Pueblo chieftain., 1921-12-26
The Chieftain's Monday Morning Farm Page
THIS WEEKS NOTES ON THE FARM

The reader of yesterdays paper was
astonished at the bewildering number
of Christmas parties and programs. He
had not supposed there were people
enough in Pueblo to pull Off so many
indoor picnics of SO many different
kinds. Yet the country dwellers were
doing their share in social End bene-
VIOLENT exchanges. To many of them
the round OF farm life is SO crowded
with voluminous tasks that they nave
no time, or think they have not, for
or for hilarity or even for religion.
Christmas comes exactly on the line
between seasons, when past is past
and future is far and never the Two
shall meet. Therefore there are hun
dreds of busy rural toilers who in
dulge in few hours of relaxation
at this period. the only red letter IN
the year. AT all other times they at
tend and give no tea parties, they are
doing chores at church time on sunday,
they are too tired and sleepy when
neighbors are hitching up to drive over
to the barbecue; they have not time to
travel ten miles to vote at the NO
vember election. But in December
they try to make up for some OF TINS
drudgery by little indulgence in the
joys OF Christmas.
There is a little moro encourage
ment in the outlook than there was
before Christmas, though it requires
a sagacious philosopher to be able to
see 1t. The grains have made several
they, We're brief and did not hold up
long. Poultry was plentiful for the
holiday trade and though prices weak
ened slightly they were very fair Tor
the producers, and they get big figures
for eggs. Meats are still very cheap
tN,,t 81 a. all hn lima
enormous reduction in the quantity,
and stock farms are not being kept
up. There must come time when a
| sudden scarcity will be realized and
prices will jump. Those who are pre-
pared for that time will make easy
| money
One more very wet snow made
Friday an unlucky day, IL We consider
moisture to be bad luck in dry Colo
| rado. IT was those sanguinc ones,
who look for good things in the fu-
that planted plenty of wheat in the
fall, and now that wheat is getting
the benefit. Tho total amount OF pro-
cipitation for the year has been around
21 inches, which almost puts us in
reach OF some of the soggy old states
back east. Yet even now the sta
tisticians OF Denver in sending out
| Colorado reports allcge that there has
been severe deficiency. The north
cast corner Of the state had a dry sum-
Colorado was backward. Did the same
thing in 1920. while the south half and
the west half of the state were wet
ter than aver before known. Getting
comfortable salaries for the special
work Of finding out all about Colo
rado. they have now for three con-
secutive years complained Of lack
of moisture. because that was the
condition in tho north half. They do
not know anything about the south
half. and apparently do not want to
know. On the 1st OF January pedan-
tic summaries will be published. not
at all attractive to. the farming in
dustry, on the ground of scant mois-
ture, in the wettest year ever known.
Where all tho turkeys came from,
which blossomed out in Eoodly supply
for Thanksgiving and then for Christ
mas, Is sure a mystery. We must
give tho chredit to Towscr and Shep.
We may figure 1t out in this way:
In past years the coyotes had every
thing their own way, out on the
vacant leagues of plains and foothills.
Their number has not pcrccptibly do
creased but their spirits have. So
many settlers have invaded the outer
townships that dog can call to dog and
hear an encouraging answer from the
HeAt ldTH1. MlunlEnt aCtlNltleS ol
these faithful farm guards has evident
ly given the providers a cautious turn
| and they keep back and give the
poultry some chance for life. So now
wc are pleasantly surprised to see a
big wagonbed with Il cover of netting
over. 1t moving in from the Apishapa
and another from Rattlesnake and each
long box crowded with indignant tur-
keys rcd in the face with offended dig
nifty.
BY an order issued during the week
by the Interstate Commerce commits
sion alfalfa meal, cane seed and cot
tonsccd cake and dried beet pulp must
all be classified to take the same rail-
road rates as corn and coarse grain
in western trunk line territory. The
ruling operates to establish a 10 per
cent lower freight charge on the cattle
foods named than the existing rates
on wheat.
December Is was' Farmers day up
the river. on that day numerous farm
ers from all over Fremont county as
whence they We're taken in auto cars
by the tired and blistercd citizens TO
do good days stunt with shovel
and pick in Phantom canon. They
made the dirt fly and there was no
soldering.
Colorado Agricultural college at Fort
Collins had a serious loss by fire one
day in the week. The Chemical build
ing was destroyed with loss OF S2o. 900
and with it 5000 Worth OF chemicals
Several more carloads OF poultry
have been taken from Lamar on the
way west. Whether they go to Ari-
zona or to Southern California is not
stated but they secm to give proof
OF an opening and enlarging market
cents for equipment or total cost Of
x9.ht 10 take care of each bird.