The Mena weekly star., 1910-02-17
Let All the Facts Be Known.
Q the Editor of The Star.


 Dear Sir:-I have noticed with interest the articles of Mrs. Wood mansee and MT. Abbot and c. w, Conklin, but as the two latter have been here only few months, it is not expected they would know much about conditions. Mrs. Woodmansee gives some good suggestions ou dairying, but 1 think she overestimates the abil- ity of the farmers to stock up on milk cows, as she directs, unless better market could be obtained. As 1t is now, farmers sometimes find it difficult to market the few pounds of butter they produce each week. Mrs. Woodmansee suggests cover crop for corn ground at the last cultivation, and suggests pea crop if we can afford 1t. We'll, have been rais- ing peas in corn for thirty years and find 1t very profitable. 1 not only raise my own seed, but al- ways have some to sell. Two years ago I sold $60 worth, about twenty-five bushels last year and have ouly twenty bushels this year, it being so dry last season.
 IT any one wants to know the amount of peas shipped from this section, they can get the informa- ton from G. w. Petty and w. w. Townsend of Meua. We gener- ally plant peas at the next to last blowing between hills in checked corn. Almost any teu-year-old boy in this section can tell you when and how to plant peas in corn. For hay we SOW broadcast or in drill. For best results, SOW in drill, twenty-four to thirty-six inches apart, cultivate until the vines begin 10 run and you will be surprised at the results.
 As to artichokes, they do not require wet land, but any land that twill grow a good crop ot corn will do all right.
 But as this discussion is on hog raising, I will return to that part of the subject. I think some of the suggestions offered in support of a hog law are almost too silly for anything, but some of them are worthy of consideration How useless and wrong it would be to deceive ourselves and others with the idea that this is first class farming country, when we all know that 1t IS not; but with it's many natural advantages. its great forests of timber and con stant streams of clear water, its thousands of acres of free range and it's great diversity of crops. make it desirable place for the homeseeker of moderate means, who is willing to work. If the undesirable condition complained of by Mir. Abbot and Mir. Fulton exist in southwest Polk county, | it is not so here, and If the people ia little streak along the railroad have timberless land and worn-out farms, we see no reason why we should throw away all natural resources worth thousands of dol lars every yeaf.
 It is claimed that acorns will not make up the meat shortage. We'll, there never has been meat shortage of any consequence here, and of course where acorns don't grow, they couldn't make it up. It is also claimed that acorns are thing of the past, which may be true where the timber has been destroyed, but in three-fourths of the county the chance for mast is practically as good as it eyer was.
 Itsis claimed that there is no milll heresSbecause there is no wheat to grind. It is true that this part of the county raised its own flour until the flour mill in Mena was burned some years ago. We still raise wheat, and if there was mill put in, there would be much more raised.
 I notice an article from Parson