The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-09


| has characterized thousands of his class
| he begins to make preparation for the
| coming year; blowing, fitting, sowing,
once, twice, thrice, with the same force
full energy. the same determination of
purpose, advancing step by step, striv-
| ing, investigating, awaiting benefits
| that were not realized; and at the end
| of each years disaster compelled to
rally anew the latent forces of his be-
| ing that had seemingly been exhausted.
| looking forward by faith to the time
when the full fruition of his hopes
| should be realized. With these dark
days came the wedding out process;
men less adapted to frontier life not
qualified to endure hardships, not pos
sessing those inherent traits of charac-
ter that are found only in the person of
| the pioneer, such folded their tents at
night and quietly stole away. Brighter
days began to dawn. With the in
creased area of plowed land moisture
! more generally was retained-better re-
suits followed. Those of US who We're
stayers were little later rewarded be-
yond our expectations, proving con-
clusively that heritage was ours: the
real value of which had not been fully
revealed.
What is the present status of this
country and what has it been for some
years past? The land that was rele-
gated to the short grass, coyote and
jack rabbit has suddenly come into
prominence and has become a mighty
! factor in the producing power of the
state Under the improved conditions
I have been able to harvest some years
seven thousand bushels of wheat. five
thousand bushels of corn, one thou
sand bushels of each oats, barley and
rye.
For some years past I have given
close attention to the crossing and
breeding of corn and have spent much
time in trying to advance interest In
corn raising. Two years ago L mad
nine men interested in this on my land,
last wear fourteen men, having had
ont about five hundred acres. These are
mostly Young men of foreign descent
MANY of them whose parents say too
much labor in corn" I go among them
in their field. adjust their cultivators
show them how to place the dirt about
the corn. teach them the necessity or
thorough clean cultivation, although
some of these are hard to learn at first,
because the work seems to them TOO IN
tense.
Relieving as I do that a Christian
civilization goes hand in hand with a
good government, take pressure ~
nassine to note that large proper
tion of the western farmers who be-
come citizens of our beautiful town
bringing their families with them 70
enjoy the advantages OF our splenolo
State Normal and public schools. are
I'll
their sons and daughters make Valu :.
able additions to our community ana
as A. nroof of their energy include
from two TO six sections in their land
holdings.
zion non11lation who are a thrifty,
progressive people who have put into
operation one secret OF success Wnlcn
the American does not seem to grasp,
namely. that of causing the chlldren
hi p "a.
at as early an age as posslole 70 pe
come producers as well as consume rs.
Little boys and girls whose feet
scarcely reach the foot rest riding the
pillow. who with the faithful team DAY
after day add their quota to the year
" overturning of the fertile wheat
1snd We have cases where almost
the entire farm work is done by young
women who with their father pillow,
plant and handle four and hVe nun
dred acres of wheat. These men are
strictly up to date wheat farmers.
good plowmen, harrow their land be-
fore and after seeding. plant In GOOD
season. are the best and most sue
cessful growers of wheat in our
country.
We are practicing better methods in
fitting wheat land than the past
narrowing more, pulver1zing, ana
packing. more care in seed selection.
allowing the land to rest over OPS
season, summer following, putting the
same labor on one-haf the amount
of land The largest yield on my land
has been: Wheat. 49, corn, so; oats,
40: barley 80 bushels. per acre --..-
Last year we produced 22 to 40
bushels of wheat 80 to SO OF corn.
four to eight tons of alfalfa to the
acre We are raising corn with good
success on the upland as we'll as the
bottom-no strange thing to see large
fields of corn on the high table land.
Our farmers are mostly alert in Sc
lecting good seed. I selected corn last
season from twenty-five fields in Ire
go. Ellis and Graham counties IN
which so per cent was defective ana
weak 1 expect in the near future
that our farmers Institutes supported
by our Agricultural college shall nave
perfected the feature of corn produce
ton and that 1t will take it's place In
rotation of crops with wheat and
other products.
While there are many instances In
which a large yield of corn is not ob-
tanned but we get change OF cult
walton and our wheat land is summer
| fallowed and restored-I have in mind
large field which has been in wheat
| continuously for nineteen years. All
praise to the western Kansas pioneer.
| the man who carries in his face the
| impress of battles fought and victories
| won-who knows no defeat; VINO mas
wrought out the providential intent by
reclamation as it were land whose
| fertility is unquestioned and whose
resources are beyond computation;
who with his piercing penetrating eye
| has been able to see the end from the
| beginning and by his unyielding pluck
and courage has made the desert to
blossom as a rose ana the waste
places glad; who with his good wife
| reigns as a king, and queen of the
| domain which he has conquered. He
sits upon the porch of his modern and
we'll appointed home and with hi:
eye roaming over his broad fields OF
golden wheat, yellow corn, and rich
alfalfa in their season perhaps riding
among them in his carriage or auto, az
his bosom heaves with pride at hi.
prospective reward-his possible
benefits; or perchance his mind goes
back to the dark experience that lin
gers about him like dream or night
mare of the past. Who should dis