The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1922-08-17

Crop rotation is a valuable aid in
Kidding land of weeds and increasing
the total production from land. A
large variety of rotation experiments
are under way with the view in mind
of developing the most practical crop
| rotation. With increased livestock
holdings in Western Kansas a greater
diversifcation of crops will become
necessary. Straight wheat farming
must give way to more intensive
agriculture. The Experiment Station
is now in position to answer many of
the questions which must be answered
before the change is successfully
brought about.
Experiments are conducted with
forage crops on three hundred forty
three plots, one-twentieth or one
tenth acre in size. The United States
Department of Agriculture has CO.
operated in this project since 1913,
and has supplied seeds from all over
the world
The culture of alfalfa has been
thoroughly worked out for Western
Kansas. To begin with, the first
superintendent, Mr.. J. G. Haney,
made several seedlings on bottom land
in 1902. About thirty acres of this
1902 seeding are still standing and
Rproduce good crops. Alfalfa was
found so valuable for the bottom land
that its acreage has been increased to
three hundred ten acres.
Numerous attempts have been
made to grow alfalfa on the upland,
both in rows and broadcast stands.
The row method has proved very dis
appointing, but broadcast stand have
( yielded one or two cuttings a year,
! and seem to be worth while on a few
upland areas that are lower than the
adjoining land and get more than
their share of water
Sorghum varieties from many parts
of Asia and Africa have been tested
out. One of the best of these is
feterita, which the station found to
be very drouth resistant grain crop,
and has been distributed widely.
Early Sumac and Red Amber have
/ been found excellent sweet sorghums
for forage in this region. Western
/ Orange, sweet sorghum, and Pink
Kafr, a general purpose grain and
fodder crop, were both originated and
/ first distributed from the station.
The Fort Hays Experiment Station
did much of the pioneer with Sudan
gras, beginning in 1913. The first
comprehensive feeding tests of Sudan
/ grass in the world were carried on
here during 1914 and 1915. Much
pure seed of this crop has been dis
tributed this year. The possibilities
| of this crop for hay, and for summer
and fall pasture for all kinds of stock,
are unusually great and are more ap-
preciated throughout the United
States every year.
Forty plots are used in working out
methods of controlling bindweed.
! This weed is becoming a serious prob
lem in Kansas. It is found possible
to kill out bindweed by spreading salt
at twenty tons per acre. This amounts
to about one pound per square foot.
Salt ruins the land indefinitely and
should be used only on small spots
that one is willing to lose in order to
save the rest of the farm. A year of
| intensive fallow not permitting the
green growth of the bindweed to
show above the ground during the
season, coupled with the planting of
smother crop of sorghum for hay has
been found a practical way to rid
large acres of bindweed.
The Forest nursery on the Station
was begun in 1908. At this time many
of the windbreaks now so valu-
able to the Station were planted.
Many varieties of forest trees were
planted experimentally to determine
which if any were hardy in this part
of Kansas. Certain varieties did
well on the bottom land but failed to
pull through on upland. Others on
the other hand grew wherever plant
ed, adapting themselves to moisture
available and the soil in which they
happened to be planted. The elms,
blackberry, Usage, mulberry, Russian
olive, pine and cedar have all been
proven sufficiently hardy to with
stand Western Kansas conditions.
Many trees and shrubs have been
supplied to the Station by the Office
of Seed and Plant Introduction of the
! U. S. Department of Agriculture.
These are given a trial and if they
grow well are increased. The Chinese
Elm, one of these introductions, is
today one of the most beautiful trees