THE DIVERSIFIED FARM. 



In diversified farming by irrigation lies the salvation of agriculture 



THE AGE wants to brighten the pages of its Diversified Farm department and with 

 this object in view it requests its readers everywhere to send in, photographs and pic- 

 tures of fields, orchards and farm homes; prize-taking horses, cattle, sheep or hogs, 

 Also sketches or plans of convenient and commodious barns, hen houses, corn cribs, 

 etc. Sketches of labor-saving devices, such as ditch cleaners and watering troughs. 

 A good illustration of a windmill irrigation plant is always interesting. Will you help 

 us improve the appearance of THE AGE? 



THE CANAIGRE ROOT, 



Canaigre is a species of sour dock grow- 

 ing on the hot, sandy deserts of southern 

 Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and Califor- 

 nia. The tubers are small and yellow, re- 

 sembling sweet potatoes, and grow three or 

 four in a bunch. They contain about 15 

 per cent or more of tannic acid, aud re- 

 quire three years to mature, or reach the 

 highest state of perfection. When culti- 

 vated, the roots grow large enough to yield 

 from 10 to 15 tons per acre. The marked 

 price for this product in its green condi- 

 tion as harvested, is about $9.00 per ton, 

 and when sliced and dried, ready for ship- 

 ment to tanneries is $30 or more, thus 

 showing that it takes three tons of green 

 roots to make one of the marketable pro- 

 duct. Markets are found where the acid 

 is used for tanning purposes,, instead of 

 the old tanbark juice, to which canaigre 

 liquor is much superior. 



The State of Utah pays a bounty on ca- 

 naigre culture, when enough money has 

 been expended by any person or company 

 to guarantee permanency to the industry. 

 A factory has been erected in New Mex- 

 ico, where the roots are sliced and dried 

 and shipped to the tannic markets of the 

 world. The hides tanned by canaigre 

 have a much more elastic appearance and 

 are said to take on better polish and wear 

 longer when manufactured into boots and 



shoes, gloves and harness. Some experi- 

 mental farmers report good yields from 

 planting the seed while others say the 

 only profitable plan is to cut the tubes in 

 pieces about one inch in length and plant 

 the same as potatoes. The roots grow 

 abundantly in the cultivated fields where 

 the climate is hot and dry, but do not thrive 

 under excessive irrigation. Farmers are ex- 

 pecting good returns from canaigre when 

 capitalists erect tanneries in the vicinity 

 of the natural home of the plant. 



TREE PLANTING BY DYNAMITE. 



One of the most successful methods of 

 planting an orchard is the use of dyna- 

 mite in loosening the sub-soil and hard 

 pan. A small charge of dynamite, prop- 

 erly prepared, will break up the ground 

 for several feet beneath the surface and 

 open all the food fountains for the tree 

 roots. When trees are planted, in a dy- 

 namite hole, they grow more thrifty, bear 

 sooner and have more fruit and a better 

 quality than those planted by the old 

 methods. Many of the new orchards, 

 planted in the West, have been dynamited, 

 and the thriftiness of the trees have sur- 

 prised even the oldest and best horticul- 

 turists. The cheapness, too, recommends 

 the system, and brings it within the reach 

 of every fruit grower. 



