The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-07-09

Writes Of Farm Conditions In Kansas Thinks
II Would Be Good Place for More East
ern People.
Abilene, Kan, June %, 1908.

Abilene, Kan, June 2S, 1908.
DEAR EDITOR; Hoping that you
and some of my friends may be glad
to hear from me, and to know where l
am, | will write few lines about
"Sunny Kansas" | left home June
27, 1907, and arrived in Bloomington,
ILL.,, on the 2Sth. Visited friends and
relatives % days. The country there
is very nice. They raise nothing
there but corn and oats. | left the
23rd of July for Kansas. Landed in
Abilene the oath. Abilene is the coun-
ty seat Of Dickinson county. 1t has
population of 1868, II churches,
schools, and employs "a school teach
/ ers-besides business college and a
Catholic academy. 1t is very quiet
business town-has 3 railroads, 2
mills, and several elevators
am making my home on a farm 8
miles northwest of Abilene. The
country here is good for both stock
and croo raising. They raise mostly
corn, wheat, oats and alfalfa One
man can farm 80 acres of corn here as
easily as one man can 10 acres in Full
ton county. Where corn was last
year, all they need to do is to cut the
stalks and then go 10 with lister, on
which there Is attachments by which
the corn is planted at the same time.
XUbap tho oOr, ie obn,t , ~ q inohac
high, they go over it with 2-rowed
weeder. They cultivate from Is to 20
acres a day. This work is all done
by riding. There is no walking ma
chinery here. If man who was In
this country ID years ago would come
here now, he would not know how to
farm.
The land is farmed continually here
When they want to give 1t rest, they
change 1t from corn to wheat-or
wheat to corn. My boss told me that
he knows of one field of 35 acres or
his fathers farm, that hes been in
corn for the last 15 years, and last
year it averaged about 40 bushels
shelled) to the acre. 1t is in corn
now but will be put in wheat this fall
The wheat is put in here the same as
back there, only in larger areas. The
fields here average all the way from
40 to 100 acres. The wheat and oats
here are all in the shock now.
My boss had out 80 acres in wheat
and oats, and we cut and shocked it
in six days. | shocked more wheat
this year than any one year in my
life. One man that helped shock was
from Pittsburg, Pa Shocking wheat
and corn is the hardest job here, hands
are scarce and wages good. They pay
all the way from So 90 to $3.50 day,
and month hauds from 500 90 to S25 90.
My boss and broke 75 acres of
prairie and put 30 acres of it in corn,
and have out ITO acres in all-doing
all the work ourselves, we run II head
of work horses, and 20 head with the
part of May and first of June. They
are having terrible floods along the
rivers. 1000 acres of corn and wheat
destroyed. One man who lives south
of Abilene went out over his corn
field in boat and the water was ten
feet deep
Many of the small bridges through
the country were washed out. There
was no freight came into Abilene for
over two weeks.
think that If some of the Fulton
county people that are battling the
wolf away from the door were out
here, they could do better.
The country here is laid out in Sec
tions of one mile square and this is
mostly divided into four farms, and
the buildings are all close to the road.
There is mostly four sets of build
ings to section.
We have rural mail service. Con-
solidated schools and telephones.
have been very busy since have been
here. have only been without work
"OChSs OuO WCOh opShu III III
Handle, Texas, and two weeks in Ok
lahoma City, Okla, visiting Mr.. and
Mrs. Geo. Cooper. Climate is very
healthy here. 1 have only been sick
once since | left home. Had light
attack of appendicitis.
Enclosed find 81 for which you will
renew my subscription for another
year. l win close, hoping this Will
not find the waste basket, ! remain
your friend, wishing you all pros
porous year.
Il. w. EWING.