116 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



other forty would result in the acreage given the 

 state by the government being cut down just that 

 amount. 



Mr. Wells was of the opinion that this practice 

 could possibly result in many filings by one family 

 with a single contract for water and especially if 

 it was found that land vacated could be worked 

 under the dry farming system. 



The land board was apparently at a loss in 

 the matter of a decision and Mr. Damman was in- 

 formed that his application would be taken under 

 consideration. The attitude of the land board leads 

 us to believe that this question may prove an im- 

 portant one and in the event of a positive stand by 

 the department of the interior serious complications 

 may arise. In any event the outcome will be looked 

 for with much interest. 



Reports of conditions which threat- 

 Many en the Yellowstone elk herds come 

 Yellowstone to us from the reports of the forest 

 Elk service, United States Department 

 Dying of Agriculture. These reports cover 

 Yellowstone Park and the Jackson's 

 Hole region. The danger is said to be due to an 

 exceptionally heavy winter snow fall and late on- 

 coming of spring. Deep crusted snow is preventing 

 the elk from obtaining their usual feed and the 

 weakened animals, especially the calves are reported 

 to be dying rapidly in spite of the large supply of 

 hay provided by the government for such emergen- 

 cies. This supply is now exhausted and bands of 

 elk that are prevented from getting to the lower 

 altitudes where food may be obtained will die from 

 starvation. 



The government, through the forest service, has 

 performed good work in protecting elk and other 

 game but the unusual long winter, such as that of 

 1916-1917 threw their food quantity calculations 

 awry and the result will be a lot of bones, some 

 fertilizer and plenty of teeth for charms for our 

 brothers "Bill." 



The writer has frequently called attention to 

 the wanton destruction of the elk and recalls a cer- 

 tain canon in the Ten Sleep country, where a large 

 band of elk was snow-bound and slaughtered by 

 Indians and cow men, and the horns cached on the 

 canon walls in sufficient numbers to fill a dozen 

 hay wagons. This sort of "sport" has done more 

 to keep the elk herds down than starvation. 



Another case that came to the writer's atten- 

 tion during a trip into northwestern Wyoming last 

 fall may be worth mentioning, a well known sheep 

 man and miner who runs his bands in Jackson's 

 hole informed him that he let his miners and herders 

 off a half day each week to hunt elk and follow- 

 ing our statement that his camps should be well 

 supplied with fresh meat, he stated that he gave 



the carcasses to the men but it was understood that 

 all of the teeth fit for mounting were to be delivered 

 to him. 



Thus it will be seen that the government has 

 conditions equally as serious as starvation, to con- 

 front in the protection of elk and other game ani- 

 mals. 



Killed 

 By 

 Close 

 Cutting 



The U. S. Department of Agricul- 

 ture has issued a bulletin on the 

 subject of cutting sweet clover for 

 hay, which contains many sugges- 

 tions of value to farmers generally. 

 This bulletin states that examina- 

 tion of hundreds of acres of sweet clover in differ- 

 ent sections of the United States during 1915 and 

 1916 showed that the stand on at least 50 per cent 

 of the fields was partially or entirely killed by cut- 

 ting the first crop of the second season too close to 

 the ground. 



To prevent the loss of stands the specialist says 

 farmers should examine the fields carefully before 

 mowing to determine the height at which the plants 

 should be cut. At least one healthy bud or young 

 branch should be left on each stub. In fact, the 

 plants should be cut several inches above the young 

 shoots or buds, as the stubble may die back from 

 one to three inches if they are cut during damp or 

 rainy weather. 



It is possible because of the difference in the 

 growth of sweet clover on different types of soil 

 and because of the difference of stands in the differ- 

 ent fields to state definitely the proper height to 

 cut the first crop the second season when a second 

 crop is to be expected. 



When fields contain very heavy stands, fifteen 

 to twenty-five plants to the square foot, it may be 

 necessary to leave an eight-inch stubble. When the 

 plants have been permitted to make a thirty-six to 

 forty-inch growth, a five to six inch stubble usually 

 will be sufficient to insure a second crop. 



Sweet clover hay is not easy to cure and should 

 be handled with great care to insure good color and 

 aroma. 



The writer has mentioned sweet clover many 

 times in the columns of THE IRRIGATION AGE, dur- 

 ing the past twenty years and has advocated its use 

 in silos to give aroma to the contents. 



A thin layer of properly cured sweet clover 

 between each load of other silage will give tone and 

 aroma to the entire contents. 



It has been suggested several times in these 

 columns that sweet clover if cut at exactly the right 

 time and handled like hemp will produce a fine fiber 

 which may prove profitable as time goes on. It 

 is the opinion of the editor that some one, some day, 

 will make this experiment and prove our prophecy 

 true. 



