The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-12-22
AMONG THE FARMERS.

Last spring We predicted good sea
son and bountiful crops. but We we're
mistaken. For 1912 We predict a bad
season but some pretty good crops.
The lessons taught Us during the past
three exceedingly trying years win
never be forgotten
We have al been conducting an ex-
perimental station without an appro-
priation from state OF federal govern
menL Our results are q sack Of cot
ton. a bundle Of kafHr corn and a car
pet OF bermuda
With this trinity We start life anew.
Had We have been raising corn and
oats and wheat We would have been
out Of commission and now warming
ourselves by another mans FIRE in
stead Of being coy and comfortable
stin holding down our Oklahoma
claims.
Our staple cash crop. cotton. hasn't
b en- paying very well. but our cotton
is what has paid our taxes and got
some molasses for our corn cakes. It
has bought thread 10 stitch another
patch upon our better times clothes.
After all with lint and seed cotton has
brought US quite a good many dollars,
but we depend upon cotton too much
and secure advances upon it until the
proceeds from our cotton crop is eaten
up or worn out long before its ieecy
whiteness beauties our hillsides and
bottom lands.
Next year we are going to plant as
much cotton as we can take care Of
within ourselves, and we are going to
raise more cotton than we did this year.
We undertook too much this year and
have in many ways lost. We have al
ready saved a goodly supply OF the
very best cotton seed. Now We are
going to fall plow all OF our cotton
ground and plow it two inches deeper
ltiIan the land was ever plowed before.
We will every day thoroughly harrow
all the land we plow and keep harrow.
ling it until planting time. then harrow
lit some more Just before planting. Will
practice shallow. rapid and prolonged
leultivation and if We have even as
good a season as this has been we will
have cotton. Our kaffir corn crop this
poor season was an eye-opener. When
the wheat and oats failed We drilled
lin kafir. cultivated it couple OF
times and gathered thirty bushels Of
iseed per acre besides the fodder As
our faithful teams eat the nice large
heads or pick the broad sweet leaves
they seem TO say 1t was pretty hart
work cultiyating il when it was SO ho1
iand dry but it makes nice eating wher
lit is cold and stormy And it makes
ius feel so much better TO carry them {
great big armful OF kaffir corn. head:
and all, instead of using block o
, prairie hay bought in town. into theil
feed boxes. We will stick TO eottoI
and kaflr too.
We are going 70 set lot of Der
muda next spring No use to thinl
about how We can get enough of it
We better think how We can get mor'
of it for '.its the stuff Last summe
: when the native pastures were brows
and bare. the bermuda pastures wer'
: feeding our else starving cattle an'
, putting up a desperate fight for life
Then when the rains did come how j
grew and how the stock grazing upol
. lit grew. Next year we are going Z
/ fplant q good garden upon the hes
. land We have. plow it this fall afte
we have hauled out all the manure W
: have and spread upon it. We vii
| plant several times as much as W
| think we shall need so if the season i
not good still we will have plenty. W
want to quit living out Of paper bag
and tin cans We want to raise wha
: we need and live at home and fror
the produce Of the farm
j Our chickens furnish so much OF on
! living both IN meat and hen fruit.
: nice chicken or even an old hen is BET
ter any time than a piece Of side mea
: from Kansas City. A couple OF egg
! upon nice slice of home cured hap
: fits man for good days work in tn
2 field.
we are not going to sell any more
r our heifer calves. We are going t
: keep them until We have a dairy of te
e cows. Ten cows pasturing upon be
muda grass and wintering upon can
+. or kafhr. We will buy a separator an
i sell cream. We viii fix up our home
|. a little and make the work easier fo
Il our wives. When We stand togethe
i in the door way watching all OF OF
s children carrying their dinner pals 9
II they start for school We viii be prou
4 and then when they come home {