The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-05-28
KANSAS FARMING

George w. Deitzler, an old resi-
dent of Douglass county, but who
has for four years past lived in CAL
ifornia, writes long and well co n
sidered letter to the Lawrence Jour-
nal, recommending Kansas people
to stick TO their own state, but go
to work and develop it as best they
can but never have done. He thinks
the nplands ought TO be planted in
forest and fruit trees, "by the mil
liOn," and that township, county
and even state organizations should
be effected for this purpose. Then
the bottom lands should be divided
up into small farms, forty acres be-
ing large enough for family. On
such Il forty acre farm, devote 5
acres to buildings, garden and fruit,
10 to corn, 10 to wheat, potatoes and
other things, and the remaining 10
to Chill clover, known as Alfalfa.
Depend for profits upon raising
first class cattle, sheep or hogs, by
pasturing upon the alfalfa, and stall
feeding. He claims that by thus
concentrating families lear each
other, and utilizing every foot OF
ground, the bottom lands will sup
port a very large, thriving, social
and contented population and that
the thorough cultivation which
would ensue, and the returns that
would be realized by putting the
produce into good, fat, stock, would
far surpass the results of the pres
ent loose and scattered system of
farming.
j. w. Boyer writes to the Olathe
Mirror q very full account of Su-
mach weed, used to tan leather.
He says Kansas 10 it's natural eli
mate, and It never fails to grow in
any year. The prepared article is
always worth $50 per ton, and un.
prepared $50. Twelve to twenty
million of pounds are imported
every year from Sicily, where they
raise ton per acre. He adds:
1t is planted there in drills Oh
rows, and In August the first crop
is taken Oh, which Is composed Of
the young or green stems and leaves
add again cut in September. In
gathering il, care should be taken
not to cut old stalks, as they will in
terfere with the value of the
article when sent to mar.
ket. In the cutting and
gathering it requires but little or nc
skill, as the children can gather an 4
attend to the drying of il a. we'll a.
adults. 1t should be thoroughly
| dried free from rains or other wet
ting, and after that It should b.
ground to -four, which condition il
is easily reduced to when vel
dried. The grinding can be done
by any cheap mill, and not attended
with great cost. 1t is on account o.
its scarcity only used for the pur'
pose OF tanning sheep and goa
skins, a. II costs 100 much to use il
the tanning of other feathers. Moth,
ing else can be used successfully fol
goat and sheep skins, az all Other
tan ming agencies make too hard {
leather For tanning any kind o.
leather there is nothing so good, sC
l am informed, by some old tanners
and il it could be produced In snfi
cient Quantities il would take the
place of all others.
| There are several varieties of TIT
plant, some producing oil, and 9th
ers something else bnt that grow
ing in this latitude is the varsity FOL
tanning. Now, again, ! ask, why
should not the farmers Of this re
gion take hold Of Il and utilize Wha
to them heretofore they have con
sidered q nuisanee2 BY doing so
think ell will bear me out In on,
fact, that is, they will cease to b,
Anxious a. to reasonable weathe
for their crops, ~ Il never fails (,
be prolific.