Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1906-10-10

udtO lAS 6iIlS UCCA lOI6OtJ0As IA 0N0
thought and money have been expend-
ed In the effort to equip the boys Q.
the farm for more scientific farming,
but the girls-who has thought Of the
girls? Why should they not have
their courses in those branches Of agri-
culture and domestic science which
would better fit them for their duties,
and make their lot easier? There is
suggestion for America in the estab-
fishing by Belgium of free schools for
the purpose of giving girls instruction
in housekeeping as related to the
farm. and in various phases of agri-
culture closely linked Herewith, such
as gardening. poultry keeping, dairy
ing, etc. Girls are admitted to the
schools when Is years old, and kept in
training for ten months. During that
time they are expected to study and
master the elements of agriculture,
dairy farming, housekeeping and ac-
counts, and be prepared to go out in
the world and practice the lessons
taught, in many instances becoming
teachers. Belgium is a thickly popu-
lated country. There are numerous
cities and towns that tempt the young
people to leave the farms. The daugh-
tiers of wellto-do farmers are inclined
to take life easy and try to live above
working ON the farm. 1t was to cor
rect this growing evil that the new
schools were instituted. Every school
admits 10 pupils. Every girl has a
room to herself, and must take proper
care of it while she remains a student
All are dressed alike, and their cloth
ing is made of ordinary material. A
term of ten months generally enthuses
the pupil with liking for the farm,
and results in keeping the girls at
home and benefiting the country by
their lives of usefulness.
Another ginseng grower disappoint
ed. A western newspaper tells of
Missouri woman who has been looking
forward to realizing a. competence
from raising ginseng. She decided to
go into the business three years ago,
and began to read circulars and pam
phlets on the subject before buying
her stock. She was on the point of
writing to a local firm for prices on
seeds and roots when she was visited
by man who represented himself as
agent for a ginseng firm in Connect.
cut. His prices for stock were so al
Turing that the woman invested about
$50 in seeds and roots, and as the
agent, while warning her that she
would have to wait several years for
hnr bor hof hn
uct would probably bring $12 or SIS
pound, the plants r. ceived devoted
care. They thrived, and the grower
began to feel like an icipient million
aire. Three years later some of the
roots seemed marketable size, SO the
grower dug a bushel or more, firmly
believing she had collateral to make
her comfortable for the rest of her
life. The ginseng dealer to whom she
applied, however, found that she had
been the victim of a swindler, for her
cherished plants, instead of being gin
seng, were Culver's root (Veronlca
Virginica), which has very little value.
The two plants are SO totally distinct
| that one wonders how the unfortunate
victim could continue to grow 1t, year
after year, without any suspicious as
to it's identity, were it not for the COM
plete lack of observation many people
show where plants are concerned. We
had never heard of this particular
swindle before; perhaps there are
other victims.
The farmer is not as easy a mark
for the swindler as in years gone by,
but the sharper is still trying to de-
wise schemes by which he can catch
him and his dollars. The Smith Coun-
ty (Kan) Messenger tells of the lat
est swindle The agent comes along
with his barb wire fencing and stretch
| ing machine and offers to leave the
machine and 40 rods of gooOd fence
for trial, requiring the farmer to sign
good faith" contract on a postal
card for the return Of the stretcher.
The farmer signs for three dollars,
and it is the old, old story of the s.
turning out to be $500 instead. 1t is
a safe rule for the farmer to adopt
to sign nothing, and buy of the local
dealer or of some firm he knows and
can trust
Money making should not be the
sole object of the county or state agri-
cultural fair. Ten to one If the fair Is
serving the high purpose for which 1t
was fntended-that is stimulating and
educating the farmer to better meth
ods-the fair will draw paying at
tendance. Better no fair at all THAI
to let the midway" features. the horse
racing and the saloon predominant.
Such methods may make more dollars,
but they don't make better farmers.
The Kansas liar has reached the
city, as the following proves: Con-
tractor (for building skyscraper)-'