Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-08-18
Farmer" Talks on Agriculture and
Politics.

We have had very wet season here,
| lasting from early spring until the sec
ond week in July. Itreminded the old
settlers of the spring and summer of
1874. Farmers were late at getting
| their crops in; indeed much land, in
tended for oats and corn, was not plow-
ed at all and last years stalks are still
standing, among the weeds, on it to-
| day. Harvest came on while corn
blowing was hardly half done and such
a push and crowd of work one rarely
sees. Hay had to stand in the field I'M
til it was half shaken or more, and
| wheat left in the shock till the weeds
grew over the stubble about it. At
this date, August 9th, the push is about
over. Grass has nearly all been got
ten in and the wheat threshed, or
stacked. and weed cutting begun. Last
year our cornfields were remarkably
clear of weeds; this year it is quite the
reverse. The weather is hot and dry
and garden truck, such as potatoes,
beans, ETC., seems to be drying up.
Fruit has been and will be very scarce,
though there was an abundance of
bloom; but wet and cold prevented the
visits OF bees, and other fertilizing in
sects, while frost and storms destroyed
most of wheat set. Wheat is the only
good crop and it would have to be we'll
famed and graded to get a good samp-
lie, as the heads spiked or ran to a
sharp point at the top so much. If the
weather, from this on, is good we shall
make half crop of corn, but hardly
more.
The general health here, considering
the excessive rainfall and heat, is re-
markably good and though many of
the steam threshers had to stop to let
the hands rest and shade, there has
been but few cases of serious prostra-
ton.
Politics are very quiet, and, though
our State and county conventions and
primary election have brought out the
usual crop of candidates, there is very
little excitement, and it is not likely
there will be, for, every year, a larger
number of voters use their brains more
than their lungs in such matters, and
the number who count their votes as
belonging to their country rather than
to their party is steadily increasing.
The number is large enough now to
hold the balance of power and with the
Australian system of voting there is
more hope for popular government. |
Still it is true here that far too large a |
number of voters, on both sides, neg
lect to study and fail to properly COM
prehend the principles at stake. We
have far too large number of men |
and women, such as Prof. Vance refers |
to in the last REGISTER, who would |
rather attend negro minstrel show
than go to hear solid, sensible lecture |
on any useful subject.
The Peoples Party have opened with |
a picnic in this neighborhood, but,
though they had some noisy and long
winded speakers, they created but lit |
tie enthusiasm. People are beginning |
to catch on to the absurdity of trying
to raise wages by lowering the price Of
money.
The admission made at the National |
Convention that the Democratic party |
had heretofore advocated straddle on
the tariff question has made some of
the wheeihorses feel cool, and it would |
have been far better for that party had |
it made concise statement o: princi-
Piles than to have published long,
rambling platform that Henry Waiter
son very aptly demonstrated as an .ses-