Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1910-07-29

ly, and the first cost of poor seed
nay be as much as of the good
although measured in probable re
suits. poor seed is much the most
expensive.
When the crops are in the
ground many of them neither re.
quire or receive further attention
until harvest time. In the case o
corn, proper cultivation costs ap.
IprOximately the same as the Othel
kind.It is not unreasonable to as.
sumo that these diverse methods
are pursued with about equal cost
but where thorough work is done
and right methods employed the
returns may be 30 per cent great
er, which is easily probable. and
one hundred per cent possible
IhlS tlfty or one hundred per
cent represents nearly that much
more clear profit over and above
the returns where inferior, indif.
ferent or ignorant practices were
employed. These are matters tbo
concern all practical farmers and
are within the power of each to
control. W
AS has been frequently pointed
out our farming has been too ex.
PRenslve, pen wherein methods were
LonoWed not calculated to ppcou.
rage large yields per acre. In tbp
man; our farms are too large 70 70
nlt Of such cultivation as tbe
IL tlelds should receive, and further her
ane question of adequate helm IS
~ fnn to increasingly annoy tbS 10
a%pmer. arrnO In the big corn growing
areas fle' corn is seldom given SnnS .S
frequent cultivation as best 'Irl. 20.
suits $ ats demand. Fields of 100 70
l,VVO acres of wheat in the 50.
called wheat belt. many of them
:, oelng plowed only once in two or
.a .nree years, and unfertilized. and
lUV to oOO acres of corn, much of
which has been left practically
alone to wage unequal battle
with weeds and unfavOrable soil
conditions, have been not uncom-
mon.
Farmers need waking to the i'm.
pOrtanee port of undertaking no more or
'!idn they can do well: if sniff.
clent labor is not available for
properly cultivating the larger
'ractS' the area should be emf
down. n 1t should receive the most
inptelllgent l attention the owner or
farmer is able to bestow. and
above all the soil should be treat
ell In such a way as to enrich il
and not impOverish it. With bet.
ter tlllage and cultivation. with
JudlclOuS alienation of crops and
proper equipment of livestock,
the output from given areas could
confidently be expected to dou-
bic. Ten acres, then should pro.
duce as much as twenty now and
with the further advantage that
the ten acres would be built up il
fertility instead of the twenty be-
ing gradually depleted. Follow.
ing the most approved methods,
with the wise utilization of the
lrgumes and farm manures a net
gain of plant food each season
should be made. Poverty of the
soil means poverty among the
people. Rich harveSts are not had
from worn out soils, and worn
out soils are not made better in
times of financial depression OF
scarcity of money.
Proper systems of soil improve
ment and betterment need to be
studied and carried on while the
farmer is prosperous. for those il
poverty or imOverished lands hav
no money for the purpose. SOil'
that have been raped for a hun
rdred years can not be restored tt
their virgin fertility in a month
Or a year, yet one of the Yer!
highest authorities in soil man
agement and improvement in thi
country has given it as his Opin
ion ''that land may be built NJ
and made richer than it ever wa
by a good system of strictly graf
farming alone" The more valu
able lands produce larger yields
these have rich soils, and rich sol
il provided with a Sufficiency o
plant food. To maintain our sol
every essential element of plant
food must be available in adequat
supply.
Nowhere is the old saying
What is worth doing at all