The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-26
Farm and Garden



Bernard Willis Snow. Crop Expert, in Sat
urday Evening Post.
The past season tested the metal of the
American farmer. At no period was he IA
vored with normal conditions for any
length of time, and from the day the first
furrow was turned in the spring until the
last crop was housed in the fall it was a
period of hard work and justifable anxiety.
Untimely frosts, blazing sunshine, lack of
rainfall. insect enemies. and nature gen.
orally out of joint, conspired to bring about
d condition that in almost any other coun-
try would have resulted in famine; yet, by
pluck, industry and intelligent application
of scientific methods of agriculture, the
American farmer closed the season with
the satisfaction of knowing that he had
wrested continued prosperity from niggard-
ly nature.
Our tiller of the soil is no mere human
machine bound by custom or tradition to
the methods of his ancestors; he is a keen.
careful and intelligent student, versed in
natures secrets, and prepared so TO modify
his operations as TO secure the best possible
results from the conditions which surround
him. Frequently American agricultural sue
cess is attributed to the general use of i'm
proved implements and labor-saving ma
chinery, but the great underlying reason is
AlAC tIlllALdllOA VI 4AAAlNA4Ndn dSiICulluIt
with American brains.
In any year the American farmer has rea-
son TO be thankful that his lines are cast in
a land where the tiller owns the soil, where
the crushing wait of absentee landlordism
is unknown. where agriculture is i'm fact
as well as theory the noblest occupation,
and where, by the sweat of his brow, he
not only earns a competence but can enjoy
every advantage, social and intellectual,
that is granted to any class in our common
country. This year he has especial reason
70 no Thankful that hW tho DpgRrlpa1 anpli-
cation. of scientific principles he has been
able to secure moderate returns for his
labor i'm d season which. a generation ago
here, or now in any other country. would
have involved p|inching failure il not abso-
lutte want. There is much of the secret
workings of nature yet to be learned, but
enough is now utilized in our rural indus
try TO render the farmer at least partially
independent of natures vagaries.
Even when the material results of the
years campaign are reviewed there is much
ness. 1t is true that corn, the greatest
cereal crop that the world knows, furnishes
only about 10000 600 bushels against a nor
nal supply of 2.000, 0o0,00 bushels: but, on
the other hand. the wheat crop passes all
records with 150.000,O00 bushels. and is so
distributed that those sections shortest on
corn have a wheat crop larger in size and
finer in quality than ever before produced.
Natures law of compensation makes good
a deficiency in one line with an abundance
IN another Grass, IN all Its forms, the
most valuable crop IN our agriculture. is
this year deficient, but as a compensation
opportunity has been afforded To save and
utilize the fodder on millions of acres of
corn. and forage Tor cattle Will be both
abundant and cheap. Apple orchards yield
cd less than half a normal crop. but peaches
and small fruits have been abundant, 10
make good In some measure the loss of the
king Of fruits.
II a distinction be made between the
farming class as a whole and the indi-
Niduals who are aggregated 10 make this
whole, the financial returns Of the years
work are greater than those OF last season.
The distribution. however. is such that not
only many individuals. but many great sec