The Globe-republican., 1892-01-21
SUCCESSFUL FARMERS.
Experience OF Two Well Known TiIIers
of Ford County Soil

VI tue SaiHS III L vi U CpUut. iaINiIHS " ucu
followed without other business 10 divide
time and attention, continued long
enough 20 get the benefit of all kinds of
seasons, together with experience to work
this remarkable soil to the best advantage
we will give brief sketch of two steady
farmers. living near Dodge City. we'll
known to almost every one in the county {:
On February 18th. 1879. Nicholas May
rath. with his wife and three small chill
dren settled under the home3.ead laws on
the northwest quarter of secrib ha, town
ship p. range %. leo acres OF upland
prairie. about seven miles southwest from
this city. His entire assets AZ that time
consisted of 4 team o. horses. = wagon.
4 plOw, some household goods. cash
enough 10 buy lumber 70 cover a dug-out.
l2xl6. and buy provisions sufficient 10
keep MS family month or two. In the
years 1879 and 1880 be tried to farm what
he could. but. having an imperfect idea
of how 70 till the soil o. this region. and
lacking confidence in MS ability 10 make
a living from the land. he divided his
time and attention between gathering
bones and rather iudifierentIy caring for
such crops aS he could put in ii odd spells.
This kind OF farming proved q failure.
and in 1881. one of his horses having died.
he left the place altogether. doing such
other work as he could get 10 make liv-
ing and buy another horse. In 1882.
having saved little money TO repleuiSh
his supply of provisions, aud from obser-
walton concluding TO Try different meth
cd, more adapted to the soil and seasons.
be again moved back on the homestead
and devoted his entire time and energy
| 10 mis- farm.
| He commence by planting early veg
etables for the Dodge City market.
/ These did we'll and the product was sold
in time 10 replenish his exhausted larder.
/ Other crops the same season added sutif-
cient means 10 carry him comfortably
through 10 another harvest. From that
tine up 10 the present. he has made farm
Ing. gardening. tyee culture and stock
raising his business. expeuLiug surplus
/ profits in stock and adding broad acres
to as original home place. In fact. 10
use the language Of Mrs. higgins in the
'.uoosier SchOolmasJer. his motto
seemed to be cit a plenty when you're
a-gitting.' quarter section after quarter
section extended and widened his do
mains until his farm now consists of 400
acres Of a good land - lever the sun
shone on" II extends in sweeping
smooth. gently undulating prairie sur
face from river up to elevated plain: that
in the river bottom producing an excel
lent quality of wild hay. while the second
bottom aud upland plains are being grad
ually brought under thorough cultiva-
ton. His dwelling is on the upland and
his first cultivation was done there. On
this soil crops have made the greatest
success. probably owing 10 its having
been worked TO a greater depth and more
deeply saturated with water. He has
one thousand acres under fence. and
two hundred acres under cultivation.
The number of acres under cultivation
will shortly be doubled. as he now fully
appreciates the handsome profits TO be
realized by one having experience to
know when TO plant. whatto plant and
how TO cultivate the soil Of this part OF
Kansas. Seventeen acres are in all kinds
Of fruit trees suitable to a temperate cli-
mate. both large and small varieties
mostly beginning 10 bear. Twenty-sev-
en- acres are in shade. forest or nursery
trees of twenty-eight varieties of his own
planting.
This magnificent farm is now stocked
from the surplus receipts Of its own fer
tile acres with twenty head of horses
one hundred and twenty-five head Of
good graded cattle. forty-five head OF
hogs aud lots of poultry. His granarieS
and mows are amply supplied with feed
There are stables for the horses and COW
cred shelter for one hundred and thirty
head of stock. besides hay stacks and 9TH
er wind breaks. Also plenty of farm ma
chinery and garden and orchard tools
His outstanding obligations are small
with ample funds loaned out to more
than meet them. He and his good wife
have accumulated all this property from
Kansas soil, having had no other source
Of income. They feel sure that the next
ten years will show a constantly increas-
ing ratio of profits. as long continued cul.
tivatien seems to make the soil more pro-
dnctive instead of exhausting it, as Is the
case in most agricultural lands elsewhere
Then the fruit trees are increasing theil
luscious burdens every year. while stocl
is swelling the the volume.
Mr.. Mayrath is exceedingly we'll salts.
fio6 nth SnuthrosS Eon.a- a, rrau h<