The Green Forest tribune., 1916-09-29

{Prepared by the United States Depart
 ment of Agriculture)
 Because of the great distance of the Panhandle of Texas from large mar kets and the consequent deSirability of feeding to stock large portion of the crops raised, mixed farming it is de clared by specialists in the United States department of agriculture, is the only profitable type of agriculture for the region. The conditions making the carrying on of mixed farming opera tions imperative if adequate returns are to be received are outlined in Farmers Bulletin 73S, recently issued by the department.
 In the Panhandle section the sOr- | ghums. especially milo, katir and feter- ita, are the principal crops grown, oc- eupying about three-fourths of the to- tal cultivated area. In addition to these the small grains have an impor- | tant, though minor, place in the agri- 1 cultural scheme.
 The bulletin recommends the grow ing of winter wheat, spring oats, win ter rye and pr0so. Winter grains, it says, have been more successful in the Panhandle than spring grains, and spring oats is the only one of the lat ter that has proved even fairly profit able. At the present time the winter wheat crop is of much more importance from a money standpoint than spring oats. Both these crops, however, can be used to advantage in general farming system.
 Winter rye is desirable because of its hardness. Though it's yields are not the equal of those of winter wheat. it nearly always comes through the winter in good shape and it has never failed to produce more seed than was sowed. This cannot be said of wheat. At the present time, however, very lit tie rye is grown in the Panhandle.
 Proso is species of millet intro duced from Russia and often called hog millet and broom corn millet. II is grown for grain, not for hay, and fed particularly to hogs, sheep and poultry. To the dry land farmer its chief value is it's earlness, for prose can produce a crop of seed in two months or less from the time of seed , ing, The bulletin recommends tha - -s Al .-4s - = +,.s---T-A this crop should be raised for hom use, but warns the grower that it i. not likely to be profitable when solo on the market.
 For the growing of winter grains the land should be prepared as early in the summer as possible and plowed to a depth of at least six inches. Weeds should not be allowed to get start, but in keeping them down care must be taken not to fine the surface soil too much. Fine surface land will blow more than if it is left somewhat rough, and the high winds which prevail throughout the Panhandle must be reckoned with in all agricultural oper- ations. Increased yields are obtained from alternating summer fallow and crops. but the increase is not large enough to pay for the extra work in- volved.
 AS has been said, the sorghum crops occupy the most important place in Panhandle agriculture. These grow late In the fall and leave the soil dry so that it is not advisable to follow them with winter grain. It is better to grow some leguminous crop like COW peas the next year and to follow this with wheat or rye.
 Wheat should be sown about October 15, though in an average season any time from October l to November will do. The amount of moisture in the soil at seeding time and the sub- sequent weather conditions have q greater influence upon the yield than the date upon which the crop is sown. Three pecks per acre is the rate rec commended under ordinary conditions The Turkey type is probably the best for this region.
 Rye is the other winter grain recom- mended in the bulletin. Spring rye, it