The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-10-04
No Rest For The Weary.

thing that ought to be done. Sep
, TENDER is not an exception. TIL
, usual crops have been made an,
the yield been determined. Thanks
to our genial climate, fertile sol
r and propitious seasons, made Cd
, erative by the industry of the farm
l ers, the crops are, in amount, al.
most satisfactory. Almost is the
word, because human nature is SC
constituted that complete satisfac-
ton does not occur under normal
conditions. But this is only half
the battle. TIE wise general does
not consider the victory complete
until he has gathered up and ap-
| propriated the fruits of success.
What does it benefit the farmer if,
after having worked eight months
to make big crop, he allows a
portion to waste in the field, or in
the crib or bin, until the net re-
suits is reduced to the stature of a
short crop? The result is the same
if he fails to utilize his products in
the way that will bring him the
I best returns for his labor. The
corn crop of Texas this year is i'm
mense, and the price will conse-
quently be low. But the Texas
crop does not effect the price of
Kansas bacon. This year bush
ell of Texas corn will pay for about
two pounds of bacon, or a $50
pound hog is worth about fifty
bushels of corn. The fifty bushels
of corn, with grass and other for
age and feed that costs almost
nothing, will raise and fatten FIVE
hogs. With these facts before
them is it not Incredible that farm
ers will sell corn at twenty or
twenty-five cents bushel and buy
bacon at u cents pound? But
they do it all the same. If farm
ers would arrange for feeding well
bred hogs their corn would net
them from so cents to 81 bushel.
Northwestern farmers learned this
long ago, and have worked it for
all it is worth. But we have bet
ter hog country than they. There
is but little money in marketing
corn "dry so" Work it up into
pork, or beef, or a good article of
horse fiesh-then COTE will count
for something. Letting corn stand
in the field till November is waste
full in more ways than one. In the
southern part of the State espec-
tally corn should be gathered
carly and put up wet to protect
against weevils. If it is gathered
in dry weather, thoroughly sprin-
kle the pile before throwing in
each load. Salt added to the water
makes the shuck more palatable
for stock but has no effect ON the
weevil.
Cotton picking is the great work
now confronting the farmers anu
will SO thoroughly occupy their
time during the fall months that lit
tie else is likely to be done. 1t is not
good policy to plant so largely of
cotton that other things, really more
important, must be neglected.
There are other crops to be secur-
ed; land to be prepared and grain
sown; forage and pasturage to be
provided for. and other things in
Vulnerable that demand attention
during cotton picking time. The
ancient idea that cotton and moth
ing else that a farmer can raise
will sell for cash is exploded ex-
cept in the minds of those who
have passed, or never reached, the
age of susceptibility to reason.
1t is noticeable fact that the farm
ers who are most prosperous are
the very ones who depend least
upon cotton. The best profit from
farming comes from the sale of
finished products, ready for the
consumer-pork, beef, mutton,
veal, milk, butter, podltry and
eggs, and horses and mules ready
trained to the harness and saddle,
or finer stock for breeding pur-
poses. The farmer can only fur
nish cotton in the raw state, con-
sequently his farm is mortgaged,
and the cotton manufacturer is a
millionaire. 1t would be a good
thing to raise no more cotton than
can be gathered by the hands who
make it. When from eight to
twelve dollars a bale is paid for
picking cotton-there goes nearly
all the profit. But, cotton or no
cotton, there is not, or should not
be any idle time on the farm
Farm and Ranch.
Electric BItters.