The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-04-05

tory of the world has this principle
been so fundamental as it is today. AL
ways in the past there have been new
lands awaiting exploration, opening up,
and settlement; but all this is thing
of the past and today we are confront
ed with putting into cultivation the
vacant lands all about us and bring
ling about larger degree of intensified
farming with all lands that have until
now been only scratched
Between the Allegheny mountains
on the east and the Rockys on the west
are the great agricultural lands of the
world. For two to three generations
these lands have been titled, with the
exception of the southwest, which has
only been scratched in the valleys and
on the richest ridges. The largest
acreage of really good lands that may
be bought cheap are in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma has in round numbers
forty-five million acres, of which about
one third are titled 1t would be an
easy matter to double the number of
acres tillable, and by applying the
modern methods of tillage to again
double the amount raised per acre. In
other words instead of supporting a
little less than two million inhabitants
and having a surplus to sell, we could
easily support seven to ten millions
of people within this young state
The surprise that confronts the far
mer that comes to Oklahoma from
Iowa, Illinois, Indiana or Ohio is the
great variety of crops that may be
produced in this state. There one good
crop. with possibly half crop of
one or two other cereals, is the limit.
Here cotton and corn grow side by
side apparently vieing with each other
as to which is the greatest success.
In the worst season in the history of
the state, Oklahoma has just mar
keted a million and sixty thousand
bales of cotton, and the crop is not all
sold This crop, notwithstanding the
low price, brought the Oklahoma far
mers fifty millions of dollars. Then
We grow wheat, kafir corn, milo-maiZe.
oats, broom corn, potatoes, and all
sorts of vegetables and fruit. not to
mention the most profitable crop in
America-alfalfa.
There are hundreds and thousands
of examples in Oklahoma where al
falfa last year produced more cash
returns per acre than the first cost
of the land upon which it grew Twen-
ty miles west of Oklahoma City in
Canadian valley is a patch of alfalfa
of nineteen acres that netted the own
er $50 per acre for three hay crops
and $3.50 per acre for two seed crops,
total of $3.50 per acre last
year, 1t was a common thing in spite
Of the drouth for an alfalfa field to
produce $50, SIS and StO0 per acre
Oklahoma offers the greatest oppor-
-unity in the country to make money
through her alfalfa fields There are
thousands of opportunities to buy
ands just as good as this for $50, $50
and SIS an acre, and after seeding it
% alfalfa, cut enough from the first
years crop to pay for the land.
No state in the union has better
,lmste and few have one half as good.
We have enough frost to make one
eel like hustling. and yet escape the
'ieors OF such weather as they have
rad this winter all over the north.
summers are hot in the middle Of the
lay and this heat contributes to the
uxuriant growth of all vegetation
rhe evenings and nights are delight
ully cool, in fact so much so that we
Usually sleep under blanket.
cities with future and to
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