The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1910-09-09
BETTER AGRICULTURAL
METHODS.

A lot OF nonsense IS being talked
and written by the republican news
papers about better agricultural
methods" selfinterest, Of course,
prompts every farmer to do every
thing that he can to get the best crops
possible. and no incentive is stronger
than selfinterest. There are many
things that farmers would like to do
that events prevent them from doing
and there are things which they do
that they wish they had left undone 1t
is 50 In every business and with
everyone. If the hay had not been
cut this morning, the rain would not
have spoiled It; bat who Is wise en-.
ough to tell what the tickle weather
will be? II 1t had not rained for
weeks In the spring, the cotton and
the corn would not have been SO
weedy; 1t would have been possible
to work it in season, instead of hav-
Ing to wait until other crops needed
attention. If 1t had not been for the
drought, the crops would have been
better; but the farmer is not rain
maker and has to accept the weather
that nature provides
When the people get sick of republi-
can policies and corrupt misrule, some
smart Aleck blames il on the farm
ers, and "the organs" begin to pipe
in the same tune and demand better
agricultural methods"
When insurgents insure the same
organs blame 1t on the farmers and
insist that they have prospered
through republican legislation, al
though they admit the tariff should
have been more scientific
Some railroad magnate has model
farm where everything that he raises
costs twice what 1t is worth, and even
the eggs cost one dollar per dozen,
and he thinks that the farmers should
follow his example of Intensive farm
Ing" The agricultural department
experts advise the farmers how to inn
prove their soil and stock. but II their
advice were followed the farmers
would need the treasury of the Unit.
ed States to draw upon and then re-
quire an urgent deficiency appropria-
tion, as the experts" often do. to
make both ends meet.
II the farmers critics would try
their hand at farming, with the pres
ent lack of labor and not very efficient
at that, they would not carp so much.
It is dollars to doughnuts they would
admit failure, blame II on the land
or the weather, and then resume their
old occupation OF scribbllng about
what they don't know about farming.
The agricultural department has
just discovered that the farmers ought
to raise more potatoes to the acre,
and has sent experts to Europe to
find out how to do It. What they will
learn viii be that the climate there
is better than here for that sort Of
crop. and any Pennsylvania Dutch
man could have told them so much
without 1t costing a dollar. when they
will spend thousands.
Other countries ere sending experts
here to discover how we grow cotton.
and why it cant be grown as well or
better In Africa. Asia or South Amer
lea It is probably a question Of eli
mate, for the darkey and the old mule
can surely be duplicated In some fash
ion and there Is no great secret in
their meanderings.
If you have tried farming you will
know that It is no picnic, and that
through republican policies all that
you have to buy Is at trust prices, and
for all that you have to sell you must
take what some combine viii pay
Yes, It is not all fun being farmer,
nor do they all ride IN automobiles.
though the republican metropolitan
organs and the funny supplements
would try and make Us believe that
the farmers are bigger fools than are
other mortals.