The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-08-04
HAVENs ON FARMING
Enid Scion Gives Timely Advice on
Agricultural Pursuits.


this city Senator Ravens writes:
Anybody can run a farm. And there
fore there are great many poor farm
ers When a man can't do anything
else he thinks he can manage a farm.
Tt is only necessary. as he understands
it. To break up the ground. throw in the
seed and let it grow. Anybody can
drive team and hold pIow and scat
ter the seed: and therefore it is easy 10
farm So the man who lacks the brains
and energy necessary in most other pur-
suits can engage in agriculture. Ia
need rot. i'm his way. do much thinking;
mental exertion and study are not neces-
sarv. Nature win do most of the work.
He can sleep and the crops viii grow.
He SCOTS with an assumption Of great
wisdom. at book farming and agricul-
turaI newspapers and bulletins The
knowledge gained by the experience and
investigation Of intelligent and scientific
men. communicated through a book or
newspaper, is nothing to him except to
excite his contempt. He has no time
to read and does not want his repose
disturbed by books and scientific advice
or instruction. He stays ia his Tut, and
shuns any information that might per-
suade him out of it. He wants to be
let alone TT his crops are short, or fail,
he attributes the result 10 Providence,
and does not dream that it could come
through any lack of knowledge or enter
prise on his part. He carefully protects
his ignorance, and is satisfied with him
self He is "A farmer-so he assumes-he
has 40 doubt about it. If he fails 10
prosper. it is because farming don't pay.
II his eatcrprisinE ueishbor thrives and
grows rich it is because Providence has
extended special favors. 1t was good luck
and not intelligence and good judgment
Farming. he his demonstrated, doesn't
pay.
Too large proportion of farmers op-
crate on the lines above indicated. And
vet there is no branch OF industry where
i'm brains-inte diligence. enterprise and
skiIl-vield better returns than in the bus
mess OF farming. There is no field of
activity wherein these qualities are more
needed nor wherein there is wider op-
portunity for the profitable application
of scientific knowledge and general in
teilectual capacity. Ii is reflection upon
the occupation of farming To assume that
II is the refuge of ignorance-the one
field where intelligence has no reward
and where ignorance can ne as success
fuI as knowledge and scientific effort
Such an assumption is untrue. and there
are few formers who do not need TO app
ureciate the fact more tuliy. Ii VIII be
round by a little examination that wher-
ever farmer has prospered and grown
rich. rs many of them have he rs been
q man who has brought 10 his business /
more Intellectual force and enterprise
Than his ueiehbors who have not pros
nered. He has not been afraid 20 read
nor to avail himself Of new ideas He has
not hesltated 10 appropriate the expert
e0ce and knowledge Of others. even
though he found ii recorded lie printed
form En- books ana newspapers. He has
not STAYED in rut. nor IS he liable to
.he charse of being an ola fosy
I'm recent years the Investigations and /
studies and the experiments Of agrieu.tr-
raI colleges and experimental stations
have discovered ana demonstrated much .
thar the farmer OF enterprising incllna-
tious can rot afford 10 Snow and apply.
And there is ro more interesting STUDY
thaa that which relates q rha cultivation &
of crops SD rs to make The labor eN-
pended uron them profitable In che con-
se~7afion of moisture So SIS 10 overcome
or modify She effects ~ drt weather. in
the ure0ara-iou and care ~ she soil 81
rre character of crcns- methods OF plant
fng and sovius; handling stock to TIE
hest advantage and in a hundred other
things. Invaluable Information IS Access +
zfble. ard the farmer who avaiis himself
~ 81 is as much il advance ~ tle av-