Oklahoma Farmer (Guthrie, Okla.), Vol. 13, No. 26, Ed. 1 Wednesday, October 26, 1904 Page: 2 of 16
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OKLAHOMA PARMER, WEDNESDAY. OCTOBEK 26, 1904.
oooo
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MY PROBLEM OP COMMON IITUUT ti QCMERAL AORIClKTUBt WtU. K DISCUSSED IN THIS DEPARTMENT IF ADDRESSED TO THE FARMER.
How llay is Wasted.
Many pretty good farmers lose money
every year by allowi gthe rain to wash
out the substance of their hay* crops.
Most of the valuable parts of hay are
easily washed out by rain. This is made
clear by taking a wisp of hay, plaplng it
in a bucket and pouring boiling water
over it. The result is a brown fluid which
has received the name of hay tea. Cold
water will extract the juices ft a sim-
ilar manner if a little more time is al-
lowed. This, then, is what takes place
when half-made hay is allowed to lie
abroad over the surface and is not made
into cocks. No water draws tea so well
as «oft water, and rain water is soft, and
it draws the hay just on the same prin-
ciple as it would draw tea. When the
air is fairly dry the material tedded in
early mornrng should be tedded again in
the afternoon. On the second day an en-
deavor should be made to get the hay in
such form that on the appearance of rain
it may rapidly be run up into large cocks,
in which it is safe. Assuming that tin-
work is carried on as far as possible by
machinery, the first operation is to
liorserake the hay into rows, and tin?
tedder should be set to work along the
rows so as to throw them out into beds
about four vards wide. From time to
time the tedder should be made to repeat
the operation, until the approach of
evening, when the beds may be drawn
into rows and then collected into large
cocks.
Institute Work is Growing.
The season for farmers' institutes is ap-
proaching and there is greatly increased
interest all over the country in this work.
The appropriations for the coming year
in all states and territories amount to
$210.000. so far reported. If the states not
reporting appropriate sums equal to those
spent last year, the total for 1904 will
reach IL'-l.OOO or $27,000 more than for 1903.
It is interesting to note that the appro-
priations are largest in those states
where institutes have been longest in op-
eration. This year New York will spend
$20,000; Pennsylvania, $17,000; Ohio, $16,981;
Illinois, $ls.00O; Wisconsin, fl2.l"«>; Mary-
land $4,000; Florida,$42,500. and all south-
ern states have appropriated sums equal
to their agricultural population.
Nearly one million farmers attended the
institutes last year, and it is expected
that this number will be increased r>0
per cent in 1904. The increased attend-
ance last year was not confined to any
one section of the country, but it is re-
ported from Delaware to Missouri and
from Minnesota to Mississippi.
There is a great scarcity of competent
men to talk and teach at farmers, insti-
tutes The extension of institute work
will be limited this year by the inability
to secure a sufficient number of teachers.
The great problem is to develop capable
men irtto competent instructors. The ag-
ricultural colleges in Illinois, Michigan,
New York. Tennessee and Wisconsin
have started a movement to prepare spe-
cially trained men and women for -this
work . , ,
One of the most important branches
of institute work is assisting farmers boys
and teaching them how to raise corn and
other grain better than their fathers
have been able to do.
Preparing for Fall Seeding.
The farmer who does not begin to pre-
pare his land for fall wheat as soon as
oats and other crops have been removed
loses time that will cost money. Nothing
but a baked condition of the ground
should delay this important work. It is
a mistake to think that by going over the
fall wheat field two or three times a crop
next season is assured. No greater nils-
take could be made. If the ground is
drv it cannot be worked too often. 1 he
most successful farmers, those who have
a yield of wheat every year with little
loss from drouth or frosts, are those who
give their winter wheat fields the best
preparation. This ha been demonstrated
so often that it would seem unnecessary,
to have to repeat It. Not only foes the
plant get a better start in the fall, but it
has a more vigorous growth, is in bet-
ter condition to withstand cold weathei,
receives an even supply of moisture and
withstands the attacks of disease and
insects much better than on rough, loose
land, where it is impossible to secure the
bepiow0tola depth of I to 4 1-2 Inches be-
ing careful to do the work well. Allow
the field to lie in this condition until
weeds have started, then go over with a
spadiitg disk or some deep working har-
row which will kill the weeds, create a
dust mulch and assist in keeping the seed
bed in the best possible condition.
By seeding time In September or early
October the' ground will have become
compact and will be in the very best
possible condition for receiving the giain,
A great deal of the loss from freezing In
winter wheat regions is caused by fail-
ure to plow until a short time before
seeding. , .. mirt
Seeding of the wheat in the middle
west has been of late years delayed un-
til the latter part of September and early
October some putting in their wheat as
late as October 15. This has been nec-
essary because of the ravages of the Hes-
sian Fly, early fields suffering from this
Working of the ground will be govern-
ed largely by its condition. If loose and
open, it must be rolled and harrowed un-
til all air spaces have been closed all clods
pulverized and all portions turned bj the
plow well compacted. lhen b> go lit,
over the field with a light harrow, a dust
mulch will be created and the moisture
retained until needed by the young plants.
Big Farm Convention.
Oklahoma Citv, Oct. 15.—An agricultu-
• ral convention will be held in this city Oc-
tober "8 and 29. A feature of the con-
vention will be a display of agricultural
products of the county. Dr. Henry S.
Hartzog president of the University oi
Arkansas at Fayette.ville, will be present
and deliver an address on agriculture from
;i scientific standpoint. Prof. K. H. lei-
kins, representing the A. and M. college,
Starkville, Mo.; Prof R. E. Sm'th' al^lf;
specialist, of Sherman, Tex., Piof. John
Fields of Stillwater. Okla.. and John
Thoburn. secretary of the Oklahoma boant
of agriculture, will be among the speak-
ers present. In connection with this con-
vention W. H. Moore, president o( the
national board of good roads association,
with his expert demonstrator, W R. Goit,
will meet with the covention and on the
the scarcity of desirable stock are the
reasons assigned for shutting down, lhen
tiiis is presidential year, which always ef-
fects trade more or less.
Now let us take the brokers' estimate
of the present crop and we'll have Illi-
nois 6.000 tons. Kansas 6,000, Missouri and
Nebraska 2.000. and Oklahoma 13,000,
making 27000 tons which subtracted from
35,000 leaves a shortage of 8,000.
Three years ago *1 was buying broom
corn and 1 was authorized to pay $80 for
A No. 1 bioom corn and there were lots
of farmers that would not sell. They
were going to have $100 per ton, but they
did not get it, and you will not get $100
this year, but if you have "A No. 1 green
hurl well cured, seeded and baled, you
will get $80 per ton if you will hold on
to it.
It seems there is a man in business at
Ringwood, who wrote to one of the larg-
est dealers in the United States that if
the brokers and broommakers would keep
their buvers out of this district for a
month he would have the pric of broom
corn down" to $25 per ton for common
stuff and A No. 1 could be bought for
$40; that the farmers were hard up and
Obliged to sell for what they could get.
A business man in Cleo said to my neigh-
bor the other day that there was such an
Immense crop of broom corn this year
that farmers on the cheap lands of Okla-
homa should not expect to get over $40
per ton, but in Illinois on their high priced
land they will get more, and that $40 per
ton was a good price for broom corn here
in Oklahoma. Farmers, prick up yom
ears and when you hear men with whom
you are doing business indulging in such
statements withdraw your patronage from
them: thev are for the other fellow. They
would bite the hand that feeds them.
Irrigation Work.
Washington, Oct. 13.—The advantages of
irrigation in the humid climates, merely
a^ a supplement to rainfall in ordinary
or extra dry seasons, are forcibly present-
ed ill Bulletin No. 148 of the office of
experiment stations recently Issued by
A ROADSIDE SCENE IN OKLAHOMA.
second day give a demonstration in gooa
road making. The agricultural conven-
tion is given for farmers from both ter-
ritories, and the railroads have promisee'
a greatly reduced rate in order that an
mav be enabled to attend, and a laige
crowd is expected, Mr. Moore has been
touring the two territories during the
summer a§> the representative of the gov-
ernment and has made demonstrations in
good road making in several parts of the
territory, the last place at Chandler. Mr.
Moore's tour and demonstrations have re-
sulted in the organization of good roads
associations in nearly every township
which he has visited. The meeting to be
held here is expected to be the most im-
portant in regard to good roads movement'
for the territory that has been held In
Oklahoma this summer.
We manufacture all sizes and
■tyles. It will | J
|,ay you to in-I
ventiguto. Write
for catalog and j
price lint. "
CURRIE WIND MILL CO
Topaka. Kanaaa,
liroom Corn Situation.
Cleo, Okla., Oct. 18.—The condition ot
the broom corn crop and market is not
fully understood. A leading grower and
dealer in brush today said:
What is broom corn going to bring?
is asked me many times every day and I
am going to state a few facts.which should
answer the question to every reader of
the State Capital, and every other paper
that will allow it space in Its coulmns.
Supply and demand should control the
price. If we have raised more than we
can use up during the coming year, then
the ill ice will be low. If we have raised
less than the market demands, then the
price will be high. Illinois. Kansas, Ne-
braska and Oklahoma produce about all
the broom corn that goes on the market
and it takes about 35,000 tons for a year's
supply. July report says, farmers say
4,000 tons, brokers sa.f 6,000 tons in Illi-
nois; farmers say 4,000 tons, brokers say
6,000 tons in Kansas; farmers say 600,
brokers say 1,000 in Missouri; farmers
say none to speak of. brokers say 1,000
tons in Nebraska. Oklahoma shipped out
of the territory last year 9.700 tons and
she reports an increase of 30 per cent in
her acreage this year, which would make
er crop less than 13,000 tons.
Brokers say that it has been many years
since the market was sa nt^trly cleared up
of all grades* of broom corn as it is at
the present lime. More than one-half of
the broom factories are Idle, either from
choice .or necessity. The heated term,
the .w ish to decrease the stock of bro/.ms
on hand, the big show at St. Louis and
the United States department of agricul-
ture The reports of a number of irriga-
tion' plants in the vicinities of eastern
cities go far to show that as popula-
tion increases and land incomes more
valuable the zone in which irrigation can
profitably employed will be extended,
as it has been in Europe where the farm-
ers have found that there are few sec-
tions where IrMgation will not pay sim-
ply as an insurance against drought.
The bulletin states that a grower of
berries in the vicinity of l'oughkeepsie,
X. Y., has found that artificial watering
-■uarantees a perfect stand and iapid
growth of newly set plants, the highest
quality of product, and maximum crops.
Owing to dry weather and high tempera-
ture during the season of 1903 his berries
had colored and hardened but did not
sweeten The application of 10,000 gallons,
of water in a fine spray and 25.000 gallons
between the rows put the berries in fine
condition for picking. He also found that
to irrigate after applying chemical. fer-
tilizers dissolves and distributes the plant
food and 'lessons the danget of Injury
to plants.
To water market gardens near New
York City on Long Island, and in New
Jersev small plants consisting of pumps
storage tanks, and piping are used with
such success that their owners claim
large returns on the money invested. One
man stated that he would not attempt to
garden for profit without such an assur-
ance oi plenty of water when needed.
Some gardeners buy water from city sup-
plies and find it more satisfactory than
to install their own pumping plants.
Descriptions of pumping plants of va-
rious sizes and styles witli their storage
basins and distributing pipes are given
in this bulletin so that those intending to
try artificial watering may profit by the
experience of several successful irrigators.
Striking testimony in favor of irrigation
is furnished by the careful comparistfh
of crops from Irrigated and unirrigated
plats of strawberries, asparagus, nursery
stock and onions at the Missouri agricul-
tural'experiment station. Not only were
yields Jarger. but in the case of aspar-
agus UTiirriglited rows were affected with
rust while the Irrigated plants were en-
tirely free from the disease.
A portion of South Dakota which is no-
ticeably benefited by a supplementary
water supply lies in the James river val-
ley In the first attempts to utilize this
supply of underground water wells ware
made* so large that the excessive ^' re-
sulted in financial loss. ,w'',n<rii
year or two the plan of sinking, li to
inch wells has been tried and its success
is leading" to their extended use. A good
2-inch well will furnish water for hair-a
section of land. An oversupply of water
in the first experiments produced condi-
tions that prejudiced many farmers
against the practice, but later tests show
that no Injury need lie feared where water
is properly used. All eases ot deteriora-
tion are directly traceable to an oversup-
plv of water. An excessive amount of
water in the soil will smother the root-
lets and on evaporation will leave a de-
posit of salt, so that care must be tak-
en that the soil does not become too wet.
The bulletin as a whole shows the great
advantage of irrigation as a means of
increasing production and as an insurance
against drought, even where the expense
of securing a water supply is great.
Potatoes in Kansas.
Topeka, Ivans., Oct. 13-Secretary F. £>.
Coburn in September Quarterly Report or
the Kansa's board of agriculture says:
According to the year-books of the Unit-
ed States department of agriculture, Kan-
sas is no inconsiderable factor in the po-
tato world. These year-books rank the
state on an average about twelfth in
production, * although by the same au-
thority in 1899 she was tenth, and in 190-
eleventh For these years she ranked in
area twelfth and thirteenth, respective-
ly, and in aggregate value sixth and
ninth, indicating superiority in yields per
acre and in quality of crop. In fact, the
average for the whole state in 1902 is
given as 138 bushels per acre, outranking
such notable potato regions as New York,
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois,
Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Maine,
Colorado, Missouri and Nebraska and, in
the same respect, likewise outclassed the
majority of these states in 1899.
The s'tate's largest yield, was 11,432,482
bushels, from 109.447 acres in 1889. The
crop of largest value was that of 1903,
worth $3,755,304.93.
The portion of the state proven most
admirably adapted to potatoes as a com-
mercial crop is known as the Kaw valley
potato district, in eastern Kansas, where
large quantities are grown and shipped
each year. In the main, this consists
of sandy loam "bottom" land, two to
six miles wide, adjacent to the Kaw or
Kansr.s -iver, in the counties of Wyan-
dotte Johnson, Leavenworth, Douglas,
Jefferson Shawnee, Pottawatomie and
Wabur.se'e, and extending westward 100
miles from its joining with the Missouri
at Kansas City. Of the total Kansas area
planted to Irish potatoes in recent years
more than one-fourth is in these eight
counties. Wyandotte ordinarily leading in
acres and production. Nearly a third of
the state's crop, or practically all pota-
toes raised in Kansas for export are the
product of the counties named.
Early varieties for summer marketing
are planted mostly and of these the Early
Ohio is by all odds the favorite, followed
to a small extent by the Early Rose and
Triumph as named. The small propor-
tion of late sorts planted are the Bur-
bank and Peachblow. Even for winter
use the early varieties are grown, and
left undisturbed in the ground until fall.
While some home grown stock is plant-
ed northern grown seed is found best,
and each year thousands of bushels are
shipped in by planters and dealers, who
buy from Minnesota and eastern North
Dakota in the Red River val'.ey.
Kaw valley potatoes find their market
in all parts of the country, early in the
season Chicago and northern points claim
many and some go in the direction of
New York and Pittsburg, but probably
tin- bulk are sent south and southwest,
especially to Texas, and preferably sold
at digging time.
Two striking feature's of Kansas' pota-
to growing as compared with that in
other states surpassing her in aggregate
yields are absence of need for expensive
fertilizers and freedom from insects and
fungous diseases. Of the Kansans report-
ing none mention using commercial fer-
tilizers, although the majority apply more
or less manure, or sow some crop such as
cow-peas, or turnips for plowing under
when green, thereby enriching the land
and increasing its subsequent yields.
•
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So!d everywhere. Free trial sample
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Greer, Frank H. Oklahoma Farmer (Guthrie, Okla.), Vol. 13, No. 26, Ed. 1 Wednesday, October 26, 1904, newspaper, October 26, 1904; Guthrie, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc88022/m1/2/?q=central+place+railroads: accessed July 18, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.