Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-07-19
HOW TO WEAR. OUT A FARM.

HOW TO WEAR. OUT A FARM.
! Our readers present SO many very
difficult problems requiring study. re
search. and drawing on long expert
ence. that we like. once in a while,
to take an easy one; just to rest our
selves. When someone writes us to
know how to get rid Of Canada this
ties. Quack grass or sqirreltadl. how
to persuade his neighbors to drag tie
roads. how to cure clover sickness in
the land. poll evil in horses. conta-
gious abortion in cattle, sheep OF
hogs. we have to do lot Of thinkine
When a man asks us how to reclaim
a worn-out farm, We realize that he
has big job on his hands, and we
also have a big job II we are to do
HIM any good. Therefore. we like,
once in while. instead Of showing
how to build up. to warn. him how he
will destroy.
:. To wear out a. farm in the quickest
possible time. you should grow grair
altogether. and rdgidly exclude grass.
Put it in corn one year, two years,
three years. four years, five years:
and when the corn root worm and
the corn root louse wiz not let you
grow corn any longer. put it in oats
till you kill the little rascals out by
starvation: Then go back to corn
and oats. with an occasional crop Of
wheat. This will expedite the. wear
ing out of the farm.
When you have worn out the vege-
table fiber, you. will find.o that the
land will wash nicely, and keep on
washing. nun away from you as if it
were ashamed to be owned by a poor
farmer and trying to get into the pos
session of someone who knows how
to take care Of 1t. In order to. grow
grain : you WILL Of course. need to
have some horses. and there will be
some manure. but don't haul it out.
Be careful mot. to do that. 1t would
keep the soil from washing. It would
make your neighbors wonder what is
the matter witch that particular piece
of land. and you would have to am
swer questions. Don't haul out the
manure. Keep It as a place to breed
flies. It will be excellent for this
purpose in the summer. If your wife
makes you haul it out, and YOU do it
for shame's sake, let it lie as long
as possible. Let the rains wash out
the soluble portions. =
When you pillow. don't pillow too
deep. and. pillow always to the same
depth. except. as you are. obliged to
go. a little deeper on account Of the
top soil being washed away. By
blowing. 1t shallow. you will diminish
the water holding capacity Of the
land. the upper portion will become
soluble all the quicker: and wash
away the faster. By blowing always
to the same DEPTH you will form a
plow-pan SO hard that the water does
not readily get through it, and this
again will facilitate. washing.
Now. IL our. readers will follow this
method 'intelligently. they will; soon
wear out the farm. even II it is level
prairie land. and as rich as the best
sections Of the prairie states. 1t will
take a. little longer If your land is
level. stiH longer II it is naturally
very rich: but II you will keep ON in
this. way. you. will succeed In. wear
ing It out.
In doing so. Of course you will wear
out your own life and disgust your
boys and girls. with the farm. You
will make. your wife. wish she had
never married You. You VIII make
your neighbors complain that your
form has become pest to the neigh
'borhood on account of its weed pro.
duction: For weeds will grow on
very poor land. They will grow. in
fact. wherever they have a chance
to grow; and no matter how CAREFUL:
you farm. you will have weeks. and
plenty Of them. The less grain and
grass you grow. the more weeds you
will have. You will have weeds that
poison the land. For no matter what
the scientists say. we still believe
that there are weeds that poison the
land and. render It unfit for produc-
ing good crops.
Now II you want to build, up your
land. suppose you do exactly the re-
verse. As soon as possible adopt a /
ISOLATION. Let that rotation contain
clover Of some kind. The rotation |
should depend on where you live.
what kind Of land You have. what |
your tastes:aae. what you grow best
because you like othe growing OF iDl