The Prescott daily news., 1917-03-16
PAGES WEEKLY LETTER

Little Rock, March 15.-This is a good year for Sudan and other carly hay crops. Hay is scarce and hieh priced. So is corn, consequently if is wise to have some hay produced as early as possible to furnish feed for making the crop. A few acres of spring rye for pasture will help ont also. We are now approaching the planting season, and remember the value of making good seed bed. Use the disk and harrow literally and get the soil thoroughly pulverized before planting. Use a roller if you have one, and break up the clods. Clods are worse than rocks. They are in the way and a nuisance in the cultivation of a crop, and they supply no plant food whatever. The labor used in putting in your crop we'll will be saved in cultivation, and the increased yield in the fall will cause you to keep up the practice when you once begin it.. In planting your crops use the level system on all we'll drained lands. In wet lands it will be necessary to bed your land to afford drainage and pro- tection against spring rains, but if not necessary to bed your land, by all means plant it level, and cultivate it level. The first few cultivations may be deep, but after the roots form and begin to extend out into the middles. cultivate shallow, so you won't break the roots. Remember that the roots feed the plant, and that they get the food from the soil in liquid form. You can see the importance of hoving loose ground at planting time, so that the roots when young and tender can move out in search of food and mois- ture. You can also see the importance of shallow cultivation later on, so the roots will not be torn up and broken off Where land does not drain well, and it is necessary to bed your land Aoi Pi"h'iHSi il 10 d Soou pollCy " make wide bed, wide enough for two rows. This plan works we'll in most instances.
 The Legislature has adjourned, but it passed some good laws for the farmers. The warehouse and market ing law is one of the best laws ever passed, and will be of great benefit to the farmers in its operation. 1 will explain it's operation fully little later on The fertilizer inspection law is now being enforced. Our inspectors are now in the field busy inspecting the shipments and taking samples, and our chemist is busy making analyses. So far this season we have not found it necessary to hold up any of the shipments. We have analized samples from 125 cars shipped since January 1st, and none have been as much as three per cent below the guarantee, while most of them have been little better than the guarantee.
 The Legislature reduced the feed in- spection tax and made appropriation for inspectors and analyses. Our in- spectors will be on the road April 1st and will thoroughly cover the state and protect the consumers against vio- lations of the law. The feed law is not as strong as it should be, and we are limited in our power to restrict what may be used in the manufacture of mixed feeds. However, the law will be enforced, and with the cooperation of all the manufacturers and dealers who want inspection, we hope to give a good service to the public and pro- tect them against impure and adul- terated feed and short weights.
 JOHN H. PAGE,
 Commissioner of Agriculture.