The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1910-09-06
Better Agricultural Methods!

and written by the Republican news |
papers about "better agricultural
methods. SeIf-interest, of course.
prompts every farmer TO Go every thing |
that he can to get the be st crops pos
sible, and no incentive is stronger
than self-interest. There are many
things that farmers would like to, do
that events prevent them toing,.. and
there are things which they, dol that
they wish they had lett undone. 1t is
so in every business and with every
one. If the hay had not been cut this
morning. the rain would not have
spoiled it; but who is wise enough to
tell what the tickle weather will be?
If it had not rained for weeks in the
spring, the cotton and the corn would
not have been so weedy; it would
have been possible to work it in sea-
son, instead of having to wait until
other crops needed attention. If it
had not been for the drought the crops
would have been better; but the farm
er isn't rain-maker and has to &C
cept the weather that nature provides.
When the people get sick of Repub-
lican policies and corrupt misrule,
some smart Aleck blames it on the
farmers, and "tne organs" begin to
pipe in the same tune and demand
better agricultural methods. ~ ~
When insurgents insurge, the same
Organs" blame it on the farmers and
insist ttat they have prospered
through Republican legislation, al
though they admit the tariff should
have been more scientific
Some railroad magnate mas a model
farm where every thing that. he raises
costs twice what it is worth, ,and even
the eggs cost one dollar per dozen, and
he thinks that the farmers should
follow his example o" intensive farm
ing" The Agricultural Department
experts ad, Use the farmers how to i'm
prove the ir soil and stock, but if the ir
advice WIS followed the farmers would
need the Treasury of tn. United States
to draw upon anu Then require AN ur-
gency deficiency appropriation, as the
experts" Ltten 90 10 make both ends
meet.
Ii the farmers critics would try
their hanu at farming, with the pres
ent lack of lab.r and not very efficient
at that, tn y would not carp SO much.
1t is dollars to dUughnuts they would
admit failure, blame it ON the land or
the weather, and then resume their { Id
occupation Of scIibDling about what
they don't Know about farming.
The Agricultural Department has
just discovered that the farmers ought
to raise more potatoes to the acre, and
has sent experts to Europe to find out
how to do it. Wnat they will learn
will be that the climate is better than
here for that sort of crop, and any
Pennsylvania Dutchman could have
told them so much without it costing a
dollar, when they will spend thous-
ands.
Other countries are sending experts
here to discover now we grow cotton,
and why it can't be grown as well or
better in Africa, Asia or South Ameri-
ca. 1t is probably a question of eli
mate. for the darkey and the old mule
can surely be. duplicated in some fash
ion and there: is no great secret in
their mes n ierings.
1T you have tried farming you will
know that it is no picnic,l and that
through Republican policies all that
you have to buy is at trust prices, and
for all that you have to sell you'll must
take what some combine will pay.
Yes it is not ali fun being farmer
nor do they all ride in automobiles
through the Republican metropolitan
organs and the funny supplements
would try and make US believe that
the farmers are.bigger fools than are