The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-08-02

DALLAS, August IL Editor Her
aid, The prodigslity of Texas farm
ers would astonish any ono who would
stop for amOment and think. Indeed,
it is scarcely necessary TO think; only
look and 500 the want Of frugality, tho
want of care, Really 10 seems like a
want Of sense on soit-pr2sgryaticn 20
se0 TIE waste Ot time, tho waste Of
labor, and the OK osure sud drsJruc-
ton of machinery, agricultural itGp'e
m0uts, grain and sock. 70 specify
might, possibly, stir up some effort t.
ward improvement; but perhaps, the
best effect thHJ csn Do produced is 20
show 10 the world that mon eau live,
subsist, ana actually improve their
fortunes under such waste and want OF
cHro. IL is proof supreme OF n soil and
climate which have no equals.
II farmers OF Texas, with the ill.con-
ceived idea they entertain Ofhow farm
ing should be done aud the slattornly
way th0y do 10, can live, what could a
Pennsylvania or New England farmer
do upon such fertile soil, in such o
genial climo and upon such broad
acres?
A brief sketch of the way form.
ing is done hore, and the
way farmers manage, with the
results, may attract the attention of
many who are accustomed To better
methods and greater profits aud induce
them TO look into on inquire about cur
incredibly productive soils and incom-
parable climate,
In the first place, farmers in Texas
largely OvercrOp themselves, and
therefore crops are far short of what
tho soil is capable of producing and of
very inferior quality. For instance,
farmer Gets out to plant 100 acres OF
cora; no employs two mon and two
teams. If his ground Ia fall-OrOken,
which IL always should be (Oiten is
noi), it is in nice fix for laying Off and
planting. Being ready, be Is In 2
great hurry, and, as ever, 'great haste
makes great waste" and 10 commits
ono OF two great blundors, or both-he
either plauts too early, whom the
ground Is so cold rs 10 destroy part of
seed, or he plants too rapidly and
covers so deep, in some places, that IL
fails to come M, and the consequence
ia no fails to get r "stand"-not over
twO-tnirds and in many instances not
over half. But IL is all the Same; the
100 acres is cultivated with all
the attendant expenses. IL must
be remembered that this is on fall
broke land, which Is the finest condi-
ton 1t could DO In for planting. But 1t
is far from true that all the land in
tended for corn Is fall.broken. For
many farmers fail, from one cause or
another, to break their land in the fall,
and instead of taking timo and using
the necessary means to reduce tho
| clods and pulyeri2o tho soil, they hurry
the seed into the ground among the
clodS aud SECURE about ono-third of 4
| stand, Most OF ia, ia.ners under
stand this, hut thoy take no thought
OF the loss they incur by cultivsting
such largo extent OF land for so small
crop. This 100 acre field demands its
full quota Of cultivation when thore
Ia seldom over 50 TO 60 acres of corn on
| 1t, often not moro than 30. Is IL posi-
Die that any people can endure this
suporlluity OF labor and succeed
! True the labor bestowed is of a cheap,
indifferent kind, aud tho grain of a
poor quality, but IL has to DO paid for,
all the same. But the farmers arc sat
istied, live well, and boast OF prosper
| ity. They complain OF nothing but
the seasons, which could be, in a
| great measure, obviatod by
proper and seasonable cultlya-
ton and the prices which
could DO greatly improved by better
quality ofgrain. But they are a peo-
| pie who 90 not consider. There In
scarcely hundred acre field of corn
In North Texas but could DO conve-
ntently put on GO to Go acres, with am
| pie distance between rows and stalks.
Most of the farmers know this; but
they are not painstaking people, and
having gone over tho ground and dis.
tributed the seed they think IL cheaper
to cultivate 1t in tho form that I'll H..
Land Is abundant and labor IL cheap
aud they do not stop to calculate the
cost of cultivating % acres unneces-
ssrily, or the profits that might DO re-
allied from that amount OF land in
some other crop. These are not, how
ever the only profits that could be re-.
allied nom careful seeding and
proper cultivation OF corn on this rich
and generous soil OF Texas. Tho soil
is among the most fertile ofthe world.
IL IN not equal, from some cause, 10
solso countries for the production OF
corn; but 1t is conceded that 10 bush.
els 70 the acre, in fair Seasons, are
raised under the state of cultivation
above described, which is equal TO GO
pro when tho stand Is considered.
But, let us look moment to a high.
or state OF cultivation, such as most
persons, engaged In raising corn, are
compelled to bestow upon the crop In