OCR Text |
Show HAS BEAVER CO. FARMING IMPROVED The question is often asked, "Is there any progress in agriculture?" are farmers changing their methods any?" The answer is too long to make in a breath and requires some consideration. At one time there was a good deal c-f mining activity in Beaver county, which furnished a very good local market for all agricultural' products. Mining towns sometimes grow up in a day flourish a while, and are gone as quickly as they come. It "has been some time since there has been much mining activity in this county, and the last census report shows very little lit-tle growth. Besides a few farming communities. communi-ties. Beaver County, about eight years ago, consisted of Milford, a railroad town in the desert, distri-muting distri-muting and shipping point for freight, frei-ght, together with a few declining mining towns, which consumed most of the agricultural products produced produc-ed at that time. Range cattle, wool, and cream were shipped out of the county andi these were about the extent ex-tent of the exports at that time. These products were purchased by local lo-cal dealers as middlemen. For lack of experience with the larger outside markets, the products procured were of alll varieties and qualities. There had never been more than three of four pure bred beef type bulls owned in the county. There were no pure bred sheep. Hogs were few and of mixed breeds. Grains and potatoes were also of mixed varieties. var-ieties. There never had been, so far as the writer has been able to ascertain, ascer-tain, an accurate device installed in any stream for. measuring irrigation water. The users of many streams were unincorporated and poorly organized' or-ganized' for doing improvement work to conserve irrigation water, the greatest economical asset for production produc-tion and development. Since that time some changes have been made. The last stream of importance impor-tance has now been Incorporated and most of the i-.treams have measuring devices installed In them for properly proper-ly distributing the waters. The farmers far-mers have learned that tuberculosis in cattle can be discovered and eliminated; elim-inated; that losses from anthrax, hog colera, blackleg and other diseases dis-eases in livestock can be prevented. Nearly all cattlemen are using pre-manent pre-manent immunity serum against blackleg in young cattle. Nearly all the beef type bulls owned in the county are pure bred and Beaver county cattle are no longer considered consider-ed Southern long-horns. There are now seven breeders of pure bred Shorthorn and Heroford cattle. Cattlemen Cat-tlemen are making better alfalfa hay and silos are common, and many of the farmers are now feeding beef The self-feeder is common for hogs. There are five breeders of pure bred RambouiUct sheep In the county. Farm flocks of sheep are becoming numerous. Through cooperative efforts ef-forts of farmers, marketing associations, associa-tions, they have learned the value of standardized products on the markets. mar-kets. Nearly all the oats produced are now Swedish Select. Tralnloads of straight Russet and Rural potatoes pota-toes are exported. The same may be said of pure bred Duroc Jersey hoga. One can hardly find a hog In the coun ty that is not a pure bredi. Field tests have been under way for a number of years, to standardize on the best variety of wheat. Demonstrations on the growing of special crops suited suit-ed to this section are also under way. Community organizations are1 being organized to get team work in further fur-ther fostering and developing important im-portant and special farm enterprises In order to be good neighbors and to get the full value of their farms, farmers are building better fences. It is generally admitted that Beaver Bea-ver county has the best earth roads in the state for hauling their agricultural agricul-tural products to market. Large areas ar-eas of cultivated land has been added ad-ded during the eight years and many other improvements have been accomplished. ac-complished. One reflection still remains. The county is naturally adapted to dairying dairy-ing and our dairy herds and conditions condi-tions are not much Improved over what they have been for a long time. The dairy bull association would get this Industry to moving. It is the next thing that we must put over. |