The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1873-12-11
busbcl. and buv ali the necessities Of

bushel. aud buy all the necessities Of
life, aud see what lac will tell You.
Let us now make an estimate Of what
it will cos. family to live, bnying
everything. horse fee.fexccpted. which
We will deduct from the corn. Horse
feed for two horses for one year, three
feeds n day aud twelve ears at feed
for each horse,-we will allow one
hundred ears TO the bushcl-we find
that il takes two hundred and nineteen
bushels 10 feed two horses for one
year. Deduct two hundred and nine
teen from 1000 bushels, this leaves
1871 bushels. at fifteen cents per BUSH
ell. equal to S267.15 net.
Now, say six III a family. man, wife,
and four children, allow $50 per year
for clothing: -four, one sack per month
at $3.50 per sack, $54; bacon, $50; SUI
gar, $50: coffee, $50; tea, So; salt, Sc !;
potatoes, $50: coal oil, soap, yeast, &C.,
SIS: tax, So i've will not allow any
thing for medicines, or incidental cx-
penses, which families may always
with certainty connt upon having 10
pay.
| have made these estimates very
low, as every farmer having family
Of that size TO support will tell you.
Now let us count up aud see how we
stand. We have the proceeds of the
crop, which is S267.l5, absolutely ne
cessary expenses, S325.00.
BY calculating we find that we are
S57 .85 in debt
But in bringing these facts before
the public, | don't do it TO dishearten
any one, or to discourage them from
coming here, l only intend to show the
folly Of trying to raise corn and make
a living By selling it at fifteen cents a
bushel.
Now. claim that we have as good
soil here, and as easily cultivated as
any soil that the sun ever shonc upon,
every foot of which is susceptible of
cultivation, ana every acre capable of
producing heavy crops of cereals Of all
kinds.
But we don't wish to waste our time
raising corn to sell, we must turn il in
to pork, raise our own poultry, keep a
few sheep, raise wheat enough for our
own bread, and turn everything to ac-
count that will check the outlay of mo-
ney.
In this way, by strict economy and
frugality, with the assistance of brain
enough to enable us to look ahead, and
to correct all past errors, we, the farm
crs Of Sedgwick county, find the road
to prosperity.
Again | would say TO our inauspi-
cious ncighbor Farmer X" that it
is not by any magical charm, or by any
incantatiOn, that this terrible secret
has been brought to light, but simply
through the application of two simple
rules of arithmetic, addition and SUBJ
traction in the every day experience of
practical farmers.
AS far as being afraid TO send that
copy of the EAGLE to Illinois for fear
of checking immigration, will say
that you might as well throw your hat
against northwestern tornado TO try
to change its course, and in my estim-
alton that very copy would have been
conclusive to that immigration.
Again our much offended Farmer X.
says: "Werc it not for our much abus-
ed Wichita, we would be selling our
corn for ten cents a bushel."
In answer to this statement will
quote passage of the article written
by Farmer of Lone Tree which has
been the cause of producing 'more
about corn"
Farmers do not complain Of prices
Of dealers in Wichita, but they protest
against selling the produce at one half
its real value"
And | do not blame them, think
they are right, but I would advise
them not to raise too much corn, let
| them devote more of their time to
something that will pay them better,
and something that will sell more
readily. There are several kinds of
produce that will yield three times the
quantity, to the same amount OF
ground. will need no more work COM
parativcly, and generally sell at much
higher figures than corn.
Ii we will raise corn let us feed il to
stock, this is the only way that we can
get anything like fair compensation
for our labor.
As far as the contention between the
farmers and Wichita is concerned, we
need not trouble ourselves about it..
Every farmer in Scdgwick county has
an interest in Wichita. and that inter-
est is for her benefit. If there is any
contention between them it is only an
endeavor on the part of the farmer to
throw off the mountain Of oppression
caused by middle men, and to get clear
of those who, like leeches. are drawing
the likelihood out of their bodies and
cheating them out OF the proceeds of
their honest labor. Let farmer take
a load of corn to Wichita of twenty-five
bushels, say he has to cross the bridge,
he will have 10 pay seventy-five cents
toll and twenty-five cents for weighing.
Selling his load at fifteen cents per
bushcl, dcducting toll and weighing,
he will have balance left of 1918 for
his load. Now, If he should haul of
the whole 1000 bushels, twenty-five
bushels at load. toll and weighing
will make difference of $50 in the pro-
cceds Of his crop; add to this the fami-
ly expenses, and we find that they are
$l37.s5 in debt instead Of 1915.
If Farmer X. would try the expert
ment of corn culture on his own plan
for one year, keeping correct account
in the mean time, at the end of the
year, while examining his accounts, he
will find that the business was not .
very profit able one, he will also find
that startling and important truth cap
able Of being unfoldcd outside Of the
grange, and without the assistance of
incarnation individuals. CT j.
Valley Center, Dec. 9th, 1873.