The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-02-18

ANOTHER VIEW OF THE
HERD LAW.
Farmer Walks into DIOgenea
Jr.-A Strong AnGI-Eaerd
Law Argument.
]. EDITORS NEWS: When l had sub.
mitted my second article on the sub.
iect above indicated, resolved to
let the matter rest for the consider
alton and decision of q candid and
intelligent public, and should not
have added any thing more had /
not been misquoted and misrepre-
sented. In your issue Of the 21st
ult., l perceive that "Diogenes, Jr."
comes to the surface and joins the
"forlorn hope" Whom Mr.. d. Jr.
IL, or whence he came, l do not
know, certainly, but presume he is
a son of his father who, q long time
ago, l am Informed, lived in--"a
tub" aud was q habitual cynic /;
there, presume the Jr. came hon.
estly by his disposition to growl.
He seems, however, to have q more
migratory inclination than that of
his renowned sire. Last week his
residence was "Emporia," this week,
"Pike township" Wonder if he
takes those hedge fences of his
along? He refers to me as "Allen
Creek" Though 1 have no partIcu-
lar objection to the name, yet very
much prefer the one haYe assum-
ed; as, in my estimation, there is no
name given among men more noble
than the term "Farmer." He pre-
tends to quote me by saying ad-
vance the idea that This State is not
an agricultural one" l did not say
so. / said "that this is not, emphat-
ically, a grain-growing region
But our opponents persistently in
sist on separating the culture of
grain and other vegetables from that
of stock; whereas, we advocate q
mixed agriculture as being the pro-
per avocation of the farmer. What
is agriculture? Let US appeal to
Webster. 1 quote: In a general
sense, 'The word includes garden
ing, or horticulture, and also, the
raising and feeding of cattle or
stock"
And the Jr. gives some statistics
of crops away back in the year 10.
Why did he not go beyond the flood
or tell US something of the seven
years plenty in the time of Pharoah
He also leads us away to Ohio and
Maine-crosses the ''big pond" to
Europe, TO teach US q lesson for our
guidance in farming in Kansas.
And why net estimate the cost of
fencing the whole surface of the
earth, and inform us what "but one.
fifth the aggregate cost" would &C
complish? If it would not have
tunneled the Ocean, built London
bridge, erected the pyramids, con-
structed the Chinese wall and those
of Babylon, Jerusalum, sc.
But word about Ohio. 1 happen
to know something of farming in
that State. 1 resided there a short
time-only about as long as the Is
raelites sojourned in the wilderness,
and twenty-six years of that time,
upon farms in different parts of the
State, that period reaching down as
far as 1869, the identical year refer
red to by the Jr.; and, strange to
say, came to Kansas to learn that
had long been farming under the
provisions of herd law, and never
once dreamed of the factl Such q
herd law would not seriously harm
US. True, 1 lived, some time, in q
city which had q herd law, and
erected pounds, and impounded
much stock, ard half starved it, I'M
til the people resolved that '.for-
bearance was no longer q virtue"
and pounded the impounders, and
pounded down the pound, and that
was the end of it. Isuppose this is
the herd law the Jr. has been sound
ing in our ears, and similar to that
referred to by "R. r." (Ra:l-road, 1
presume) last week, when he says
we want "more cattle, or if not
more in numbers, more in pounds"
Circumstances alter cases. In Ger
many and France there is no COM
mon to speak of, and there is little
stock, comparatively.
But to the figures of 1870, d. in
cludes for hay, 81, 1885,, 900, hogs and
sheep, S3.S91, 600, making $5,27s,-
600. By what principle he con-
verts wild prairie hay, hogs or
sheep into grain, 1 cannot discern,
unless it be upon the principle that
because hogs and sheep sometimes
Craze, ergo, they are grain. If this
be the principle adopted, the Jr.,
should be exceedingly cautious
what kind of food he consumes.
Has he been INDUCING in oysters
or squashes? Deduct $6,27S,OOO
from $I9,69S, 900, and we have $14,-
10000, as per DIS statement for
grain. Add the S5,27S,OOO to $lO,-
los, 700 aud we have SIS,3S6, 700 for
stock, (the stock having eaten the
hay, it is, therefore, converted into
stock. Its a poor rule that won't
work both ways.O Now add to
this tie value of milk, butter and
cheese, and how will the account
stand? III consequence of the con-
slant improvements in breeds, the
stock interest is growing much
more rapidly than that of grain.
"These spectators pay no taxes
on lands for railroads, schools and
bridges, etc" Here, again, I am
GsI.