The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1894-11-23
SMALL TRACT FARMING.
Large Farms VIII Soon De a Thing o
the Past.

Large Farms VIII Soon De Thing of
the Past.
Large farms, as the population in
creases, viii soon be thing of the past
and small tracts and intensive cultiya-
ton must take their place. In China
and Japan the large majority of the
farm holdings are less than an acre and
a five acre tract is the exception and is
considered a large farm. Large fami-
lies are supported on these small tracts
and this of course is due to the me-
thOds in vogue, under which nothing is
allowed to go to waste and everything
raised on the place is utilized in some
practical way. The future cultivation
of the arabic lands of the west which
are capable Of development under irri-
cation will be but question of time,
and to thoughtful citizens suggest the
solution of the problem of providing
homes for the human family and pre-
venting the large and dangerous aggre-
cation of population in large cities so
conducive to poverty and crime.
1t goes without saying that lands
providing crops of the best quality and
largest quantity to the acre without
danger of failure must rise to high
value, The most valuable agricultural
lands in the world will then be irrigated
farms Of the arid west. The tendency
to aggregate population in small areas
of irrigated lands and the tendency to
intensive cultivation brings agricultur-
al life into higher economic conditions
than can prevail in the humid region.
Fhe loneliness Of farm life is done
away with, close neighborhood is in
duced and better improvements come
in and with these conditions lands
rise IN value. It means better econo-
mic conditions, more homes and greater
comforts for men of modest means;
schools in close proximity; rapid tran
sit, telephones, etc, instead of the isO-
lation of large farms or cattle ranches
so prevalent under the old order of
things.
The great fruit and food supplies of
the world are in the future to come
from irrigated areas, and more sub
stantial progress will be recorded in
the next decade in the arid region than
has been witnessed in any other section
of our great and growing country. Not
only does the irrigation control, in
effect, the rainfall, but the maximum
of moisture required for the most rapid
growth Of the crops can be applied
whenever needed. Furthermore, in the
dry climate an excess Of rain-often in
furious as its laek-need not be feared
by the farmers, and thus damage to
crops, which often is inflicted by con-
tinued rainy weather in the east can
be almost entirely avoided.
The methods Of irrigation are simple
and easily understood, The natural
slope of the land is in the direction
of the flow of the stream and the main
cana! is usually constructed so as to
cover the highest portion of the land.
From the main canal the water is dis
tributed by system of main bitches
and suh-lateals that carry it TO every
tract; so that each farmer can distri.
butts it by means OF small bitches run
down between the rows Of fruit trees
or burrows about four to six inches
deep, as to snb-irrigaEe grain or alfalfa,
reaching the fine roots of the plants
and trees, forcing growth to the highest
deyelOpment-Eddy IN. NJ Argus.