The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-09
PROGRESSIVE FARMER AND GAZETTE
Some Things | Saw in the West

Il convinced of the great future before the
Southern farmer. There fine lands in the
Central West, and much poor farming on fine
lands
| went first to Cleveland. Ohio. Starting on the
Delaware Maryland peninsula. my route was
through two sections where the best farming in
the United States is done, in the upper part
of the Peninsula south OF Wilmington. Delaware
1t is hard to find more beautiful farming coun-
try, or one we'll cultivated. The reapers were
busy in the broad wheat fields and the clean
corn field. men were riding on the cultivators
cleaning out both sides of a at trip. and the
dwellings and farm buildings all irst-class
and silos and good grass were everywhere.
The next fine section passed was In the beauti-
full valley, OF Chester County. and in Lancaster
County, Pennsylvania. There are many people
who imagine that the cultivation of tobacco means
keeping the land poor. | wish they could see the
farms in Lancaster County. for this is generally
considered the banner agricultural county of the
whole United States. The gently rolling fields,
with no weeds nor bushes. the big crops OF grow
ing wheat the clean fields the great stretches
OF grass and clover. and the tobacco fields Just
starting we'll. all show that the big barns
needed And the big barns there. barns that
cost enough to pay for big plantation in the
South. Barns with heavy stone Easements and
super-structure OF dressed lumber finely painted
and lots of broad glass windows giving light TO
the stables. And they did not seem TO be
afraid that their land would get too rich for to-
bacco, for they raise 200 pounds acre. and
sell II TO make cigars TO 30 South and sell for
cents for nearly all the scent cigars sold In the
South are made In eastern Pennsylvania.
But, after passing Pisburg with It's steel aud
smoke found another state OF affairs through
eastern and northern Ohio. soon came TO the
conclusion that all the bad farming not In the
South. Here passed hundreds OF farms on which
the farmers are blowing around oat-tail siRss in
stead of draining them. and all the way TO cleve-
land IL seemed that the farms succession
OF ridges and cat-talls swamps. Then hill
sides saw poor crops and gullies for they pillow
straight up and down the hill. The wheat was
still green there. and less of It and poorer crops
than | saw In Delaware and Pennsylvania The
larger part OF the country seemed TO be In rough
pasture and da!rying the chief pursuit on the
farms. and not till Cleveland did tho farm
houses and out-bu!ldings seem to indicate pros
perity.
From Cleveland 10 Columbus Ohio In the
night and. doubtless. passed through better sec
ton. From Columbus to st. Louis the route lay
through central or rather south-central India and
Illinois. crossing the Wabash River Mt Tcrre Haute
Some fine farms were seen In Indiana. but the ma
jority were rough and bushy TIL we reached the
level prairie country.
Then through Illinois. the beautiful level coun-
try showed backwardness In neat farming. for
while the land Is fine. there was not the neatness
on the FARMS nor about the farm buildings. that
saw In Pennsylvania. Here and there one sees a
neat two-story farmhouse and good out-bulldings
but ms a rule. all through that section OF Illinois
the farmers seem to live in oue-story rhacks with
tumble-down out-buildings. ms destitute OF paint
or whitewash as can be seen In the South In
TACT, believe that the average farm buildings
through the South are far better than those saw
through Illinois with all her fine land And then
the last week in June the corn could Just be seen
In little green lines across the fields. and IL look
ed as though more frosted corn was TO be grown
to sell the South. Leaving home with my corn I'm
inps ma nIIl