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RCHE5TEfl tty
Agricultural Experimentation
in Box Butte
County
PROF. E. W. HUNT,
DIRECTOR
A GOOD FEATURE
Editor Mark of the Mitchell Index sends us the follow
ing; communication regarding- the agricultural matter that is
being,published in The Herald each week by Prof. Hunt.
The letter reads as, follows:- v
Mitchell, Nebr.", June 7, 1909.
J no. W. Thomas,
. Alliance, Nebr.
Dear Sir:
I thank you very much for your kindness in
sending, copies of The Herald and for arranging so
"that I can have the articles written by Prof. Hunt
for The Herald. I was so situated last week that
I could not possibly get the article in type, but I
hope, to be able to publish them right along here
after and I believe they will be much appreciated.
I think you have certainly hit upon a good, feature
for your section and it should make The Herald
sought by all in Box Butte county and other sec
; tions where, farming is done without irrigation.
Truly yours,
G. E. Mark.
Alfalfa
Mn W. R. Mellor is the right man
in the right place. Ho is secretary of
the state board of agriculture and is
making that organization an active, ef
ficient power in promoting the best in
tercsts of agriculture in Nebraska.
The time has been when critics de
clared that the state board of agricul
ture was misnamed; that it should be
called the state fair board because it
did nothing but run the state fair and
had no immediate relation to agricul
ture. Mr. Mellor is changing all this
and is completely disarming all criti
cism. During the present year he has
secured from competent men short
treatises of an iutensely practical na
ture on subjects immediately connected
with agriculture and has had them dis
tributed widely throughout the state.
The stimulus that is being1 given by
this means to agriculture cannot be
over estimated. We sincerely hope
that Mr. Mellor will succeed in making
this line of work permanent in the
state and in making the state hoard of
agriculture the most active and effi
cient help to the farmers of the state.
As an indication of what Mr. Mellor is
doing we ure glad to publish herewith
his bulletin just received on the above
named subject:
It is no easy matter when discussing any
farm subject, to couch it in such language
as to apply to the whole state of Nebraska,
which has such a variety of soil and cli
matic conditions, with difference of alti
tude and western parts of the state, that
the proper application in one section of the
state does not, oftentimes, produco satis
factory results in another.
Alfalfa is fast becoming one of the valu
able crops of our state, many believo that
it solves the problem for the maintenance
of a dense population in the future Ne
braska, as the conditions of its growth are
here ideal. By consulting the report of
the Bureau of Statistics we find that the
total number of tons grown in 1904 was
744,420 whicb in 1008 was increased to
the easiest and surest way, come in pos
session of this valuable plant.
First in importance is the procuring of
good home grown seed. We do not hesi
tate to say that more farmers have been
discouraged and deterred from growing al
falfa from having sown seed grown in Utah
or New Mexico, or some place too far south
and where it was grown under irrigation.
This seed looks much finer than the home
grown, and will grow all right, hut the first
winter will kill a large per cent, of it.
Then, if the experiment is being tried in a
section where alfalfa is little grown, the
man is ready to blame it to his soil, or
anything but the real cause, which was
seed unacclimaled.
The time of seeding will depend on the
part of the state you live in. From the
centor of the state west, we would advise
spring seeding. If spring seeding is de
sired, then we should prefer that the land
should have been in corn the previous year
and well tended. Then commence in the
spring as soon as the ground is in condition
to work well, and thoroughly disc the land,
lapping the disc one-halt. Then as often
as it rains and packs the ground, or if the
weeds start, either harrow, or disc again.
Keep up this cultivation until the first to
fifteenth of June. You will by this means
have sprouted and destroyed a large part
of the weeds and conserved the moisture,
and prepared the land in fine physical
condition to receive the seed. Sow twenty
pounds per acre. The seed may be sown
with a broadcast seeder, by hand, or may
be drilled in; whatever the method, ex
treme care should be exercised to distribute
the seed evenly and not to cover it too
deeply. One objection in using the drill
is that the seed is usually put in too deep,
and comes up poorly. The wheelbarrow
gross seeder is one of the best implements
for the purpose.
Thoroughly harrow, and you will have
no more trouble to get a stand of alfalfa,
than of wheat or oats.
If fall seeding is desired, then the land
should be sown to small grain the year you
intend to seed alfalfa.
When cutting the grain you should follow
the harvester with the disc, as this will
conserve the moisture, and put the land in
shape to plow later on. We do not think
it best to plow very deep, but thoroughly
turn and pulverize the soil. This can be
done by using an extra horse in your team
the first year; in doing so, be careful not
to set the sickle bar too low, but leave some
of the leaves on the plant, or you will kill
a number of the plants.
A light top dressing of well rotted stable
manure, about 10 loads per acre, will be a
great factor in aiding to start alfalfa, in
fact we would strongly urge that all land'
to he sown to alfalfa be well m ami red prior
to its preparation.
Alfalfa should be cut as soon as the first
bloom begins to appear, for at that stage
there is less woody fibre to the stem, hence
less waste The greatest difficulty in east
ern Nebraska, in the handling of alfalfa,
when cut, is to get it up without discolor
ing. A method of handling the crop which
has given good satisfaction to a number of
our farmers, is to cut the alfalfa in the
morning as soon as the dew is off, allow it
to remain in the swath as late in,the after
noon as possible and yet get it raked before
the evening dews fall, and then put it in
tall cocks, if it looks like rain, otherwise
leave it in the winraw over night. If the
next day is sunshiny, the hay is scattered
after the dew is off, allowed to dry until
late afternoon, and put in stack or barn.
This method of handling insures a bright,
green color so desirable in the merchant
able article. Care must be exercised, how
ever, as hay put in the barn or stack when
only partially cured is likely to mould or
char and be dusty, so as to make it practi
cally unsalable, and in some cases suffi
cient heat is generated to ignite.
Immediately after taking the hay from
the field, thoroughly disc the field with a
harrow tooth disc If you have or cau get
one, and if not, with an ordinary disc well
weighted and set nearly straight. This
will givo the ground a cultivation, kill
weeds, sand burrs and grass and not in
jure alfalfa if more than one year old. Do
not cultivate the first year.
Save the second crop for seed. The
fields in western Nebraska are very favor
ably located for a seed crop and oftentimes
such a crop is very profitable. We do not
think it profitable to pasture alfalfa ex
cept with hogs. When hogs are pastured,
feed but a very small ration of grain twice
a day, Do not feed work horses too much;
however, a limited feed of alfalfa is good
for them. If p. horse is given alt he will
eat, he will eat too much, but there is no
better hay to feed to young colts or milch
cows.
If wo have been correctly informed
the writer of the above bulletin resides
in the Republican valley. If this is true
his remarks while were very opportune
and reliable in most particulars can
hardly be literally adopted for extreme
western Nebraska. The part of the
Republican valley referred to is in cen
tral Nebraska and everything said in
the pamphlet is true with reference to
that locality. We are inclined to offer
the suggestion that with reference to
Box Butte county with its climatic and
soil conditions it may not be well to
bow more than twelve pounds of germi
native seed to the acre. With this
possible exception we commend the
whole nrticle to our readers as entirely
reliable.
Save the Moisture
1,846,703 or mere than 248 per cent. Mr. attaching one section of the harrow behind
the plow, which harrows each furrow two
or three times, fining and firming the soil,
leaving it in excellent condition for seeding.
Some farmers say not to be in a hurry to
seed unless there Is plenty of moisture,
but we believe it advisable to sow and har
row at once, not waiting for moisture, for
when the seed is properly in the ground it
will come up after the first rain. Try to
sow in August. Seeding after September
1st will not make as vigorous a prnwih
during the fall as the earlier seeding and
is more apt to be winter killed, and is like
ly to keep you borne from the State Fair
which occurs this year, September 6th to
roth.
In spring sown alfalfa it is usually ne
cessary to mow the weeds once or twice
Hull says: It is no longer necessary to
argue the question with the Nebraska
farmer, as to the feeding value of alfalfa,
for its merits in this regard are admitted
by all. Neither will it be necessary to use
any argument with the up-to-date farmer
in convincing him of the value of this crop
in helping to maintain the fertility of the
soil.as nearly every community in which
alfalfa has been grown for any length of
time has furnished a practical demonstra
tion of the value of raising potatoes, or
corn, following the plowing under of the
alfalfa. Both of these questions have
bsen so thoroughly settled in the school of
actual experience that no argument will
make the proof stronger! The only ques
ion then to be settled is, how can we in
We have had a bountiful rain; the
soil was never in a better condition for
producing a large crop than it is at
present; moisture enough has been de
posited to mature (almost any crop if
properly taken care of and saved. At
this altitude and in this latitude evap
oration is very rapid. If the wind
blows a little the rate of evaporation is
doubled or nearly so. The thing to be
done is to prevent the wind from com
ing in contact with the part of the soil
that is charged with moisture. It is
generally well known that wheu rain
falls upon the earth the water drawn
by gravity sinks until the force of grav
ity is overcome by the force of capil
lary attraction, then the water begins
to riso towards the surface. If the
ground is solid to the surface, the
pores in such solid ground are small
and the force of capillary attraction
cau bring water to the top of the
ground. Capillarity will raise the
water as far as the ground is solid
enough to make the inter-pore spaces
small. If the surface of the ground is
loosened and stirred the water will rise
to the level of the solid ground but will
stop where the stirred ground begins
because the pore spaces have been
made consequently larger. To save
the moisture then, stir the surface.
Small grain especially just now is in
need of this at once- Owing to the
late rains a crust has been formed over
the top of the ground which is a dou
ble disadvantage to growing crops. In
the first place it prevents the air from
reaching the roots of the plant through
the pore spaces and they suffer from
lack of oxygen. Air is as necessary to
plant roots as it is to the part of the
plant above the ground. To deprive it
of air is to retard if not ultimately to
entirely prevent growth. In the next
place this crust permits water to come
to the surface where between the ac
tion of the suu and winds it is rapidly
evaporated. Scientists estimate that
in weather favorable to evappration
'.one hundred tons of water may be
evaporated in forty-eight hours. This
to say the least, is one quarter of the
amount of water required for maturing
the average crop. This may be pre
vented and air admitted to the roots of
plants by stirring the surface of tho
soil.
For this purpose I know of no im
plement that will do as good work as a
Hallock riding weeder. This tool is
constructed with long flexible teeth and
will pass through a growing crop of
small grain completely destroying young
weeds, loosening tho ground to a depth
sufficient to prevent excessive evapora
tion, and cultivating the growing plant.
In severity it is much to be preferred
to the harrow. The harrow tears and
mutilates so much of the growing crop
as nearly to cripple it. I am satisfied
that, on the ordinary farm with the
ordinary small grain acreage, a Hallock
weeder will more than pay for itself
the first season.
Just at this time it is the best possi
ble tool to use on the ground that has
been planted to potatoes and on corn
ground whether listed or checked. If
any will take the trouble to examine
the soil he will find just beneath the
surface thousands of small weeds that
have just started to grow but have not
yet reached the light. The weeder will
effectually destroy these. It will pass
through a hill of corn eradicating all
tho weeds and not injuring the stock.
To do full justice to the growing pota
to or corn crop it should be gohe over
twice each week with a weeder. The
farmer who does this will be surprised
at the effective work it does against
the weeds. Weeds rob the soil of
moisture and of plant food needed for
the growing crop and it is necessary
for the greatest production to get rid
of them entirely. No one can raise a
strong crop of both weeds and potatoes
or corn on the same ground. We must
keep down the weeds or the weeds will
keep down the crop. The best imple
ment for this is the weeder of which I
spoke.
Most of the farmers realize the truth
of what I have said but say that
they have not time to do it, that they
arc overrun with work as it is. I com
mend to the notice of such farmers
that old proverb of biting off more
than they can chew. If agriculture is
to succeed here, or anywhere else for
that matter, the work must be thor
oughly and well done. No one should
undertake to do more than he can do
well, and here where soil and climatic
conditions are generally supposed to
be adverse this is especially true. The
farmer, who at present has more than
he can do to give proper attention to
his growing crops, would make money
by hiring tho necessary labor and the
next year undertake no more than he
can do and do well.
If tfio moisture is to be conserved
the surface of the ground must be
broken at once. If there is only a few
days delay a large portion of the mois
ture will he lost before anything is
done to prevent the loss.
would be glad to have all such write
to him at cither Lincoln or Alliance
asking for any information on potato
growing they wish. At the same time
he will be glad to furnish franked tags
to enable a person to 6end specimens
of diseased potatoes to him for study.
For the Dairymen
Dairying will certainly become the lead
ing industry of this part of the state. It
may not take the lead next year or the
year after but ultimately, that is in twenty-five
years it will take its place in the
front rank of Box Butte industries. It is
coming to be seen that men cannot profit
ably raise beef cattle ob wild grass pasture
when land is worth 830 per acre or more.
Already the dairy industry is making rapid
strides, It is well known that during the
dry years of the 90's this country would
have been depopulated but for the dairy
cow. Some idea of the importance of the
industry may be gained from the fact that
last year the Alliance Creamery alone dur
ing the first year of its operation paid out
more than $40,000 for cream from this
part of the country. From present indica
tions the Alliance Creamery will pay near
ly, if not quite, double the above amount
for cream during the current year and it is
expected that the other creameries in
operation here will do fully ai well. These
figures show the growing importance of
dairying as a business.
Those who have the program for the
cattlemen's convention in charge have se
cured ProL A. L. Haecker of the experi
ment station for an address on "Cream
Production." Prof. Haecker is one of tho
most expert scientific dairymen in the
country. His success at the experiment
station with the dairy is unprecedented in
the record of experiment stations in the
United States. He understands the busi
ness from beginning to end, both practi
cally and commercially, and the dairymen
of Box Butte county are to be congratu
lated on having the opportunity offered for
hearing him on his special subject. It is
to be hoped that dairying will be stimulat
ed and systematized and made economical
ly profitable for the farmers of Box Butte
county by hearing what Prof. Haecker has
to say and putting his suggestions into im
mediate practice. No one should fail to
hear this address.
Corn Growers Have Chance
Any farmed wilt have a chance to
win prizes since tho winners of tho
1907 and 1908 sweepstakes have been
eliminated from entering the regular
classes at the next corn show.
In addition to this the exposition
will give no cash prize of Si, 000 to tho
winner of the Grand Champion sweep
stakes, (lie gra'nd premier trophy be
ing considered sufficient reward to
gether with the honor of winning the
prize.
Instead of the $t,ooo cash prize for
the champion sweepstakes, three
sweepstakes prizes have been arranged,
giving one to each of the best ten cars
of yellow, white and other than yellow
or white, which includes flint, red and
calico varieties.
These changes were decided dual a
meeting of th'e executive committee of
the exposition and vice presidents of
the National Corn Association, held in
Omaha last week.
The management has also decided
that-all exhibits must be in Omaha at
the office of a transportation company
or on tho exposition grounds by Novem
ber 27th, ten days before the exposition
opens. The 1909 exposition, which is
to be held in Omaha December 6 to r8
is to be an exposition that is "ready."
Notice to Tax Payers
You are hereby notified that tho
Board of County Commissioners will
meet as a Board of Equalization, at
the court house, in Alliance, Nebraska,
June 15th, 1909, and remain in session
for three days, at least, for the purpose
of hearing complaints, adjusting and
equalizing assessments.
W. C. Mqunts,
, County Clerk.
Pure Bred Poultry.
Choice R. C. Leghorn cockerels for
sale. Eggs 50 cents per setting. Call
or write Mrs. A. Gregory, Marsland,
Nebr. 18.13W
SUMMER FINALLY
APPEARS
Potato
Diseases in
Northwestern Nebraska
(From Gordon Journal, June 4.)
Dr. E. Mead Wilcox, the state bot
anist of Lincoln, and Mr. E. W. Hunt
of Alliance were in Gordon Saturday
holding a potato growers meeting for
the purpose of explaining to the farm
ers some of the recent work done by
Dr. Wilcox in his investigation of po
tato diseases in this region. As a re
sult of the work up to date he has been
able to isolate the fungus causing this
common form of dry rot in northwest
ern Nebraska and to develop methods
of control, which if followed this fall
by tho fanners, will enable them to
send clean, healthy potatoes to market.
The situation is serious but demands
simply the efforts of those interested
to bring clear skies for the market of
northwestern Nebraska spuds. What
is needed now is the united effort of all
growers in employing .better methods
of harvesting and marketing their crop.
The fungus responsible for the dry rot
can enter only wounded or bruised
potatoes. This points towards the
use of more careful methods of handl
ing the crop. Wounded and dry rot
potatoes should never find their way
into spuds sent to market. The people
must establish a market and guarantee
the quality of the potatoes which they
sell. It is likely that this result can
best be secured through the organiza
tion of an association to inspect and
then stand back of the potatoes that
are shipped from this point. There is
no danger of an overproduction of high
grade potatoes. The danger to this
region lies in the very shortsighted
practice of selling without reference to
the future effect upon the market.
Even now some of the large buyers in
larger cities are rather cautious as to
buying spuds from this region. Dr.
Wilcox is very desirous of entering
into correspondence with everyone
growing potatoes in this region and
The weather is warming up
and now is the time to get
one of those, nobby new
SUMMER SUITS
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