Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1879-07-03
A Kansas Boys Experience.

Father said that he wanted to
encourage me in being Industrious.
He gave me four acres of land
which he had broken (this was two
years ago last spring., and was to
do just what l pleased with it, and
he would furnish me seed or means
to obtain seed; all that he required
of me was that 1 should attend to
the garden, DO the chores at the
barn and go to school in the winter.
The first year L planted corn, and
from my four acres ! raised 100
bushels, which sold for 80 cents a
bushel.
The next spring father let me
have the use of his team, and l
plowed my four acres and planted
one and halfacres in castor bans,
One-half acre put out in straw
berry plants, one acre in sorghum,
two rods in onions, and the remain
der of the acre in sunfiowers.
Father laughed when 1 told him my
plans, but he said it was my own
land and could do as l liked with
it. told him l wanted to expert
ment on different crops, so "a to see
which was the most profitable.
Well my castor beans were a good
deal of trouble. L had to watch
them so closely not to lose them
when they cracked open. 1t was
necessary to pick them Immediate
ly as fast as they ripened, but my
little sister, seven years old. could
attend to them about as well as /,
and she did this faithfully on my
promising her SIS when | sold my
crops in the fall. l raised % BUSH
els of beans of my one.and-a-ha
acres, which sold at ST 25 busheI,
SO after paying my sister SIS, l re-
liked S22 80. Father had raised con-
siderable sorghum, and he had all
of the arrangements for pressing,
boiling, etc. We worked together
in preparing our sorghum. and
had from my one acre two barrels
of good sorghum, molasses, which
[ sold for IS cents a gallon, thus
making S22 from my sorghum crop.
My sunflowers, which were the
laughing.stock Of many, brought
me enough to pay me for my
trouble. L had planted and culti-
waited them very much as If they
were corn. The flowers were splen-
did, many Of them measured three
feet six inches in circumference,
and the stalks being from 10 to II
feet long and three inches in
diameter. planted them principal
ly for the stalks, which [ sold over
at the next town for fuel. had
ten cords off of that part of an acre,
and relied SIS from the sale of
them. gave the seeds to father
for his poultry. He thinks they
are better than corn. Those WHO
bought the stalks say that they
burn readily, and make very hot
fire. Last spring planted nothing
but sorghum aud onions. as they
had brought me the most the year
previous, and have done better
than either year before. My onions
were the most profitable crop of all
as | made Sl2 off of my two rods.
SO last fall | had, after desposiDg of
my crops, ST. so in cash, nearly
double what made the year before.
l spent $40 of this on my wardrobe,
$40 at Christmas, bought three
mare calves at SO head, and had
Sill so left for sundres. My onions
dldn't do quite as well as the year
before. SO this year have made
$50 off of my four acres. can a.
sure you l am beginning to feel
very much encouraged in being
Industrious. l have just about 20
more calves. l had TO pay SIP a
head for these, but they are beaut-
les, can tell you. If they do well
they ought certainly to be worth in
a year from now $3.50. 1 was offer
ed 500 to-day for my other lot. l
have no trouble in finding market
for my produce, for what I cannot
sell here l ship on the railroad, and,
as they carry at reasonable rates, L
often prefer shipping,as | get better
prices in the large towns. l ship
ped nearly all of my strawberries
this year.
was Is years old last August,
and am worth to-day $3.50. To be
sure my father has favored me in
every way, furnished me with seed,
feed for my stock, allowed me the
use OF his team and farming inn
pIements, etc. But now I can af.
ford to be more independent, and
hope before long to help him, in
stead of his helping M. Father is
making money, too. This is fine
wheat country, ana he has put the
most of his land into wheat. We
have had fine seasons so far for our
crops, and next year we may have
grasshoppers or drought or some
drawback; but we have enough
ahead now to stand one or two I'M
profitable seasons, so wo don't
more dhiRifpa,atqp Ill ny se.. every
-NeW York Tribune.