The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1912-11-29
EDUCATE THE FARMER


veins Of the plants The top needs
sunshine, but the roots need feed and
water.
Now, Seward county is furnished
each | 2 months, with from Is to 80
inches of water all over the surface
of the ground. Allowing that 6 inch
es OF this Will percolate so deep that
1t is not available (which 1t does not
do), 1t would leave about an inc
rain for each month, or ~ inches of
water all over the surface. Very
large crops have been raised and ma
tured on 10 inches OF rainfall, not
only once, but often enough to make
t certain that ten inches is enough,
It 1t is used properly And, when one
has enough, more would be either
4 waste or damage.
If this rain were stored in the
ground, whether there was a crop
growing on the ground or not, and il
1 were KEPT there, for the purpose
Of dissolying out plant food, working
summer and winter, storing it up
when no crop was growing, so that
when the crop was planted ii would
nave plenty to draw upon, there
would be no necessity for waiting un-
II it rained, in order that the plant
I'd seed receive enough moisture TO
terminate It; neither need there be
my checking up of growth OF tht
,ant when started. You have simply
reated great reservoir OF plant
'ood and moisture, and you CAN
HOLD 1T THERE AND USE IT AS
you NEED 1T.
There is simply no way of dis
rowing this, and it does no good to
shake the head and say, "Oh, he
never farmed any and get heated
Up because you've never done II or
seen 1t done. 1t doesn't change the
acts any, and it has been proven 50
many times that 1t is no longer
question, but fact. it is being don.
very year, in localities not so fa'.
Jred as is Seward county. Just be-
,ause one would not know how to
lold this moisture and plant food in
he soil, is no proof that 1t cannot be
lone. Perhaps it would be more
agreeable to have 1t rain more" and
'oftener" You will note use the
tord perhaps. Also, perhaps" such
Excessive rains in this county would
injure 1t, as witness the horse dis |
case this year. Its a good thing to
now NATURE, and work WITH
Ter.
During period of ten years, the
wheat yield per acre was, for Iii.
,ois, IL bushels; Minnesota, / 4 BUSH
lis; North Dakota, l2 bushels; South |
Dakota, 10 bushels; Nebraska, 1875
BUSHES, and Kansas, 1875 bushels |
Average. about / 8 bushels per year.
What the expense of raising,
threshing, interest on the land, de-
probation of tools, teams, labor, etc,
is paid, where is the profit to the
armer.
Suppose the said farmer should
know how to double this yield
Would he do 1t? Yet, Ii can be done
right here in Seward County. This
soil is not excelled by any, and it is
,qualled by few localities. The yield
an be doubled. and the proof is that
me man we know of, raised 35 bush
lis OF wheat this past season, not five
miles from Liberal. Many farmers
Will say this was luck" That would
]e the class of farmers to which RE
no Grade" belongs; but we want
some of the Better Grade" Not
only can this 13 bushel average be
but it can be trebled, quad
'upled, and even quintupled. 1t has
)een done. The average for Seward
lounty last year, was perhaps
bushels per acre; yet here was one
nan who raised FIVE TIMES as
much.
How did he do it? How did he
-aise on one acre, as much as you
'ased upon five acres? His land is
10 better. And, he didn't run round
With buckeye in one pocket, and a
luck penny" in the other, but ne
ust mixed a little brains In with his
vork-and got results.
He plowed one Acre---haryested
)ne acre-threshed one acra-while
'ou did the same for FIVE acres, yet
sot the same result There is. plenty
If proof all round you, but if you
DON'T WANT to see 1t, no one will
orce you. And, 1t doesn't spell any
hing for you to say 1T can't be
lone" because 1t HAS BEEN DONE,
md you know II has. It would per-
laps be much nearer the actual facts
I you candidly admit that you DON'T
DESIRE to know. II 50, you can
'asily be ignored in the game.
1t begins to look like had climbed
o the top of the pole, In my sketches,
md would either have to slide back,
" jump Off
I'm not in mind to slide back, as
have spiked the way over which
nave travelled, so here's where
Jump off. Just going to say now,
hat anything | have said, | can and
VIII stand by even to the statement
hat the farmers of Seward County
an raise as much wheat on one acre
Is they have been averaging on FIVE
leres.
A fellow writing articles such as
he series on Educating the Farm
sr," is at disadvantage. Now, a
Preacher or lecturer before an au-
Hence has some advantage. He can
zee the people he Is talking to, and IL
'omeone comes In with basket on
his arm. he can watch that person,
md soon find out II there are stale
Eggs in the basket. Or, II most Of
lis audience goes to sleep, he might
suspect they were not interested.
With me, can neither watch for
eggs. or whether you are going to
'leep. cannot know If you are In
.erested or not Maybe you don't
want to raise fnrfY In hftv hnnhnIn