Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-03-02
Hints to Farmers.

Everything promises faYorably to the
farmer so far as our limited vision
reaches, and of course every is anx-
Ious for another good crop; but uncer-
tain as the seasons are, and as neces-
sary as it is to exercise judgment and
cultivate observation, yet many farm
ers seem to have had their plans laid
out for them by their great grand faith
ers, or, at least, one would judge so to
see them put out, year after year, the
same crops, and in the same manner as
did their fathers in by-gone genera
tiOns, back i'll muddy Missouri and
stormy Tennessee.
improvement is needed. Do l hear
you say improvements are made every
year? So they are. But, are they made
by the farmers? l think all will agree
with me that the manufacturers are the
ones making the improvements with
which we are so familiar. do not deny
that they are bountifully paid for it
But why should they make all the i'm
provement? While the manufacturer
has made and tried every conceivable
implement, and then racked his brain
to improve it, so as to best facilitate
the work of agriculture, yet where
are the improvements on the part of
the farmers? How many farmers still
plant some late variety OF corn every
year, simply because it did we'll where
they came from, Notwithstanding they
only get one crop out OF three or four.
The Early Dent, Golden Beauty, or
Little Bloody Butcher are early varie-
ties, that if planted early seldom fail to
make at least some corn. Try them.
Again, notice that farmers plant the
same seed every year, or only exchange
with their neighbor, and this is the rea-
son that there are so few that have pure
stock OF any kind of corn. Buy pure
seed; after 2 or 3 years, at most, buy
pure seed again. Plant early and don't
be afraid of cultivating too much.
Commence cultivating as soon as you
can row your corn and "stay with it,"
Vary the crops. While barley is one of
the best feeds known, yet not until the
last year has 1t been grown in our coun-
ty, and we don't even yet know if it
can be successfully raised. 1t is true
wheat has been tried enough here for
us to know that it is almost sure crop,
but what are the varieties? Turkey
and the Little May have been almost
exclusively the varieties. Get some
thing else, and the already startling
productions may be greatly increased.
Cane is still depended upon for feed for
stock, while experience shows that
there are several others of the sorghum
species that are vastly its superior.
Every farmer can raise all the feed
necessary to winter his stock; all the
grain necessary for horses or hogs, ev-
cry year, regardless of the season, if the
proper crops are put out, and that too
of quality superior to what he usual
ly has. Why depend upon cane to feed
cattle, when Kaffir corn, milo maize or
Brown Dora will be much more relish
ed by them and keep them longer and
in better condition? Why depend upon
the uncertain corn crop, when, after
you have succeeded in getting it, your
horse will politely walk away
from his trough and leave his corn, to
get some heads Of Kaffir corn or Jeru-
salem corn which has been carelessly
dropped by you as you were handling
it? Why feed your hogs dry corn all
summer when they will leave it until
they have eaten not only the head, but
the blades and even the entire stalk Of
Kaffir corn. They do better on the lat
ter feed. All kinds of stock eat the en-
tire stalk when fed green. These spe-
cies of sorghum are all good, and pro-
duce from 40 to rs bushels of seed per
acre. Jerusalem corn will probably
stand the most severe drought, while
Milo Maize will possibly make as much
seed, and better rough feed. But for
standing dry weather, producing large
crop of seed, and making good yield
in quality and quantity of rough feed,
our experience teaches us that the
White Dwarf Kaffir corn is ahead. 1t
will produce so to 20 bushels if properly
handled, and make more fodder to the
acre than anything else, and its being
short (only growing from 4 to 5 feet
nigh makes it easy to handle. The
stalk being soft renders it capable of
being eaten by stock. It will fatten
hogs as fast as corn, when threshed
and fed. 1t also makes excellent hay
when sOwn aud cut as such. Try some of
1t, and the others mentioned and be con-
WINGED.
Farmers who have paid from 81 to
"a per bushel for these seeds have new
er regretted their investments.
These, fellow farmers, are some of
the improvements necessary for us to
make. Now let each one make up his
mind to try at least one of these this
year, and see what the result will be.
Let's be vigilant and ready to try not
every new patent that comes along:
not speculation and mortgage for a
start; not for Office and spend our time
talking politics-though of course this
must be attended to; but something
that promises improvement in our call
ing and that will require the expendi.
ture of very small sum, or only lit
tie extra labor or painstaklng, and my
word for 1t we shall be beautifully re-
compensed for our efforts. Now is the
time to begin. Let's talk these things
over among ourselves and act upon
them Individually. Yours in interest of
farming. OBSERVER.
1.-THE Topeka Capitals reports, taken from
the official records of fifty seven counties Of
Kansas, show that in these counties there were
releases of farm mortgages during the past
eight months to the amount of $l4.0OO,OO0"
Yes! yes! The Capital was swearing.