Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1910-03-25


OF all classes Of men the farmers
are considered to be closest to nature.
In fact nature should be the farm
er's constant study-to obey her laws,
to comprehend her secrets which en-
ter into the most luxuriant growth,
then to modify and improve on the
natural specimens given us, these are
the duties Of a model farmer, writes
G. F. Hunnicutt, IN Southern Guilt
vator. 1t has always been a marvel
to us what strenuous efforts some
men could put firth and how little
they could really accomplish, then
how quietly and ploddingly some 9TH
ers could work, yet the results of their
labors was remarkable.
Down in Campbell county, Georgia,
lives Mr.. John B. Cleckler. Mr.. Cleck-
Ter is quiet and easy in his manners
and nature, yet by making a wise
choice as to the true method of farm
ing and by pursuing this method I'M
deViatingly, he stands to-day one of
the best farmers In Georgia. The farm
OF Mr.. Cleckler was not naturally fer
tile. 1t is a sandy soil with clay sub
soil, such as is very common in Geor-
gia. Naturally It will yield a bale of
cotton to three acres and make ten
bushels of corn per acre. Mr.. Cleck-
Ter, early in his career, began raising
stock, yet on a small scale, just as
any farmer can do and should do.
Having a mare and raising a colt;
having several COWS and raising the
heifer calves; then a brood SOW or
two and raising his own meat. By de-
grees he let this part Of his farming
operations expand; also began to get
better blood into his live stock from
year to year. When we were down Wis
1ting him recently here is what we
found: Two good brood mares and
four fine colts; a fine jack, lately pur-
chased so as to breed mules in the
future; a registered Jersey bull, sew
eral Jersey cows and some % Jersey
heifers, registered Berkshire boar
and three fine brood sows. he has a
fine hog pasture, a well-set Bermuda
lot for the colts and some 70 acres
In COW pasture all enclosed with a
woven wire fence.
AS we walked down in the pasture
we came upon the cattle grazing in
fine stretch Of fertile bottom land. We
could but exclaim: my! what fine
corn this bottom would make!" He re-
piled: yes, but l had rather have it
in Bermuda grass, as it is, and have
my cattle gathering it for themselves,
and 1t pays me better"
1t seems that this last would settle
the matter even with our farming
class themselves. We went out to see
his cotton that would make a bale per
acre. The land having been built I'D
by the use Of his barnyard manure.
He had six acres of corn that aver.
aged him over 60 bushels per acre. He
put guano around his corn and applied
nitrate OF soda. Mr.. Cleckler is not a
wealthy man. He is better off than
that; he is a man quietly ndshappily
engaged in following out in detail
year by year the best method of farm.
ing in the south, viz: Diversified
farming where live stock plays its full
part and where good crops of oats,
corn and cotton are grown. No great
stir, no great strain, no necessity for
financing the distressed cotton or any.
thing else, for he has a reputation for
having good stock, and when his
neigbbors want pigs or milk COWS
they know just where to go to get
them Mr.. Checkers farming has
been just like beautiful symmetrical
tree, extending its growth and
branches from year to year.