The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-10-17
COMPLAINT ABOUT u. s.
EXPERIMENT STATION

IL has just come to the notice of the
I Superintendent that a certain party
In Tucumcari has been making dam
aging remarks about crop conditions
on the Experimental Farm, and that
something should be done to remedy
the deplorable conditions existing
there. For the benefit of the public
and to correct any erroneous impress
siOns some may have already got con-
cerning the Experimental Farm, can
truthfully state that the party referred
to has never visited the Station this
season, ut least when | was present,
and therefore does not know what he
has been talking about. Such reports
are not only very unpleasant to the
person in charge, but also lower the
efficiency of the station in that a great
many people who know little or moth
ing about our work are led to become
prejudiced. | will also say for the
benefit of those who may think that
adequate supervision is not exercised
over Federal Stations, such as the one
you have here that a Government
Supervisor has visited this Station on
an average of once each month
throughout the season and has never
suggested one word of complaint The
Station grounds and buildings have
been kept in an orderly condition at
all times, and as to the character OF
the crops we have produced this sea-
son no apology iG needed from US. I
think that most of the people in Tu-
cumcari and vicinity realize what we
have been up against this season;
there are some however who think
that the Experiment Station should
lead the entire county each year in
crop yields, and when they see better
crops in certain localities they i'm
mediately begin to knock in whole
sale manner on the Experimental Farm
because its crops are not as good. 1t
is entirely true that there are crops
| in Quay county this year that are more
than a hundred per cent better than
ours and we are glad of it; however we
know that it is not because the farm
ing methods employed have been any
better than ours. Our seasonal rain
fall has been the lowest in the history
of the station, and by far the most
poorly distributed for any year Of
which We have any records available.
We have current precipitation records
on fie in our office for practically every
locality in the county where crops are
good. and study of these records re-
veals that the rainfall was much bet
ter distributed than ours and in some
cases will total almost twice what we
have had on the station.
We did not have sufficient precipi.
tation until the latter part of July to
cause termination of the seed which
we had planted, and did not get sufii-
cient rainfall to more than keep these
crops alive until the fourth day of
September; at which time most of
sorghum crops were not over inches
in height, and some Rad not yet even
emerged from the ground. In spite
Of all of the drought we had, and re-
Gently bad infestation of army
worms, we have some stuff on the
farm that is making an excellent
showing.
1t is needless for me to say that
visitors are welcome at all times, and
it is certainly not our fault IL you fail
TO avail yourself of this opportunity
to derive benefit from the Expert
mental Farm. We are always glad to
have you come, and always appre-
ciate the visitors most who is interest