Nebraska Newspapers

    THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
ITh me iMffliffflr
CULTURED DR. RITTER
s m I lw jm
roun
ft B I LI M II
Farmers in semi-arid
regions of west and
Southwest make inex
pensive silos by digging
pits and lining them
with cement : : Method
may be used profitably
in any part of country
N THE pit silo (ho farmers of tlio scnil
arid regions of tlio Southwest hnvo
found a vnlunlile aid In their efforts to
wrest n living from tlio soil. In tlio
winter of 1013-14, following tlio un
precedented drought of 1018, It proved
Its value to such an extent that hun
dreds of thetn Imvo been
constructed by tho farm
ers of western Kansas,
Oklahoma, eastern Colo
rado, northern Texas,
and New Mexico. In one
Colorado county nlono
131 I'aso tho exlstcnco
of a few pt silos last
fall saved $00,000 worth
of llvo stock which would
Imvo perished in tho
sovcro winter following
tho dry summer. There
were moro tlinu 200 pit
silos In this county tho
past summer.
Tho silo Is getting to
bo an old story on tho
prosperous farms of tho
mlddlo West. Tho valuo
of tho great tank to pro
servo tho feed values of
forago crops and utlllzo
them through tho wlntor
and spring when tho pas
tures nro resting, has been tested so often Hint
nearly overy successful farmer has constructed ono
or more of them.
Tho pit slip Is only about three years old, and has
been In extensive uso for only two years. It Is not
n now thing, but It Is now In tho Southwest, where
It Is moro valuabjo than In any other farming re
gion In tho United Stntes. A fow silos havo been
In uso In Iown, In Illinois, and even In Mississippi,
for a number of years, but their uso In these re
gions has not spread.
A silo Is a water-tight structure Into which corn
and other fodder are packed whllo green so tightly
that no spaco Is loft for air, and with enough mots
turo to Insuro fermentation. Tho materia! Is gen
erally cut Into strips not more than an Inch or two
In length. In tho winter, after the fermentation
and curing process hnvo been completed, the silo
Is opened and the "mash" Is fed to llvo stock. It
Is us palatable and nourishing as green fodder,
mid exhaustive and long-continued experiments
havo proved Mint beef cattle, milch cows, hogs,
horses, mules, nnd sheep thrive on It. Tho process
preserves about 00 per cent of the food values of
tho green fodder, If tho fodder Is loft In stneks or
shocks It loses fully one-half of tho food valuo
through tlio drying-out process.
In the Southwest last wlntor nnd spring tho own
ers of pit silos leurncd that tho Immature nnd hot
wind dried-out fodder crops, which would havo
been practically worthless as dry food, mado n very
good food when converted Into ensllago In tho pit
silos. Ono Illustration will prove Its valuo In Mils
regard.
. J. O. Michael Is a farmer In tho Lincoln district
of El I'uho county, In eastern Colorado. In August,
1013, when It was nppnrent that tho drought and
hot winds had already mado It Impossible to securo
a crop, Michael, assisted by two men working nt
odd times, built a R5-ton pit silo. Tho cash outlny
'wna only $M5. Into this hole In the ground Mlchnel
ipnckcd tho corn from ton acros, tho best of which
would not yield moro than ten busholH per acre.
'Tho com was Immnturo, nnd there was no chnnco
tfor It to Improvo. If harvested and stacked for uso
os fodder In dry form It would havo been worth
enly ft few dollars per ncro.
iProm lato fall until spring Mr. Michael fed tho
MisllnKO to 10 milch cowfc and 12 heifers, 20 pounds
n lnv ner bead for tho cows nnd llvo pounds for
tho heifers. No grain wns fed, but tho cnttlo wore
clvcn n Uttlo millet nnd ont strnw for roughnge.
ri'hn cntlro herd kept In good condition, nnd tho
ten cowa provided Mr. Mlclmcl with ten dollars
worth of cream overy week.
Tho pit slloa In tho Southwest nro generally noth
lni: moro than holes in tho ground lined with ce
dent of varying thickness. Some of them aro con
Btructcd with a heavy concrete collnr to prevent
tho ground caving In nnd to keep out tho moisture.
Borne of them havo concrete extension abovo tho
Hiirfnco of the ground. There nro nil sorts nnd
sires nnd nil shnpes and kinds of construction, for
tho nit silo Is still such n now farm dovlco that It
has not been atnndnrdlxcd. Tho cost rangcB from
$1 45 cash outlay of Mr. Michael, to $150 for tlio
lnrcer oues, Vltn nn Inch ccmeut lining nnd heavy
nncroto collurs extending deep Into tho ground
nit nbove-ground extensions. Tho nvcrngo cost of
the hundreds Mint havo boon built rnngvH between
fl5 nnd $20.
A number of interesting methods havo boon
brovKht Into uso to mnko tho most of this new form
at B'lo Two brothers, Uny and Fny Harner, who
illvo'nonr Colby, In western Kansns, havo discov
ered n method by which they can dig n 30-foot holo
for a tilt silo In about two days. Tboy contract to
dig pi hIos 10 foot In diameter sad 80 foet deep
for about $35, nnd their
m o t h o d Is practical
throughout western
Kansas and eastern
Colorado, since thero Is
very little rock above n
depth of -10 to 150 feet.
Tho Harner brothers
uso tho blower of a
threshing machine with
which to remove tho
dirt from the pit, blow
ing It through tho air
and so scattering it
about that Micro is no
unsightly pile of enrth
left. A llvc-horso-power
engine furnishes tho
motive power. Tho
blower nnd funnel nro
lowered Into tho hole,
nnd the men throw tho
dirt Into tho receiver. In sandy, looso sbll they
havo sunk n 20-foot holo in eight hours, a tnsk
which would rcqulro two laborers, working In
tho iiHiinl way, from two to three days to accom
plish. Tho Ilarners dug ono pit 30 feet deep and
12 feet across in 18 hours, tho dirt being carried
12 feet above tho ground through nn opening mndo
In the roof of tho barn nnd blown to tho winds.
One man in Oklahoma's Panhandle last year,
after ho had built or dug a pit sllo at a total cost
of $10, proved that Itusslnn thistles can be con
verted Into fair stock feed. This man wns Albert
Stone, who lives near Giiymon. When his 15 by
17 sllo was finished, with n $2 sh'.-l over It, ho
found ho was short of feed, and filled It with
thistles, broomcorn, knflr and mllo. The thistles
were cut too lato to make good, feed, but In tho
fermenting process tho thorns were softened and
the cattlo ate them readily. There was not
enough from his 30 acres to fill the small sllo, but
Mr. Stone found that the results were sufficient
to repay him. All winter he fed 7 milch cows,
12 horses, 0 calves, nnd several hogs, feeding them
nothing but the silage. It lasted for three months.
As dry feed It would hnvo been gone in threo
weeks. That pit sllo was the only source of rovc
nuo on the farm for tho year, and tho milk kept
tho family In groceries and other necessities.
Experiments covering a period of three yenrs,
mado at the Kansas Agricultural college, havo
proved that silage from corn, from knflr nnd from
sorghum hnve equal feeding vnlue, ton for ton, for
both beef cuttle nnd dairy cows, when encli va
riety Is nlnccd In tho sllo at tho nroner time. This
proper time for corn Is when tho kernels aro be
ginning to dent, for knflr nnd sorghum when tho
seeds hnvo grown so hnrd they ennnot bo crushed
between thumb anil forefinger, und while tho
stalks and lenves nro still green. Theso tests
hnvo nroved that tho nrnctlco in the pnst has
been to cut knflr and sorghum too green to get
tho full feed value in tho sllnge.
Theso tests will hnvo a very important bearing
upon farming In tho scmlnrld districts. The best
sllago crop will be corn where tho rainfall Is
ample, knflr where tho rainfall Is moderate, and
sorghum where It Is light. Sorghum Is practically
a euro crop, where It Is well cultivated, In tho
driest years In western Knnsas nnd Oklnhomn, tho
Panhandle of Texas, and In eastern New Mexico
and In Colorado.
Every farmer In tho Southwest, It Is said, needs
a sllo as badly as he needs anything; it Is further
said that not two men in ten aro able to build an
above-ground sllo because of tho expense. Tho
pit sllo, easting only one-tenth ns much, nnd
capablo of? being built by tho farmer himself, Is
expected to solve this problem until farmers aro
able to piuchaso the moro expensive and better
above-ground silos of woods, tile, concreto or
metnl.
When Dr. Pnul Itlttcr, tho minis
ter of Switzerland nt Washington, wns
thrust Into sudden prominence by be
ing selected to look after Germany's
Interests in this country, people began
to ask "What about this Doctor Itlttcr,
what manner of man Is ho?" In Wash
ington where he Is best known the re
ply usually Is, "Why, surely you know
the Swiss minister. He Is qulto de
lightful, so cultivated, and his wlfo Is
one of tho handsomest and most ac
complished women o the diplomatic
corps" but nctual facts ns to his past
career nnd present Interests aro hard
to come by. Ho Is n doctor of laws
nnd not of medicine (LL. D. of Leipzig
university) ; n knowledge of law In
general and international law In par
ticular being a necessary qualification
for entrance into the dlplomutlc scrv
Ico of Switzerlnnd.
Doctor Itlttcr, who wis born nt
Bnsel In 1805. studied nt the University
of Pnrls, nt Basel, Goettlngen, nnd Jenn before taking his degree nt Leipzig,
and practiced law In his homo town for n short time. Ills first diplomatic
experience wns gained In tho foreign office nt Berne. Then he was sent to
Japan, first ns consul, Inter as consul general, when all Switzerland's diplo
matic relntions with the Flowery kingdom were In tho Hands of ner consular
officers, and later still as envoy cxtraordlnnry nnd minister plenipotentiary,
a service of 17 years, during which time he developed a deep affection for und
extraordinary comprehension of the Japanese people, of their politics, and
literature.
Doctor Bitter camo to Washington in 1000. Since, then he has managed
tho diplomatic business of his country with great tact and maintained the
plcasantest social relations with his colleagues of tho diplomatic corps and
with several successive ndministrntlons. Ho Is a man or wide culture anu u
notable linguist, speaking Japanese fluently ns well as several European languages.
OF SENATORIAL STOCK
SOME STRANGE FARMS
People Surely Have Unuoual Means of Money Making In United States.
Frederick Hale, the new senator
from Maine, Is of senutorlnl stock. Ills
father is ex-Senator Eugeno Hnlo nnd
his mother, Mrs. Mary D. (Chandler)
Halo, Is the daughter of Senator Chan
dler, lato of Detroit, Mich. Senator
Hale's brother, Chandler Hale, mar
ried a daughter of Senator Cumcron,
Into of Pennsylvania.
Frederick Hulo goes into the
United Stntes sennto nt ubout the
snme age ns his fnthcr, who wns re
plnced five nnd n half years ago by
Charles F. Johnson, Democrat, who
now In turn Is displaced by tho son,
after one term.
Frederick Ilnle wns born In De
troit, October 7, 1874, nnd his earliest
dnys were pnssed In that city. When
he was about twelve years old ho was
sent abroad nnd tutored In a French
family In Versailles. He gained nn in
timate knowledge of Mic French lan
guage, which was an asset In the re
cent cnmpnlgn. Ho delivered several speeches In French. Ho wns educated
nt Groton, where he fitted for Hnrvnrd, graduating In 1890. Ho attended the
Columbln Law school and was admitted to tho bar In 1899. He was a Roose-
velt leader In 1012.
Hale Is. unmarried, malntnlns n handsomely appointed house on State
street In tho exclusive section of Portland, entertains delightfully and Is a
host whose guests are brought to realize what royal hospitality renlly Is. Ho
is n member of clubs nlraost without number.
GERMANY'S BOSS
Turkey hns Its mosques; Ilussla has Its Cos
sacks; Germany has Its U-boats, nnd Mexico hns
Its ftciis; but tho United Stntes hns the queerest
fnrms In the world.
At Pasadena, Cal., Edwin Cawston operates
what Is porhnps tho lurgest ostrich fnrni in tho
world. Of course, it isn't everyone who would
enro to keep ostriches. Hut Mr. Cnwston doesn't
mind It u bit, for he controls a great pnrt of tho
OHtrlclt-plumo supply of tho world. If you hnvo
ever purchased tin ostrich plume of the first grade
you niny have u faint Inkling ns to how much
money can bo mndo from un ostrich fnrm, If you
know how. Onco Pennsylvnnlnns got the fover
nnd started nn ostrich farm up near Sunbury, but
tho poor, unoffending birds refused to become ac
climated; said they were not snowbirds, or some
thing to that effect. Bo that ns it may, Cuwston's
ostrich farm remains today the greatest In tho
world.
At Victoria, In Mexico, there Is a parrot ranch.
And some distance beyond Loh Angeles, Cal.,
there Is an Immense pigeon farm. Thero one will
find nearly 15,000 pigeons. And almost everybody
knows that thero is money iu plfjeona; Indeed,
where Is tho schoolboy who hasn't kept a few at
ono time or another? Also, lu Colorado Micro la
j bear farm. And somewhoro up In Canada Is n
man who Is making money by rearing wolves;
tho skins bring huudsomo prices.
At Hot Sprlugs, Ark., II. J. Campbell hns un
alligator farm, which Is but unother of tho Amer
ican queerest farms in tlio world. But down in
Florida, whore tho alllgutor grows, tho farmers
used to ahoot tho whole blooming family. It 13
said that botweon 1890 and 1000 moro Minn 3,000,
000 saurlans were killed. Of course, perhaps
thero wns nmplo renson for this wholesnlo butch
ery. The nlllgntbrs seemed to tako great delight
lu deplotlng tho farmers' herds of cattle. Even
tho docile cow was not Immune. Naturally, mak
ing nwny with tho nlllgntors in wholesnlo lots
cnuaed u shortngo In alligator akin, und tho leath
er manufacturers felt tho pinch. Alllgntor furms
were the result.
And Mr. Campbell goes Dnmo Nuturo ono bet
terho hatches 'oin out In Incubators. After
they get beyond tho stago whero they look llko
woolly worma with iron-clad backs, the alligators
aro allowed to shoot tho chutes, play tag and
otherwise mnko tho most of life. But eventually
eventually tho Bword of not Dnmocies but Camp
bell fullB. Later, the prtdo of tho family receives
ns u graduation gift n lovely nlllgntorskln grip
or Hultcnse, und ho nnd tho biigBuge-smushers, nil
unmindful of tho ahnttcred romnnco nnd tho piti
ful tragedy back of tho advent of tho grip or
Bultcnse. treat It shamefully. That's" life for you.
In Texas tho fanner Is breeding buffaloes and
crossing thoin with cattlo. In Oregon they nro
raising Chinese pheasants, but the story of how
tho ostrich was first Introduced to America Is ono
that must bo told.
In 1882 nn unknown soldier of fortune filled tho
hold of a steamer bound for New York with moro
than 100 ostriches. Now, these glgnntlc birds
weigh ns much as 200 and 800 pounds, even more.
They are accustomed to sunlight, tho open rnngo
nnu, nuovo an, iresn air. nut hero they were,
packed In bndly ventilated pens In tho smelly hold
of n tramp steamer. The pitching and tossing of
tho steamer also was responsible for the death
of many of tlio birds. At any rate, but n mero
handful of tho original shipment arrived in Now
York. Lnter they wero shipped to San Francisco,
und still later to Anaheim, lu Lower California,
Terrapin fanning Is ono of tho newer Indus
tries. Down on tho Islo of IIopo, Georgia, Is ono
of the greatest of nil terrapin farms. And tlio
United Stntes bureau of fisheries hns been study-
Ing tho dlnmond-bnck terrapin for the last eight
years down nt Benufort, N. O. There terrapin
hnvo been In the pounds for moro than six years,
and tno young nuve long ngo reached tho ngo
where they can take enro of themselves.
William Hagan has an Immense fur plant down
along the shores of tho Delaware ho raises musk
rats, nnd makes money at it. During tho season of
1014-15 Mr. Hagan realized moro than $2,000 clear
profit on his Immense farm, which extends over
nn acre of 014 ncres. But muskrut farming is n
very strenuous business. In tho first plnce, tho
farmer must wnlt until fall before tho real "farm
tug" takes place. It is then Mint tho skins nre nt
their beat. Tho animals nro caught tho greator
part of them by means of stnko traps; that Is,
traps attached to stakes. The stakes also serve
ns u guide. Then, too, the trappers take with
them n needle-pointed rapier, used to spear auy
stray rat which may attempt to fleet nt tho first
warning of danger to him or his. And those hip-
booted trappers can spenr a rat with nil the deft
ness of n William Tell shooting an apple.
If you hnvo never seen u muskrnt fnrm, drop
down to Mr. llagau's place you'll bo surprised to
seo how un "underwater" farm la managed, and
you'll hardly be able to bellove Micro aro so many
muskrats In the world. Somo days ho averages
moro than 150, and ho has come' very near to the
200 mark. Yes, there's lota of money In musknit
farming; but unless you'vo got the constitution of
nn Alplno cluisseur, don't attempt It.
Joseph Mutlnck or Moorestown, N. J., owns
what ta perhaps tho largest gulnea-plg farm in tho
world. This much 18 uncontradlctablo. Ho raises
more of thcui Mum any grower In America, nnd
makes money where others fall. Now, that's sonn-
thing to be proud of. Any man can bo a farmer;
but to bo u successful farmer well, that's some
thing dlffereut. Of course, thero nro other gulnea-
plg farms which enrich their owners lota and lots
of them. But In the gulnea-plg world Mr, Mat-
luck Is king. Philadelphia North American.
General von Ludcndorff, officially
chief of staff to Field Marshal von
Hlndenburg, Is virtually dictator of all
Germany. Ludendorff Is supremo.
All tho threads, not only of military
control, but also of civil ndralnlstra
tlon, food distribution, Industry, agri
culture, nnd even foreign relntions, nil
of which are subordlnnto to military
requirements, now run to the country
seat of the prince of Pless, whero Gen
eral von Ludcndorff sits with Von Hln
denburg nt lmperlnl headquarters.
Nothing is done unless "Ludendorff" Is
for it.
It wns Ludendorff's lint that or
ganized tho universal nuxlllnry lnbor
service, converted German Industry to
nn unmodified wnr bnsls, deported Bel
glnn, Roumanian nnd Serbian work
men to Germnny and tightened tho
regulations for food distribution. In
the final consideration it was Luden
dorff's Influence Mint committed Ger
mnny to the unrestricted submnrlne warfare. All theso decisions nnd detcr
mlnntions, of course, nro covered by Field Marshal von Hindenburg's name
nnd nuthority, but ho lenves such nonmlllfary mntters almost exclusively In
tho hnnds of Von Ludendorff.
"UNCLE JIMMY'S" FAME
"Uncle Jimmy," otherwise nnd
more formnlly known ns Col. J. F. Ed
wnrds, Into "of tho nrmy of tho Con
federate States of America, Is famed
In Washington for two reasons. One
is that he has been n doorkeeper In
the United States senate for 40 years,
nnd still holds tho Job. The other nnd
moro picturesque renson for his fnmo
Is that he Is tho only living mrtn who
hod tho nerve to "cuss out" tho Into
Scnntor Vest.
Vest wns a senator from Missouri
In the Confederate congress nfter tho
wnr stnrted, und then Joined the South
ern army us a private. Ho wus as
signed to tho troops coramnnded by
Col. J. F. Edwards. In Inter years
when Vest became n United Statea
senator his former commander ob
tained tho place of doorkeeper, but
wiib still Colonel Edwards to tho sena
tor. "Uncle Jimmy," ns ho camo to bo
known, Is of n volcanic temperament,
and not forgetting that Vest was onco his subordinate, used to swear nt tho
senator whenever he felt like It, nnd he nlwnys got by with it, much to tho
astonishment of his fellow employees. Edwards Is a much-llkcd and priv
ileged character nbout the sennto.
y