THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



209 



SOMETHING ABOUT WARD CO., 

 TEXAS. 



We have had a number of inquiries re- 

 garding crops, climate, irrigation, etc., in 

 Texas, especially Ward Co. , and we can 

 answer them in no more satisfactory man- 

 ner than by quoting from a late issue of 

 the Grand Falls New Era, a bright little 

 paper published at Grand Falls, Ward Co., 

 Texas, upon this same subject: 



"We are in receipt of numerous letters 

 asking a great many questions about the 

 country, and we will take this occasion 

 and this space to answer a few of the lead- 

 ing questions. 



1. This is a new country, so new that 

 we have not had a full year of farm work 

 yet. 



2. Every fruit known to the temperate 

 zone will grow here. We have a great 

 many fruit trees planted, but none are old 

 enough to bear. 



3. There is very little land that is open 

 for renting, what there is generally rents 

 for one-third of the crop. 



4. American laborers work for a dollar 

 and a half a day, Mexicans get only from 

 seventy-five cents to a dollar. 



5. We have the usual game found on 

 the plains, antelope, quail, rabbits, and on 

 the irrigating canals wild ducks by the un- 

 told thousands, the Pecos teems with the 

 finest fish. 



6. More than a bale of cotton, six tons 

 of sorghum and ten tons of alfalfa have 

 been raised to an acre. 



7. No, farming by irrigation is not ex- 

 pensive, not nearly so much so as depend- 

 ing on the rainfall; because, by having an 

 absolute control of the question of moisture 

 we can make maximum crops year after 

 year as certainly as a manufacturer can 

 depend on a given output. 



8. It is not excessively hot here as 

 compared with the Northwest, it is never, 

 absolutely never sultry; if you are not in 

 actual work you can always keep cool; the 

 nights are invariably cool, rendering some 

 cover necessary even in summer; sun 

 strokes are unknown. 



9. Crimes are unknown, there is not a 

 more orderly community in the world; 

 there are no negroes and no tramps. 



10. We have a good school house well 

 attended by children of all ages; Sunday 

 school is held every Sunday, prayer meet- 

 ing once a week and preaching frequently. 



11. Certainly all kinds of stock thrive 

 here. No, we do not have the tick that 

 gives splenetic fever; as an evidence of 

 the healthfulness of our cattle, we are 

 above the quarantine line, both National 

 and State." 



BAD PLOWING. 



Inferior plowing may be greatly amend- 

 ed by the good harrowing. As a people we 

 are sadly deficient in our farm work. The 

 poor average yield of the crops shows this. 

 But the worst mistake is bad harrowing. 

 This part of the work may be made to cov- 

 er, if not obviate, many defects of the 

 plowing. It is more easy to harrow than 

 to plow, as the plow mut be held and guid- 

 ed by a firm and skillful hand. Even the 

 best plow, if not well handled, may be 

 worthless, but the best harrow from the 

 nature of it cannot be mismanaged, for it 

 works itself if the team only draws it as 

 near straight as may be. 



For instance, we take the ".Acme" Pul- 

 verizing Harrow, Clod Crusher and Leveler 

 and put a mere boy to drive it, and it will 

 still do its work well. It is made so that 

 its part cannot help but do its work in the 

 manner desired, that is to smooth the in- 

 equalities of the surface, crush the clods, 

 and by its special coulters to pulverize the 

 soil, and fit it in the best manner for the 

 seed, and then by a cross harrowing, still 

 further improve the surface while it cov- 

 ers the seed. Then the young plants come 

 up as evenly as if a seed drill had been 

 used. This implement thus saves the cost 

 of a drill. HENRY STEWART. 



"What is a figure of speech, uncle 

 George?" "Well, it is a 90-pound young 

 man asking a 200-pound girl to fly with 

 him. " Chicago Record, 



