The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1919-02-20

to better farming methods being em-
ployed, and the wonderful adapta-
bility Of the soil TO certain crops,
plus the installation of modern power
machinery.
Permit US to go even further and
say that had some unusually bold
spirit made prediction that the
state Of Colorado would produce .
better ten-year annual yield of wheat
than any Of the other wheat growing
states in the Union, he would have
been driven from the community ~
very undesirable citizen. Yet this
is true and the records during the
years 1907 to 1916 will verify this
statement and it must be known that
Sedgwick County has done it's bit,
and in fact, "gone over the top" more
than once in helping to gain this
enviable record for Colorado.
In the pioneer days breaking WAS
done with a team and grasshopper
plow-two acres breaking being con-
sidered fair days work with the
class of horses they possessed. It
was also grave question as to
whether to break one inch or six inch
es deep, in fact, no one gave much
thought to the proper tilling of the
soil. AS long as the sod was turned
over and crop seeded. that seemed
to be sufficient to satisfy the farmer
of those days. After the sod was
once broke, the principal asset in
the way of farm machinery in those
days was the disc and it was pro-
badly considered crime to even
think of backsetting a field.
In the course of time some of the
more courageous settlers conceived
the idea that wheat might be grown
to advantage and little tract here
and there was seeded in the spring,
but with Indifferent success, until
Macaroni wheat was introduced. A
favorable crop of this was produced
one season only to find that the mar
ket was restricted and that it would
sell mt from 20 to 25 cents below
the price of other wheats. Tllis
spring wheat was, of course, sown
broadcast and disced in, method
much in vogue in those early days.
Just think of it-who could expect
satisfactory results from such pro-
cedure. and yet it was in no wise
different from the early history of
many other new countries during the
years of its early development. If
the grain brought satisfactory yield
from such primitive methods, well
and good, and if not, then the early
settler figured that he was not out
much in cash--and cash in those days
was big item with the settler.
Then came the advent of fall wheat
"a thing unknown on the table lands
of Sedgwick county until some en-
terprising eastern farmers came onto
the land and tested out few acres
as an experiment. The crop proved
successful venture, and then indeed,
was the death-knell of the cowman
sounded so far as his future grazing
of large herds Of cattle over the buff
falo-prairie was concerned.
About the year 1905 a few pro-
gressive farmers from Eastern Ne
braska came out and purchased sever
al sections, primarily for grazing pur-
poses. However, being used to up
to-date farming methods back in
Nebraska, they conceived the idea of
experimenting with press drill and
so seeded some acres to winter wheat
and such success attended their ef-
forts along this line that they seeded
greater acreage during 1906, with
increased success Duding 1906 con-
siderable of the table land was sold
to spectators at from S. to Sc per
acre, and small percentage Of the
acreage was broken and seeded, spe-
cial attention being paid to the method
of preparing the land. The sod was
turned in a fairly even manner and
the crops drilled in with more care
than had been exercised before. Re-
suits proved that better farming pro
duced an increased yield and this
policy has been the watch-word of
the table land farmers from that day
up to the present.
The increased development Of the
table lands is due in no great part
to the power tractor designed for
general farm work, supplemented by
the proven fact that the lands of
Sedgwick county were really adapted
for growing of crops favorable to
eastern and central Nebraska, as well
as western Iowa.
The farmers gradually found out
just how to harness the soil for best
results from different crops suitable
to this community: As time passed
machinery for the rapid handling Of
larger acreage was manufactured
and by constant experiment and past
experience, proper methods of crop
production were evolved.
Today there is no question as to
just how the sod should be broken,
nor is there any question as to just
what season Of the year is best for