The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-02-10

Train" now on a three weeks tour of
all railroads in eastern and central
Oklahoma drew more than 10000 peo-
ple by actual count during the first
ten days of the trip ending Saturday,
showing an average attendance of
1.20O for each of the fifty stops made
on the Katy and Fort Smith and west
ern lines. Seventy-five per cent of
those visiting the train were actual
farmers and it was a common sight
to see as many as 300 farmers vehicles
in the streets in the little towns along
the path of the train,
This is a remarkable attendance rec
ord, considering the fact that the rural
population of the state is but II to
square mile, and that the train has
passed through some of the most
sparsely settled sections OF the state.
,Of the $4,000 adult pupils who visited
the train the majority were from the
rural and consolidated country school
districts, some driving six, eight and
ten miles across country to hear the
lectures.
The attendance per day on the pres
ent tour is more than double that of
the dairy and livestock train run in
western Oklahoma last fall. The per-
centage of farmers in. attendance is
much larger, and the eastern Okla
homa farmers are manifesting more
interest in learning the modern meth
DDS of farming, which is due to the
fact that this is the first educational
train for farmers that has visited the
east side, and because they did not
have the advantage of attending ag-
ricultural schools until recently, while
western Oklahoma farmers have had
the advantages of agricultural schools
for the last sixteen years.
Eastern Oklahoma farmers seem to
be more interested in the lectures of
Live Stock and Dairying" than the
many other subjects handled by the
states experts, as it has not been
many years since stock-raising was
the principal industry in that part of
tive thoroughbred cattle was raised,
and from the keen interest taken by
the farmers in learning the types of
live stock best suited to Oklahoma
conditions it is quite evident that the
farmers will devote more attention to
raising more and better live stock for
the Oklahoma City market. They will
! also devote attention to producing
J dairy products, which, at present, are
avery scarce in southeastern Oklahoma.
The farmers of eastern Oklahoma, in
crested In producing native live stock,
4 are being encouraged to go more ex-
extensively into the industry on account
of the fact that that region is develop
ing into a good corn-producing section
Of the state. Eastern Oklahoma's corn
fields returned the large yields per
acre last year and the acreage is grow
time the farmers are raising and fat
:, tening more hogs, which are being
Is hipped principally to the Oklahoma
getty market.
x Much interest is also manifested by
the farmers at every point in learning
how to select good corn and cotton
seed, the best varieties adapted to their
locality and where they can secure this
gseed for the planting of their spring
crops, which indicates a vast change
of interest taking place in the minds
.'of the farmers in the sections visited
has to the system of farming they will
/, follow in the future Close attention
,rslso + given to the lectures on cotton
land corn culture, and at every point
Ahundreds of farmers gave their names
to those in charge of the train, asking
'sthat bulletins issued by the board of
agriculture and A. and NJ college be
ent them, so they may learn more of
I modern methods of farming.
e. The section through which the train
F5sssnow passing is pre-eminently a cot
Ia In region, and as the boil worm and
lgpoll weevil damaged the crop last year
Lin many localities the lecture by the
Estate entomologist on how to prevent
{hese pests from destroying thousands
I4bf dollars worth of cotton annually
.ssryas much appreciated All indica-
.2ions along the north path of the train
point to big increased cotton acre
| Ige for next year. and farmers from
pther states are now trying to buy or
tblent land in Oklahoma to raise cot
ylpn, having been attracted by the big
Yields made last year and the prevail
Ing high price, which the farmer re-
Viewed for the crop.
s. The slogan of the train is:
ef "a million and a quarter bales of