34 AGRICULTURE IN THE SEMIAEID GREAT PLAINS. 



in the drier parts its production on uplands by the use of ordinary 

 methods is doubtful. Moderately successful small fields have been 

 maintained for a number of years in many localities, as at Santa Fe, 

 Kans.; Vernon, Colo.; Colby, Kans.; and Sextorp, Harrison, and 

 Alliance, Xebr. Most of the large ^^ields of alfalfa reported from the 

 region have been groA\ai on subirrigated valley land, but the public 

 has commonly credited them to the upland. There are still many 

 subirrigated patches growing buffalo grass that ought to be seeded 

 to alfalfa. A number of fields of alfalfa seeded in rows 30 to 36 

 inches apart and thoroughly cultivated, very much as corn and 

 potatoes are cultivated, have produced very profitable crops for 

 several years. The promise for the production of alfalfa seed by 

 this method is very bright for the entire region. 



PROMISING SYSTEMS OF FARM MANAGEMENT. 



It does not seem advisable for anyone to attempt to do exclusive 

 grain farming in this region and expect to make it a permanent 

 success. In the past this has proved inadvisable here, as it has 

 nearly everywhere else. On the other hand, it has also been proved 

 by the majority of old settlers that for the man with limited means it 

 is precarious to depend on stock alone. At least, the most certain 

 means of securing a more or less constant income is to give attention 

 to a number of difi'erent products. This also enables one to accom- 

 ])lish much more with the same number of laborers, because it fur- 

 nishes more constant employment. 



As has been mentioned previously, the growth of grass is com- 

 paratively small in this dry country. For this reason a large area is 

 requu'ed for pasturage. In most places somewhere from 8 to 20 

 acres of native grass, together with 2 tons of rough feed, though often 

 this amount of rough feed is not used, are required to carry one grown 

 horse or cow the year round, or 1 square mile will commonly pasture 

 from 30 head on the drier and sandier lands to 80 head on the best 

 lands. This, together with the frequent light crops, makes it essen- 

 tial that settlers own or control larger areas of land than are recpiired 

 to maintain a family in more humid regions. 



It is impossible to say definitely what the farm unit should be or 

 on how small a tract a family can live. The acreage requiretl must 

 necessarily vary much with the local conditions, but it will vary even 

 more with the man. There is much truth in the old saying "Thar's 

 more in the man than tliar is in the Ian'." However, some general 

 statement on this subject may serve to give those unfamiliar with the 

 conditions a better idea. It is the writer's opinion that on the better 

 lands n(;ar the eastern limit of the territory 320 acres should be 

 suilicient to support a family, l)ut near the western limit for general 

 agriculture two to four sections will be needed. In most cases only 



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