Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1911-04-06
i enants Of Dickinson
Who Made Money

Il ing now eVeIythlhB ny n"S
out OF the ground"
4 y y
4 Every man who rents farm land
doesn't get rich. There is G. H.
Peterson Of Abilene. for example
He grew tired Of teamsters life
a year ago and moved from Abilene
to a farm five miles southeast OF
town. Last year was his first year
| on the farm. The crops in Dickin-
son county were decidedly not good
| last year, and here is all the grain
that Mr.. Peterson grew: Five hun
dred bushels Of oats from II acres;
l15O bushels OF wheat from 1b acres;
and 1875 bushels Of corn from Do
acres.
"But / cleaned up several humid
red dollars besides my living" Peter
son said, land that is better than !
could have done in town, 30 ] am
not complaining"
It was not from the grain that ne
made the several hundred dollars.
He had several cows and the natural
increase and the milk he sold netted
him about 5000. Then there were
chickens and these brought him some
money.
I'm a good year l ought to make
$1,000" the new farmer said.
y y
There are not many farmers who
are as fortunate as Henry W. Smith,
Fortune scarcely is the word. Three
years ago Mr.. Smith owned no land.
But he had $1,000. He planked
down $500 Of 1t as one years rent
for the George W. Borman place,
comprising 800 acres Of grass prairie,
alfalfa, corn and wheat land, in
Dickinson. Fine farm buildings, too,
figured In the deal; a commodious
dairy barn swung the deal. When
Mr.. Smith saw that he would be
equipped to keep a large herd Of
dairy COWS the bargain was COM
pleted.
The first thing he did was to visit
the markets in Kansas City. Hun
dreds of cattle that we're too emaciat-
ed for availability in the packing
houses, and the packers were anx-
ious that these cattle should return
to Kansas and be fattened. He
bought lot Of these cattle that
we're too poor to butcher for beef,
shipped them to his farm and fat
tened them. All his grain went into
the cattle. Sometimes he was not
able to grow enough and be bought
grain from the neighbors.
The venture proved so profitable
that he continued to fatten cattle.
And ali the time he was milking
from twenty to thirty choice dairy
cows. He had a cream separator In
his barn. The cream was sold at
Navarro and the separated milk was
fed while warn to pigs and calves.
The stock grew into money and in
three years this man accumulated
enough money to buy a 4S0-acre
farm in Johnson county.
H. H. Henderson, who owns a
200-acre farm valued at 500 an
acre, four miles southeast Of Abilene,
Kansas. twelve yeors ago was hired
hand on the farm, getting $40 q
month. He made up his mind that
he would 90 into the farming BUSH
ness and make the profit on his
own work. with $500 that he had
saved by monthly labor, he bought a
team and rented the farm which he
now owns. He paid one-third Of
the crops for rent. The first year
conditions we're unfayorable for farm
ing and he ended the year $3.50 in
debt. Not discouraged, he borrowed
money at the bank, bought seed and
put out another crop, with the result
that the second year his profits were
large. The third year his corncrib
and grain bins were filled for the
first time and he made the first
payment on the farm. He obtained
stock and chickens.
Chickens are q smam item, but
Mr.. Henderson believes that he has
made as much money from his chick
ems as he has from bis cattle.
4 Mr.. Henderson says that there Il
money in stock. He believes in hav-
ing variety; and no matter what
the season Of the year. horses. cat.
tie. sheep and hogs are IN his barn
lot. "Thsy grow while ! sleep
Mr.. Henderson said.
Il Alfalfa helped Mr.. Henderson tc
.tpay for bis farm. After making the
|, first payment he sowed thirty acrs'
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