The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-03-24


potatoes are shipped by trainIoads to
Kansas City, st. Louis, MINNEAPOLIS
Omaha and other northern pgints
where they bring fancy prices. The
second crop, dug in September. Yields
about a hundred bushels to the acre
and is shipped to Texas. and other
markets.
No state government gives so much
consideration to the farmer and NC
interests. A board Of agriculture. com.
posed of practical farmers, is provided
for by the constitution, and can aot
be handicapped by legislative ac5lop
There are agricultural schools in every
county, and the simple sciences that
affect plant life are taught to overy
child as soon as he takes a primer-
in his hand.
The larger area Of the state was
ready for the plow when the first
boomer" crossed the line in the mad
charge of the home hunters. Nature
had prepared everything in advance
for the settler, and Of the area 365
miles from east to west and 210 miles
from north to south, of the original
territory of Oklahma, there was scarce.
Iy an acre that was not capable of eul.
tivation and of producing some form
of wealth during the first season. In
the western limits, in what was known
as the Cherokee strip, is a high plateau.
which win have to be irrigated in order
to insure crops, but in some years the
rainfall is abundant The reclamation
service has reserved two sites for
reservoirs on Otto Greek and on the
north fork of the Red river, which will
furnish enough water to irrigate 125..
900 acres. but the land is not needed
at present and the irrigation system
will not be undertaken until those of
other states are completed. Even that
section is not entirely dry. A story
is told about the engineer who was
sent out to make the survey. for the
proposed reservoir. Having received
no report from him, his superior at
Washington sent telegram to inquire
why he did not get TO work. He re-
piled that he :couIdnt do anything
until it quit raining and the freshets
had gone down"
Diversifcation OF crops is the BEST
kind Of insurance for farmers because
it is impossible for every crop to al
in the same season; but there havA
been no crop failures in Oklahoma
since the settlement Of the territory.
Another interesting and significant
fact is that the average acreage u
the farms Of Oklahoma is smaller than
that in any other state. and that six
out Of every ten farms are worked
BY their owners This is due. of
course, to the fact that in the settle
ment Of the territories no man vas
allowed to take up more than $50
acres and that the largest proportion
of the settlers was practical farmers,
who Immediately began to ptow. There
we're many transfers during the irst
few years By these restless beings
who are found in every new eommun-
ity. who are never satisfied to remais
lorg in the same place But during
the iast ten years the sales of farm
lands have ben comparatively few. The
practical farmers find that $50 acres is F
enough and there is no danger that
Oklahoma viii ever be exposed 10 the
perils that retard Mexico and other
countries Of large farms and absent
landlords.
another interesting fact is that the
variation in the values1of farms and
improvements is less in Oklahoma than
In any other state, While the cities {
have many beautiful and evpenslve
residences, the average farm home
costs about $500, and the average
value of improvements upon quarter
section farms is about $4,000. -
None of the farmers Is rich and
few are poor except the shiftlegs ne'er-
do-wells such as may be found ii
every community. The average wpalth
OF the farming communities is about
the same as that OF Chic and Illinois
1t is contended by those who tlrn
their thoughts to that line Of business
that the mineral wealth Of Oklahoma !.
Is even greater than its agriculturs
wealth, and the revenues from coal and .
oil ale already very large. Along he
seven rivers which water the state are
tracts of valuable timber which haze
scarcely been touched. and which !.
from Sc to be an abundant source Of
revenue, The abundance If water and
fuel and the geographical situati.n {
CHER favorable opportunities for mar
ufaeturing. which are beinS slowly
utilized, but Oklahoma will always Le
an agricultural state. and the wealth 1
Il