Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-15
SOMETHING OF oURsELF.

Are you practical farmer, This may
strike you as an abrupt question. but when
l explain how it came to be asked you will
possibly not think hard Of the party who
asks it. A little group of us Texas farmers
were last week discussing what we
called newspaper farming-you would
probably call it farm literature. Some said
they found in newspaper farming good
deal that was of use to them, but a very
large proportion of it had to be taken with
big pinch of salt, owing to the fact that the
writers were not practical farmers, and
therefore had to go largely on guess-work
or what somebody else said. We finally
narrowed down to the agricultural depart
ment of tine Fort Worth GAZETTE, and all
admitted that every in that department APP
peared practicable, but some thought that
like all other newspaper farming, coming
from the inexperienced, it ought to be
watched. l took the ground that you We're
practical farmer, as no man who had
never been between the plow-handles could
know so much about farming as you have
clearly showed US that you know. There
were two sides to the question, of course,
and finally I promised to write you this
very abrupt letter. And now you have my
explanation. You need not print my letter
in THE GAZETTE unless you specially desire
to do so. A postal card reply to me through
the mails would be all sufficient.
TRINITY.
Tarrant County, Tex.
There is so much to be said of others and
other things all of more Importance that
one has little time and space to spare in
talking of ones self, still we may crowd in
brief answer to your question SO frankly
asked at the head of your letter, under the
impression that it is probably due to our
patrons that they be told all there is to tell
about US so far as relates to the work we
are attempting to do for them.
Our answer to your opening question is
emphatically, Eyes" Very many years
ago we were born on farm, of farm pa
rents. AS a boy we worked on that farm
just as farm boys are now doing, or should
be doing After quitting the old farm and
striking out for ourself we still continued
to do farm work. Twenty-Five years ago
we were regularly employed as an agricul-
tural editor. We established an expert
mental farm with view to putting to prac-
teal test the affairs we were writing about.
From that farm started out many of the
things now prominent with seed dealers,
as the Cuban Queen watermelon, the Dixie
tomato, the Yengan or white upland rice,
the Japan pea or 'sojah beam" and so on
through much longer list. When we
came to Texas to settle permanently, lit
tie over one year ago, we left our expert
mental farm in another state simply for the
reason that we could not bring it along with
US. Through that one year in Texas we
have not been farming, but we hope to get
at it again next spring, and to wind up our
days on our own farm in the Lone Star
state.
While on this probably very Improbable
line Of writing, We may possibly be ex-
cused, since it is our first offense of the
kind, for going a little further. Three
weeks ago a patron wrote asking US if we
were member of the Farmers Alliance.
Replying here we would state that we are
"a member in good standing of the Truck
Farmers Alliance, No. 1877, Mobile, Ala.
When we came to Texas little over one
year ago we brought with US the following
paper, which, being no Alliance secret, we
may print for the information of all con-
cerned:
TRUCK FARMERS ALLIANCE, No. 1877,
MOBILE, MOBILE COUNTY, Ala, July 4, 1890
BY authority OF the MoOlle county ALI
ance at the regular quarterly meeting held
this day, E. II. Burke, president of the Mo-
bile county Farmers Alliance, instructed
the Truck Farmers Alliance to write a
travelling certificate for our much-esteemed
brother, Professor j. P. STEELE. Brother
STEELE is member of this primary ALI
ance, and member that our whole county
takes pleasure IN recommending to Alliance
people and agriculturists everywhere. We
commend him as brother in good stand
ing, and one in whom our confidence has
been shown by electing him as lecturer of
our primary Alliance. and also as lecturer
of the county Alliance. We take the great
est pleasure in giving him our official in
dorsement as a most worthy member of our
craft. DANIEL SMITH,
tsEAL- President.
CRAs. SPIES, Secretary.
That ought to pretty e1ectually settle
the Alliance question.
Furthermore ara n pna~fav ~ tho