lines of Oklahoma's preeminently greatest industry is only a natural

sequence.

A brief survey of this interesting and important field in the industrial life of Oklahoma may not be out of place in this connection.

NATIVE GRASSES.

The native grasses of Oklahoma include a large number of species and gave to this region its fame as a grazing section long before it was opened to settlement. Since the settlement of the country, between plowing and close pasturing, the amount and value of the native grasses have been greatly diminished. The great variety in which they occurred, however, served as an indication of the adaptability of the climate and soil of Oklahoma to the successful culture of the various cereal and forage crops which have since been so successfully introduced and cultivated.

TAME GRASSES.

Bermuda grass is becoming deservedly popular in Oklahoma and seems destined to be largely used as a pasture grass. It is thoroughly hardy, highly nutritious, and very tenacious, and readily adapts itself to the soils and conditions of this latitude. English blue grass, timothy, and clover have all been tried with varying degrees of success, the best results having been obtained in the eastern part of the Territory. Alfalfa promises to be the great hay crop of Oklahoma. The acreage has been limited until within the past two years, but it is now being rapidly increased. From three to five crops can be cut each year, and some phenomenal yields and profits have been secured. Like clover and the other legumes, it is a great soil improver, and this fact, together with its great productiveness and high feeding value, will aid in revolutionizing farming methods in Oklahoma within the next few years, especially in the economic production of beef, pork, mutton, and butter fat. Cowpeas and soy beans have both been grown successfully in Oklahoma, and it is probable that they will be much more largely planted in the future, both for hog pasture and for hay.

INDIAN CORN.

Corn has been a staple crop in Oklahoma ever since the first year of its settlement, although during the past five years and until the present year the average has been more limited in the wheat-growing counties. It is grown quite generally on the farms of the eastern and central counties and to a lesser extent, though often with fair results, in the western counties, where it is largely replaced as a grain and forage crop by sorghum cane, Kaffir corn, or milo maize.

The total acreage in corn in 1903 was 1,455,000 acres and the aggregate yield was 26,336,000 bushels, a light yield as compared with that of 1902, when the total was 43,800,000 bushels.

Comparatively little of Oklahoma's corn crop is shipped beyond the borders of the Territory, nearly all of it being fed out on the farms where it is produced or in feed yards in the immediate vicinity.

WHEAT.

Wheat is grown extensively in northern, central, and western Oklahoma. In addition to the grain yield, wheat is very generally utilized for pasturage during the winter and early spring, thus enabling the farmers to economize in the amount of rough feed necessary to carry live stock through the winter. The aggregate yield of wheat in Oklahoma in 1903 was 32,000,000 bushels, from 2,250,000 acres. Over onehalf of the total crop was ground in the mills of Oklahoma.

The most of the wheat grown in Oklahoma is what is known as hard wheat. Oklahoma hard wheat and Oklahoma hard-wheat flour have been awarded gold medals for superior excellence in competition with the world.

OATS.

Oats are grown in all parts of the Territory with a fair degree of success, the amount produced being just about sufficient to meet the home demand.

OTHER GRAIN AND FODDER CROPS.

Sorghum is largely planted as a forage crop in Oklahoma, being but little used in the manufacture of syrup. Kaffir corn and milo maize, both of which are classed as nonsaccharine sorghums, are also extensively grown, the former as a fodder crop and the latter for its grain, which is valuable for feeding purposes.

BROOM CORN.

Broom corn is a staple crop in the central counties of the Territory, from whence it is largely exported. About 10,000 tons were shipped from the Territory last year, being the product of 35,000 acres. The brush produced in Oklahoma is of excellent quality and commands a ready sale at remunerative prices.

COTTON.

Cotton was first planted in the Territory in 1890, since which time the acreage and aggregate yield has been gradually increased. Oklahoma's cotton crop for 1903 amounted to 204,000 bales, which was a light yield compared with the average of preceding years, considering the acreage.

The bulk of Oklahoma's cotton crop is grown in the central and southern counties of the Territory. It makes it best returns when grown on the warm, sandy, well-drained soils of this region.

Cotton is grown as a cash crop. Cotton gins are to be found in every cotton-growing community in the Territory. There are several cotton compresses and a number of cotton-seed oil mills in Oklahoma. The products of these oil mills are cotton-seed oil, cotton-seed meal, and cotton-seed hulls. The meal and hulls are used extensively in local feed yards in fattening cattle.

FRUIT GROWING.

The indigenous fruit trees, bushes, and vines of Oklahoma included fully 25 species and they served to indicate the adaptability of its climate and soil to fruit culture. The experience of fifteen short years

has fully borne out the expectations thus grounded. Orchards, vineyards, and small fruit plantations are to be found on many of the farms of eastern and central Oklahoma, and commercial orchards are beginning to be in evidence.

Apples. The orchardists of Oklahoma have demonstrated that apples of the finest quality and size can be produced in this Territory. While it is barely fifteen years since the first orchards were planted in Oklahoma, the results have been such as to warrant the planting of large commercial orchards.

Pears. Pears and quinces have not been extensively planted in Oklahoma, but enough has been done in this line to demonstrate that the successful culture of these fruits is not a matter of conjecture.

Peaches. Oklahoma is the peach country par excellence. The peach crop has never been a total failure since the first peach trees planted in Oklahoma were old enough to bear. The Elberta peach seems to reach its highest possible development in the warm sandstone soils of eastern Oklahoma. For several seasons past extensive shipments of Oklahoma-grown Elbertas have been made to the great markets of the North and East. In August, 1903, one consignment was successfully placed upon the markets of Great Britain and netted a handsome profit. A number of commercial peach orchards have been planted during the past two years in Oklahoma, and the industry promises to become one of large proportions.

Plums and apricots.-With no less than seven separate and distinct botanical species of plums indigenous to the soil of Oklahoma, it is not strange that the exotic varieties readily adapt themselves to local conditions. Plum growing has not as yet been attempted on anything like a commercial scale, but such a stage of development will undoubtedly be reached in the course of time. Apricots do well in Oklahoma, but have not been largely planted.

Grapes.-Oklahoma is also the native home of the American grape, there being five or six indigenous species. The cultivated vine yields a splendid return for the skill and care of the vineyardist. A large number of improved varieties have been introduced, and local markets are supplied with home-grown grapes without artificial refrig eration for a period of fully ten weeks each year.

Small fruits.-Many of the small fruits are successfully grown in Oklahoma. Of these the blackberry, dewberry, and strawberry are the most profitable. Thus far there has been a good home market for all of the fruit of this class that has been produced. The possibilities that are presented for growing small fruit for shipment or for canning are very great, however, and it is believed that there will be a remarkable development along this line within the next few

years.

VEGETABLES.

Truck gardening, like fruit growing, does not receive the attention. that it deserves in Oklahoma. While most if not all of the varieties may be successfully grown here, this particular industry has not been developed as a specialty, except in very few instances. Experienced market gardeners would find here a remunerative field for their efforts.

Potatoes.-Potato culture has been made something of a specialty

It is

along the valley of the North Canadian River, in Pottawatomie County. Two crops are grown on the same ground each year. The first crop, which is harvested in May or June, is shipped North and East. The second crop is not harvested until late in the fall. used almost exclusively for seed, southern-grown second-crop seed potatoes being in active demand for planting, even in the North. The yields are large and the profits are more than satisfactory.

Sweet potatoes.-Sweet potatoes produced in Oklahoma, especially if grown in sandy soil, are of peculiar excellence, and are being shipped from several localities in carload lots.

Melons. Oklahoma watermelons are unexcelled, either in size or quality, while many parts of the Territory easily rival the celebrated Rocky Ford district in the production of choice muskmelons. Both of these yield immense crops, and the melon-growing and melonshipping industries have passed beyond the experimental stage.

Canning factories.-Several canning factories have been erected within the past twelve months and are reported to be doing a satis factory business. This is an industry that is capable of indefinite expansion in Oklahoma. Sweet corn and tomatoes have composed the bulk of products consumed thus far, but in time this business ought to consume peaches, plums, apricots, small fruits, and several other lines of vegetables in addition to those already mentioned.

IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE.

The question of the conservation and equable distribution of soil moisture is one that directly concerns the interests of Oklahoma agriculture, especially in the western part of the Territory. While it is true that the greater part of the Territory may be said to be included. within the limits of the humid region, where the artificial storage and later application of surplus storm waters is not usually necessary, if indeed it is desirable, yet at the same time the fact should be borne in mind that western Oklahoma often reaches well out beyond that ever-shifting and ill-defined boundary which separates the humid region from the semiarid region. It is, indeed, true that western Oklahoma need not regard irrigation as being so absolutely indispensable as it is in Arizona or Nevada. It is also probably true that western Oklahoma can continue to comfortably support its present population of thrifty and hardy people without resorting to irrigation. Irrigation is, however, desirable, if not necessary, in western Oklahoma for the purpose of supplementing the natural rainfall. In other words, a given quantity of water should irrigate more land in Oklahoma than in other Western States and Territories, and, consequently, a given sum of money thus expended should be productive of maximum results in Oklahoma, all other things being equal.

It is not necessary to recount all of the advantages to be gained by the development of agriculture under irrigation. While they are manifold, there is no dispute on that score. Oklahoma has a wealth of alluvial river valleys, some of which are subject to inundation in seasons of flood. Some of these wasteful waters, which flow from far out on the plains, might be stored against the coming of the day of scarcity. An object lesson is needed. Oklahoma has contributed liberally to the national irrigation reclamation fund, and it would seem rather as a matter of right than favor that its people ask for the

expenditure of a part of that fund in the construction of one or more such storage systems as an object lesson. As such the value of one or two such storage systems would be very great. The demand for the early construction of other storage systems would be so strong that it would tend to stimulate the activity of private enterprise in the construction of smaller and less pretentious storage works, and it also might possibly result in the investment of outside capital in the construction of those of more considerable magnitude.

While the people of western Oklahoma are interested in the storage of water for irrigation purposes, there are some localities in the eastern part of the Territory where the people are quite as much interested in the matter of drainage. This is particularly true of those who reside in the valley of the Deep Fork of the Canadian River, in Lincoln and Oklahoma counties. The topography of this watershed is such that the floods are quickly precipitated into the valley, with disastrous results to the farms and crops on its fertile flood plain. The circumstances are such as to warrant a careful survey by hydrographic engineers and forest experts. There is reason to believe that, by resorting to a proper and systematic means of reclamation, the recurrence of such floods can be reduced in number and minimized in their destructive effects.

The valleys of the Little River, the North Canadian, and the Washita are likewise more or less subject to overflow. In the valley of the former, in Pottawatomie County, some extensive drainage ditches have been dug within the past twelve months. Both the North Canadian and the Washita have their sources so far west that a considerable portion of their surplus flood waters may some day be stored for irrigation purposes, thus reducing the extent and effect of the floods in their lower valleys.

LIVE STOCK.

Cattle. Oklahoma has been a cattle country almost from the days that the buffalo ceased to roam over its plains and prairies. For a decade and a half before the opening of Oklahoma the range-cattle business was practically the sole industry of the entire region; but the day of the big cattle range is gone, and with it has gone the longhorned, spindle-shanked, slab-sided bovine type. Instead there is to be found the small or medium-sized farm herd of the beef or dairy animals. Good foundation herds of pedigreed animals are to be found in every county in the Territory. With the increasing acreage of tame grasses and the application of a greater degree of skill and knowledge in breeding and feeding, Oklahoma will continue to forge to the front as a beef-producing section.

Sheep and goats.-Sheep husbandry has generally been neglected in Oklahoma, though conditions are admitted to be all that could be desired. The flocks which are kept in the Territory at present could be multiplied in number several times before the production of mutton would equal a normal local demand.

Angora goats have been introduced and have proven to be a profitable adjunct to the Oklahoma farm, particularly in the timbered sections, where they are used to clear the ground of brush.

Horses. Horses of the draft, roadster, trotting, and saddle types have all been successfully bred and reared in Oklahoma, as well as