The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1910-07-14
Minco. Okla. July il, 1910.

OF Commerce, Caickasha, Okla.
Dear sir:I have figured up more
correctly the conditions which sur
round Grady county since my visit
with yon the other evening and the
statistics which find are really sur
prising to me. The county contains a
total area Of G45,12O acres. Acres IN
cultivation, 225.OlO; acres in native
meadow, 13,059; acres IN pasture and
waste land, 1862: total acres under
farm control, S5e,7e1. Subtract this
amount from 645,i2O and we have left
28s.359 acres which is held in common
! by the Chickasaw nation, Or Is allotted
and unoccupied by ths farmer, which
Is not bringing rental value to ex-
ceed $4,000 per annum.
True, none Of this unalloted land is
Of the best quality, yet ! know farmers
who are located on this class Of soil
who are producing as much cotton and
corn, more fruits and vegetables, and
/ just as many and good stock as are
those who are located on our best Of
soils. And / know from experience
and observation whereof speak when
| say to you that soil Of this nature
when properly devoted to,truck farm
ing, such as fruits and vegetables, will
yield much greater returns than will
the best valley soils with the same
crops, or any other which they can
produce on these soils in this coun-
4 try.
AS proof Of this, take the staple
crops, corn and cotton, for the season
1907, and as wheat and oats were a
total failure that season and no sta
tIstics are given for Grady In 1906, we
will take Grant county for this season,
which is greatly above an average for
the entire satte, and we find wheat
and oats yielding In value about 50 per
acre, corn $12, cotton $3.50, while
our much boasted alfalfa which occu-
pied our best soils only yielded up
1890 per acre. while our Irish potato
yield was $50 and sweet potato some
thing over $50, onions ST. For want
OF data take Canadian countys 81
acres Of small fruits which yield a
value Of $6,033 in 1907, which is $G2
per acre. True prices at this time
were way below where they are now
but this holds good on all commodities
alike, and the yield In either crop per
haps was not more than SO per cent
OF what II should have been. But II
Is certainly reasonable to take ais q
basis $50 per acre for truck farming
especially SO In the light Of the data
at hand. AT these figures the 2S8,
359 acres Of unoccupied land wonit
yield to the producer an annual casf
value Of s14,4l7,950. Divide this 2sS,
359 acres into 50-acre tracts and i
would create 5,7G7 homes, five to thu
family, would increase our rural popa
lation 2S,S35. In the language of Bootf
Tucker, there is certainly need fol
the landless man, on the manless land
and thereby convert this unity of waste
to trinity OF production
How about striving to uring abou
this condition? Is 1t worth the effort
Shall we use our efforts with ou
state and nation to make this possible
or shall we leave these lands in thl
hands Of few traders that they RAJ
graise few southern cattle, and breei
the fever tick which kill Oft our bet
ter grade Of cows?
Isn't 1t the better plan to arrang
for this land that the home builde
may build homestead home builders
not spectators nor land grabbers; VI
have too many here now with larg
holdings, too many now farming b.
proxy, as proof Of this look at Mexico
with her land grants. and paon labor
compare our own southlands with be
tenant system, to the home owner 0
the north and west Which system
shall we labor for?
realize that these figures may b
questioned even by you, and an
frank to admit that they do seem y
cerdlble even though based upon lrt
ceding statistical facts. Bu- let US d
vide these figures by two, and we sal
have over s72oO,ooo, yearly inco "
which amount doubles that whicn 81
farm products including thT beef an
other meats sold during 1907 Non
who are qualified to speak would dis
pute the fact that this 1907 farn
products Of s2,5Oo,oo0 could have eazil
been doubled under prope. manage
ment, and that the difference in pric
then and aow would near double (
again, which would maxi }ii possibl
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