The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-08-07

the Colorado State Farm. The land waa
considered the poorest in the neighbor'
hood, and yet, by what l term scientific
doctoring, it has been made to yield as
fine a crop of wheat as the best plain
lands near Canton can produce. sent
you by mail, in an envelope, several
| heads, fair sample of the average, which
If they arrived intact, will give you an
idea of the quality Of grain raised here.
Prof. Blount demonstrated to me how a
deterioration in the quality or quantity
of the grain could be rNmedied; ocular
proof, where in certain cases the fertiliz.
ing agents used in Stark county proved
deleterious. He exhibited his process
of hybridizing wheat, crossing the pollen
of one kind with the pistil of another,
thereby improving the grain, adapting it
to the soil and climate; similar to the
cross of horse and ASS, producing the
mule, which for certain purposes ans.
wers better than either. Flour made of
Colorado wheat brings more in the Chi
cago market than any other, except that
made by the patent process, and house
wives formerly from the east tell me
that the -four here does not require half
the quantity ofyeast or baking powder
they were accustomed to use for bread,
nor half the quantity of butter to make
good, short biscuit. saw oats, said to
weight forty pounds to the bushel. The
corn crop cannot be relied upon. The
season is too short and the nights too
cool. Garden vegetables do well. | saw
potato hills 80 prolific that there was not
ground enough to cover the potatoes.
Efforts are being made to cultivate
fruit of different kinds with encourag-
ing success. The only timber indigen-
GUS to the country is pine, spruce, pop.
lar, soft maple, box elder and cotton
wood. The latter is much cultivated in
towns as a shade tree; ash and maple are
being introduced. No clover is raised
here, as the native grass is considered
preferable. That intended for home use
is not cut as it cul es itself on the ground.
Hay is always in demand for the mining
regions, and readily commands from 70
to 80 cents hundred,
Tillable land, favorably situated for ir.
rigation, can be had at from So to 81 per
acre. Lands already supplied with dit
ches and improvements, from Sl5 to $40.
Where you buy water it will cost about
$l00 year for supply sufficient for
100 acres of cultivated land.
was particularly impressed with the
manner and talk of the farmers here,
contrasted with the average farmer of
Stark. Here they have sort Of inde-
pendent air, a devil.me.care manner,
like a Tar Heel in shad time, perfectly
satisfied with the situation, while our
Stark county granger is forever grumb-
ling, if not at the weather, something
else goes wrong. Whether this be the
effect of local or natural causes, will
not pretend to answer; but, from the cir
Cumstance of it's existence, | am forced
to the conclusion that the profession of
farming in the Centennial State affords
more happiness than in the Buckeye
State. tI
In concluding this ola podridG epistle
1 would say, that if there is young man
in Stark county who loves farming for
itself, but is unable to purchase farm
there, let him come to Colorado and hire
himself to an good farmer for year, that
he may learn how to raise crops by irri-
CATION. But before he leaves home he
must secure mortgage on the girl Of his
choice. She must be one not afraid to
leave her mother At the end of a year
he will have enough means, with little
help from home, to buy as much land as
he can cultivate prottably. Then let
him send for his betrothed. The expense
of going after her will go far toward an
outfit for the farm; and if the girl loves
him as she should, and has the proper
grit, she will risk the venture This
course has made many happy and pros
porous homes in the west. 1t is much
to be preferred to that other course 80
often pursued by our farmers sons, go-
ing into town and attempting a precar!'
ious living. by picking up odd jobs, or
waiting for an opening in one of our ma
chine shops. L.S.