The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-05-06
FARMING IN OKLAHOMA.
A Tar Heel Who Has Settled in the New Ter.
ritOry Tells Of It's Soil Climate, Products
and Inhabitants.

Correspondence Of The Progressive Farmer.
1 will try and blow old Greer
County, Oklahoma, a bit and tell
what I know and what the old "nest-
ers" (as they are called by cattle
men) know about the country.
will say to sBart with that Okla
homa is the best farming country
that have seen west of the Missis-
sippi River, and 1 have seen a good
portion of the best farming land of
Texas. Corn, cotton, and all the
small grains do unusually we'll here
We have about three different kinds
of land-a black light land, the red
sandy land, and the river bottom
sandy land. The bottom land is a
sub, irrigated land and is as rioh as
can be. A very little rain makes fair
crops on this if it is worked well.
About all the government land"
is taken up and it is advancing in
price at a rapid rate. People are
coming in fast and buying, the price
being from ten TO twenty dollars per
acre, according TO location.
We are having lots of rain now,
and the indications are good for the
best crop this year that we have had
in several years. If we could have
rain here like you have in North
Carolina, farmers could soon get
rich.
One great feature of this country
is that the farmers do not use any
fertilizer on their farms as the land is
already as rioh as oan be, and with the
improved labor-Saving machinery
that we have, farming is pleasure
compared with farming in North
Carolina, for we have no stumps nor
rocks to contend with. To see the
corn and cotton when it iR about
half leg high and the land being so
level is beautiful sight.
The year 1901 was considered here
very dry. The last rain that fell
was on the 29th of May, and we had
no more of any Importance until
March 10th, 1902 But in spite of
this dry spell, corn made in some
places fifty bushels an acre, and
thirty bushels an acre was common.
Cotton yielded on an average one
third of bale per acre. Some one
said that in the fall and winter of
1901 when the cattle would see a
cloud passing over they walked under
it and bawled for water-but l never
saw this. The people of this, Greer
County, are made up of a poor class,
or they were when they came, and
they came to get cheap homes. So
now they are in good circumstances
and contented and they are making
money.
A great drawback has been that
this part of the country was 80 far
from markets, but that will soon be
overcome for two railroads are be.
ing built through the county and
that is causing land to go up. Health
is generally good. Water is pretty
fair, although some of it is very
gyppy Fruit does we'll and every.
thing that has been tried is a suo
cess
We have q good school system.
The school term is five months in
the year. The people of each pre-
oinct tax themselves so much as they
see fit for school money. The school
buildings are first GLASS.
This is a fine country for man
with family good schools, churches
and good health, and if he is a farmer
he will have plenty of work TO do
and can work nearly all the time,
for there is not much bad weather.
The country is laid off in sections
of mile square, there being no
roads only on section lines. OF
course every farmer does not own
section some OVID a quarter, some
half, and some a whole section. The
best and smoothest roads are here
that have ever seen-very fine for
driving or cycling, level and firm.
J. W. @.
Greer Co, Okla.
The House of Representatives has