The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-05-01


but little progress Going back to June
1894. was seated where overheard few
farmers discussing the wheat question.
listened: some had wheat growing. but al
condemned the wheat business and said
If only they had their land in corn they
would be flying When they ended their
talk 1 said was surprised at their talk.
simply told them that they did not know
what they were talking about: saying to
them If it was not for the wheat on hand
and to be harvested your stock would die
of starvation before crops would be reach
ed in 1885. I said your corn will be fail
ure and wheat is your salvation II is
safe to say that not one farmer IN one
thousand viii profit by that experience.
Again think of the money paid for trees
and seeds to be planted and sowed in 81
All is lost. Experience teaches but few
farmers anything, yet they howl il loud
and long.
The old tradition is their motto. will
plant and SOW variety this year and care
We'll for il and trust for the Lord to do his
part. But If a failure comes you curse
Mother Earth from whence you came and
will return. Never once do you thank
God for life. or anything. Many OF you
he made that you might have home and
honor Him.
The great laws of nature Is a field in
which you live. move and have being
and you spend hours daily. and months if
added up in which you might learn natures
laws and then save yourselves from fall
ures and disappointments. II can be
done and hundreds are moving in line.
And there is not a man or woman who
could be persuaded To turn back. But
all agree that the more they learn of ma
lures laws, the more they see or realize
how beautiful is this great world. While
your humble servant cannot lay claim TO
being a scholar I must say that there is
many who ridicule the idea OF learning
the laws OF nature. who if they could lay
aside their prejudices and learn such laws
and then use their education IN telling
the people what TO do TO make a success
of farming in such well written articles as
many write ard tell nothing of value on
many of their points. Then it would be
a pleasure to read after them and profit
able for the reader 10 practice.
Our scholar and able writer friend
Brockaway, on some points like to read
after, but when he writes some things as
is in his article of last week in the Eagle
it is putting it untimely and IL he expects
to obhterate drouths. dust, hot winds and
failures by tree planting and make par
adise on this earth, 1 will advise the good
brother to side-track his car by some cool
and shady brook, put mp screens and cur
tains, get a sprayer and hold the dust at
bay and carefully note passing events.
Without malice toward none, 1 say il we
cannot tell our fellow man something OF
what IS coming and what TO do 1t with the
evil once al hand, say nothing except what
you have the proof of. am aware of
the fact that many say if you know these
things why have you not got something
to show for il. I will ask all such to tell
me If they have the proof as tothe cir
cumstanceS that has been placed upon me
and is ii not true that inventors and dis
coverers have all been poor financially
and only one OF two have made anything
out of their knowledge.
In regard TO farmers: I note the fact
that many are saying missed in not SOW
ing wheat for this year; corn is worth
nothing, oats the same Placing corn at
g bushels per acre and 20c per bushel you
get $50 per acre; wheat 16i5 at 45c and you
have H.44. But if you see TO it and do not
let your wheat spoil it will never sell for
less than 5Oc Bad wheat makes bad
prices. If every farmer learns what they
do about planting and sowing crops then
will corn make an average OF not less
than 40 bushels per acre in all corn grow
ing districts. Wheat will reach % bushels
At those figures we can sell for less and
have more money; while If you learn when
70 dc nd MA rt
COO viii soon be saved by you. am writ
ing facts that challenge all men 10 dis
prove if they can asked the members
of the state board to discuss this matter
but they refuse and then state falsehoods
in part about it.
My hope of farmers seeing and realizing
a better way to success lies In the sons of
the present would-be-farmers OF today.
Like all good ideas ii requires about one
generation to come up before it is accept
ed. But come ii will
1 will close by saying that IL an even
acreage for thirty-four years OF the wheat
crops as reported in Kansas by the state
board Of agriculture had been sown that
one half of the crops would show over
the other T7s. 900 bushels more than the
other half. Now I will pay any man So
who figures the reports correctly II am
at fault.
1 ask you why does not the state board
report such facts and others of equal val
ue to YOU. Also Manhattan college re-
ports are a disgrace 10 the Institution.
Here is hoping some one will beslr his
bump of curiosity. He will be one more
convert
BY referring 20 March numbers OF the
Eagle OF 1876 you will find an article on
tree planting from my hand covering
about the same as friend Broekway's.
Our fruit crop Is going 20 fan wonder
fully short Of expectations, so far as
have investigated; and II We get April
temperature next month, as I expect, I
fear al viii 20. I have claimed warm
April and cool May and especially 50 from
the 5th to the 18th, but hope otherwise.
JAS. c. II SWAIN.
- TQ[sc