Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-02-23
Cause. or Poor Farming.

! erally, state that instances of poor farm
Inc are much more common here than
| In most countries in Europe They es-
pecIally refer to the fact that the land in
many sections has been somanaged that
Il has lost its fertility and is now SO poor
that it no longer produces paving crops.
Such il the case in many of the Eastern
and Southern States where large crops
were once raised. Most Of the land in
these sections is now devoted to grazing
I purposes aud il cultivated crops are pro-
tluced they are raised by the employment
Of commercial fertilizers. The farms no
longer produce food for their owners
I In many cases the farms would not sell
for what the Improvements on them cost:
Such is the case Notwithstanding the
fact that they are located in the vicinity of
large towns that afford excellent markets.
One cause of poor farming in this
country is doubtlessly the very large
! number Of farmers. In some States
I three-fourths Of all the men are farmers.
/ Farming is almost the only occupation
in which people can engage, and nearly
! all of them enter it. Men who have no
taste. inclination or capabilities for the
| business engage infarming and continue
/ i'm itprincipally for the reason that there
/ is little else to do. Itlwoula be strange
I indeed il many ofthem did not turn out
! To- be very poor farmers. In Great Brit
I ain and many of the countries on the
/ continent of Europe only about one man
/ in ten is farmer As -cOnseauence,-
no one engages in the business who does
not have a liking for il. Persons there
ladopt farming from inclination and not
from necessity. The industries are so
diversified that there Is better oppor-
tunity TO find an employment congenil
to one taste. There are manufactures
in nearly every town. there are mines
within short distance of the home of
every person. and n great demand for
sailors. No one need engage ia farming
for want If other remunerative employ
ment. As consequence. few engage in
farming except from choice.
The cheapness Of land and the ease
with which it can be obtained from the
Government have had great deal TO do
in making much of our farming poor.
Little attention has been given To- keep
ing mp the fertility OF the soil, which is
the first requirement of permanent pros
perity in agriculture. Many of our
crops, n tobacco. cotton and wheat. are
very exhaustive ones. Some farmers
who have given the most attention to
producing them have been in the habit
Of moving on TO new land rs often as
they have been cultivating for some
time has become measureably unDro-
ductive. The production of the three
crops mentioned has been moving west
since the first settlements of the country.
Men have found it cheaper to move on to
new land than to keep up the fertility of
that which was being gradually impoy-
erished. What was To their interest," was
detrimental to the condition of the
country, however. 1t was system of
land robbery. Many persons have be-
come nominal farmers simply for tie
purpose of acquiring land under the
! Homestead or Tree-claim act. They
found that they could obtain a quarter
section of land by moving on and max
ing few improvements. They raised
some crops from necessity. in order to
obtain support. Their object, however,
was not to become farmers, but to obtain
land for nothing which they could dis
pose of for money, which would enable
them to go into some other business
The great amount of land in this coun.
try has had an injurious effect on the
proper care and treatment of that under
cultivation.
Lack of sufficient capital has also had
an injurious effect on farming in this
country. Many have engaged in farm
ing with no capital except the land they
occupied. They were obliged to support
themselves and their families, to erect
buildings, make other improvements,
and purchase necessary machinery and
tools out of the proceeds of the crops
they raised. A great many commenced
farming with no capital whatever. They
1 took land Under the Homestead, Pre-
emption or Tree-claim acts, or bought il
OF some corporation or Spectator on time
and sought to make their improvement
and to support their families on what
they could raise. All the Immigrant
railway companies have sought to dis
pose OF their grants by showing To settlers
that they could easily make the payments
on their purchases besides supporting
their families and putting up buildings
and fences out of the crops they raised
Not few succeeded i'm doing it, but in
accomplishing the result they exhausted
the fertility of the soil they occupied.
Many borrowed money to meet their last
payments or TO make improvements. and
paid ruinous rates of interest for it. The
more money they..ha To raise the harder
they used their land. In many cases the
land was improved in the manner the
Goths aud Yandals improved Rome; val
liable trees were cut down and sold fol-
anything they would bring; the crop:
were raised that would bring the most
I L -
soil that It would produce. and nothing
was put baek--in short, practices were
followed that would not have been al
lowed in countries where the welfare of
the land is looked after by the proprie.
tors or the State. When soil is the only
capital farmer has he is very likely to
draw IL all out and to become bankrupt.
Another cause OF poor farming in this
country is lack of knowledge on the part
of farmers, Many have started out a.
farmers without experience and with
| little theoretical knowledge. They EN-.
gagged in farming because they thought
previous training was unnecessary. They
knew that a long course of study was
necessary in order To enter a profession.
and that it was necessary to- spend sew.
eral yeas in learning trade before one
could find occupation "a journeyman.
They knew that knowledge. skill and
experience were all necessary for carry.
ing on the business of master mechanic.
manufacturer. or tradesman, but they
concluded that none of them was essen.
tial to success in farming. Having EN-.
barked in the business they relied on
their wits 10 become good farmerss They
read little, studied less, and. ATTENDED