The Mena weekly star., 1909-02-04
More Light on Farming.


 The article in recent issue of The Star treating on Most Profit able Feed for Milk Cows, by M Gruber, certainly demands recog- hilton and I trust you will pardoI the writer for occupying your yalu- able space in response to said arucle.
 To the observant and intelligent farmer this article on Most Profit able Feed for Milk--Cows" }" is thne so erroneous that the first glance over 1t convinces him that no man who is familiar with Arkansas farm ing has written the article in ques- 'tlon.
 Had this writer been at the farm CTS institute last Friday he might have learned something about Most Profitable Feed feed that IS gooc and will build up the soil too.
 Understand me. say nothing against corn, but pray, is it advls- able to follow such a hollow descrlp- ton of raising corn?
 AgaIn, why does the state and the United States advocate and urge the cultivation of crops most profit able to each locality? Why did Professors Ernest Walker, Martin Nelson and A. D. McNair come to Mena and tell the farmers to abandon cotton and corn for at least awhile, so as to be able to build up the soil by the production of cowpeas, etc. These gentlemen are scarcely gone, the good seed which they planted has hardly had time to germinate, and here comes a man under the pretention of "wiseacre' and presents things as windy as March day in Oklahoma.
 To make it brief: Where is his stubble ground? What kind of sod can he have reference to?
 True, if we turn clover sod and tie like and do it at the proper time. good results are sure to fol- low, but it cannot be that kind of sod he refers to because of its scar city in this country as yet.
 What do you think of the lighter stalks and larger ears of corn The author says: Three stalks of corn in one hill produce three small stalks and three large ears" Now in consequence of this fact 1000 stalks of corn in one hill produce 1000 small stalks and 1000 large ears of cornl Easy, isn't it?
 It is confusing perhaps when the article reads thus: Watch youl corn when the kernels and ears are dry and firm, cut it with the stalks and set it upin shocks" and in the same strain he goes on to say: Let corn mature and fill out m shocks. : This further sabstantiates that tn, 1000 stalk and ear proposition IS tn, only correct one in Arkansas. Here after all you have to do after plant ing is to: Let corn mature and fiji out in shocks then cut it with tn, stalks. {"
 Talking about the farmer further in such article he says: He mus learn to economize" and "be up-to date and study the best methods. say the farmer cconomizes toc much and l will prove it.
 We want to be up-to-date: W, want to study the best. methods That's right, but to do so we mus abandon the economy of one-horst farming and get two; pick up tn, rocks, clean fence corners, build new ones; SOW clover, redtop, etc; plan cowpeas and again cowpeas and COW peas again; kaffir corn, maize, DO tatoes. etc; get good stock--just a, cheap as scrubs and cheaper. Don forget poultry; have a good garden with good varieties growing and working ! Do not steal your daily bread loafing and fill not the belly on that for which others work anc labor.
 It is through such economy as exists that no stamina, backbone or push asserts itself. Citizen.