and about rs mares complete
the live stock department. A $S,-
900 pumping outfit that will irrigate
$50 acres. and four pit silos also are
features of interest and Importance.
Mr.. Guilbert went to Wallace in
1890 and took up" a homestead.
This has been increased by purchases
from time to time since then, until,
with some rented land, about 5000
acres is operated. Fifty head Of
grade cattle are kept, besides the
GallOways. The start with the breed
was made in 1898, by the purchase
of purebred bull Mr.. Guilbert
went into the Galloway business eX-
tensively in 1904, and again increas-
ed his herd in 1907 by purchasing
the entire herd OF 1877 animals own
ed by Geo. NJ. Kellam, Of Topeka.
AS will be remembered by many live
stock farmers, Mr.. Kellam had the
eldest herd OF this breed in Kansas,
and the second oldest west OF the
Mississippi river.
| Galloways are well adapted to
range conditions, and the breed has
done well for Mr.. Gullbert. No en-
ort is made to keep the animals in
ESPECIALLY fine condition; the aim Is
to use methods that are practicable
under range conditions. The herd
gets all its feed from the pastures in
the summer. 1t also gets considera-
BILE feed from the buffalo grass in the
winter, when the weather is good.
and in addition it gets strong feed
OF alfalfa hay and silage. Consider
able cane and kafir roughage also is
fed.
The four pit sllos on this farm
have given fine satisfaction, and sew
eral more will be dug this year.
These silos are on hill as there is
an underflow of water near the sur
face on the Guilbert farm, it is not
possible to place them in the bot
toms. One OF the silos is 16 by &c
feet, and the other three are IL by
20 feet. The silos thus far built
have just come to the surface, but
Mr.. Guilbert will build all Others
about six feet above the ground. He
also will make them larger; they
will have diameter of at least 1 G
feet. and they will be dug at least 80
feet deep.
The centrifugal pump used on the
Guilbert farm has a capacity of l..
500 gallons per minute. 1t is run by
a 20 horsepower International en-
CINE. This engine will use either oil
or gasoline. Just now kerosine is
used, which costs rs cents per gal
Ion. The engine used about gal
Ions an hour when under full load
The intention is to build tank large
enough to hold a carload of oil, and
to buy dlstillate by the carload.
This will make the cost "A cents a
gallon.
There is a battery of seven wells
in this outfit, and they are all con-
nected to the same pump. These
wells are 3S feet deep and the nor
NAL water level is Ia feet below the
surface. After the pump is started
1.-THE level in the seven wells decreases
to 2S feet below the ground, and no
long-continued run of the pump ever
has lowered 1t farther than this;
there seems to be more water than
the pump can use at this depth.
With this increase in the lift of the
water, the capacity of the pump de-
creases, so 1t delivers about 1000
lgallons a minute at the 2S-foot level,
But 1000 gallons of water a minute,
let 1t be said, is quite bit of water.
The well casing through the water
bearing strata consists Of 18-lnch
pipe, which has holes that take up
about 40 per cent of the surface.
The machinery is housed In per-
manent concrete house; the pump is
placed just above the 14-foot water
level. This outfit cost about $4,000
but 1t Is expected that some saving
will be made in the next outfit.
which will be installed soon. Mr..