Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1905-10-27
HOW IT IS DONE
IN KANSAS
Continued From Page I

Continued From rage L.
in the bottom, leaving the ground i'll
large ridges, which are gradually worked
down by cultivation as the corn grows.
until the ground is practically level
again. This plan is followed most, as it
STANDS the drought the best. Ii takes
six ordinary horses and one man to
operate this tool called lister On sod
are entirely different tools used; oper-
ated bv one man and four horses. This
is similar to an old fashioned saw-hOrse,
the front part runs on shoes and the
hind part on wheels which are connected
with steel perforated plate which con-
veys the grains from the hopper above
at each revolution of the wheel Strange
to say, this tool can follow the sod pillow
without further preparation OF the land
and as the sod is too tough 10 cultivate
that is all there is to do until harvest,
which is conducted rather peculiarly as
compared TO our Michigan method
lust husked from the stalk, usually by
team to care for the grain as they go
back and forth through the field. Cane
and kaffir-corn are usually put in with
an ordinary disc drill, mostly in old
ground, but can be planted with the
sod planter by changing plates as the
seed is smaller. However, some Of the
poorer farmers still SOW it broadcast on
the furrow The manner of sowing
broadcast is quite different to what | or
am quite certain any Northerner is
used 10. One man drives a team and
wagon and another stands i'll the hind
end of the box and scatters the seed
right and left as the team advances, so
you see the Kansan gets along the
easiest way possible. Good crops were
produced here, some in that manner
this year.
Oats and barley are always sown in
old ground as they don't do much on
sod. The former made about 30 bushels
per acre and the latter from 10 to 30
foushe,s not as good as has been grown
other seasons. Prairie hay was fine in
quality and large crop. Alfalfa was
nice, three crops being cut on the river
bottoms, II doesn't do much upon the
hats or level prairie as we call them.
An ordinary day laborer gets 500 per
day and board at present and month
hands from $ls to $25. Wheat is Csc,
oats 45c, corn soc, Rye 70c, Barley 3Oc,
cane seed soc, cheap kaffir-corn soc,
potatoes soc, and beans $500 per bushel.
Land values are about as when | last
wrote. however, considerable land has
been changing hands at from $500 TO
3. 600 per quarter section, depending on
environments and location. As near as
l can learn this is rather an uncertain
country and one can never tell or depend
on what his crop will be until its in the
granarv There is hail to contend with
also hot winds, prairie dogs which cut
down all kinds of crops and last or worst
of all usually great lack of rain that is
here in this Western or West central
part.
About twenty years ago, when this
country was first settled, there was great
land craze, "A certain man bought several
quarter sections at $40 per acre, it being
considered a great bargain. The boom
lowered owing to several crop failures
caused by hot wind and lack of sufficient
rain. He held on TO his land ever since,
being offered several different prices
ranging from $3.50 to 81, 200 per quarter
but as even the latter fell short consid.
erably from his original investment, he
refused to let any Of it go until this
present year he sold it at just $40 an
acre and says he was very thankful &c
get his original principal say nothing Of
any interest. This will suffice alone
that line, but great many might bs
mentioned This might be exceptional
however, have conversed with grea
many men who passed through thos'