The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-11-26
AMONG THE FARMERS OF
LYON COUNTY.
HOW THEY ARE PRosPERING
A Look at Their Crops, Herds
Orchards, Improvements,
Etc. Etc.

fore neglected TO give a description of
the farm of Squire Slipshod. We have
endeavored 10 give full descriptions of
all the farms in the county, as far as we
have been, and will not pass by the
Squire, although we feel utterly unable
to do him or his farm justice. Situated
at the mouth of Owl creek, in sleepy
hollow, surrounded by the tall sunfiow-
er and the sweet-scented gymsen, is the
farm of Esquire Slipshod. eve might
add here that he has a numerous growth
of children). Carefully guiding our
horse from right to left to avoid the
Spanish thistles and kuckleburs that
grew so profusely about the door-yard,
we approached the house. After look
ing in vain fora place to hitch our horse,
we are compelled to take him out and
tie him up TO the buggy. Approaching
shanghai fence that looks rather dan
gerous, we make bold attempt to climb
it,-(the Squire didn't have any gates)
not daring to crawl under for fear it
would fall OH US. With cautiousness
we ascend the tOpmost rail, (our life is
not insured) and was just OH the point
of making fearful leap to the ground,
when the rail broke, and our huge pro-
portions were precipitated to terra .fr9aa.
The crash that followed was tremendous,
as forty-four pannels oflogs, rails stakes,
ETC., came to the ground with us. The
consequence was that seven hound pups,
besides numerous litter of bench-leg-
ged fiests, were alarmed and attacked us
in front and rear, principally in the
rear) before we could recover our up
right position. With superhuman eff
! forts and the assistance of one of the
| 'Squre's boys, we succeeded in demon
alizing the dogs, and were permitted to
approach the house. Knocking at the
door the loud ''come in !" assured US that
the Squire was at home. Entering, we
were invited to take seat. We did so
in a rush-bottomed chair-that is the
bottom was all rushed out. After adj
justing matters as comfortably as posi-.
BILE, we proceeded to introduce oursel
as follows:
We are the travelling correspondent
and special reporter of THE EMPoRIi
News, the largest and best paper pub
lished in the West. We desire to pub
lish to the world description of you
farm, together with what other informa
ton you may have in regard 10 farming
in Kansas.
Certainly, certainly" replied tn,
Squire, Il am always willing to tell al
that know about my farm" "But, t.
tell the truth, said the Squire, II havn'
done as we'll in Kansas as L did in Mis-
souri,. 1 think the soil is too hight t,
produce corn well. 1 have been on thi
place twelve years, and didn't get alon;
very WELL" After taking a look at tn
'Squire's house we also concluded tina
he "didn't get along very WELL"
After few minutes conversation, w
| walked out with the Squire to examin
his farm, orchard, stock, etc. Passin.
to the apology for stable, we saw tw,
old f1ea-bitten grays standing with
rear elevation of about thirty-five de
grees. Some young calves had chewe,
ter. Feed boxes were made out of mai
kegs, while the hay was thrown on til
ground. OF course they did not know
what curry-comb and brush was, an,
were consequently in fine condition 70
work. When spring time come the
could pillow the ground almost t,co niche
deep-the soil being light the crop woul
necessarily be light-in fact it was
light affair all around. We thought tn
Squire was Eight" in the upper story
while we were certain that the light of
newspaper had never crossed tina
Threshold, and at once came to the con
clusion that it would be blessing if tn
'slight'-ning would strike the Who'll
concern.
The 'Squire's orchard was ten year
old. The rabbits had gnawed them, tn
cows had ''chawed" them, the storms @
many winters had frozen them off to tn
ground, and they still fingered betwee
life and death, presenting that woebe
gone appearance that one would natu
rally be led to expect.
The Squire talked learnedly abou
fruit. He said he had made MorO,tg
? trial of the different varieties of frui
trees on his farm, and was convince
that g Kansas aeas not a .t,'uft-gro,vin
country"
We disagreed with the Squire, but
was of no use. His knock-down argu
ment was unanswerable '.He had trie
1t foi. ten gears and had failed"
He had tried mulching and pruning
had bought many varieties OF fruits, an
had tried them all. We felt like advi,
ing him to .'tyy'' dose of patent pill
e and then join Doestick's damphool sc
r ciety.
We did not have much of an oppoI
!. tunity of seeing the 'Squireis cattl'
: They were proving around, getting il
! to other peoples fields, and huntin
their own living When evening cam
; and the cattle were to be brought hom,
e a boy was mounted on pony and sen
out with the hounds and dogs befor
mentioned, and the yeIls of the boy an
attacks of the dogs brought up the COW
in hurry. The hogs were like all Ions
! lean, lank brier-splitters.
The Squire thought Kansas was not
very good wheat country. He prove
his assertion by the following method
. Late in the fall, after haying, an
0 when there is nothing else TO do, the oil
grays are harnessea to the old rust
pillow, and one OF the boys scratches owe
five or six acres. The Squire sows
broadcast, not believing IN Yanke
wheat drills. His seed was boaght of