The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1912-07-25

as you see all about you, too weak
TO make an ear even with plenty OF
food" III they had gone thru the
fields In the fall and taken the best
ears from the finest stalks, and then
put them in a dry place, each baby
plant in the grains would have beea
of good blood, and also healthy and
strong and able to grow"
This, however, is but one Of our
troubles. The sassafras tree by the
fence, there, told me in the sprins
when came up, that corn had grown
in this field every year since IL could
remember, and you can see by its
size that has been some time"
That is very bad for us, for we
corn people all like the same kind
of food. Where we grow year after
year on the same ground our food
gets pretty scarce. Such crops as
wheat, clover, cowpeas, and grass
should be grown part of the time.
They like what we do not, so we
would help each other. Besides this,
plants give off from thier roots q
substance something like the sweat
from your body which is a poison to
other plants OF their own kind, but
will not hurt those of another kind.
II corn Is grown but once in three
years all of this poison that one
crop throws off will be washed out
by the rains before another crop
is raised"
"The farmer plows so badly, too.
Ills horses are pool, and his pillow Is
worn out, SO he only breaks the
ground four OF five inches deep. Then
he often tries to cut wider furrow
than he should, and as a result
leaves a hard ridge between each
one. He does net harrow enough to
break up the clods, either"
with the ground in this condition
we, tender little corn babies, were
dropped and covered often with
clods. Do you think 1t strange that
We hook sick and do not make much
corn for him?"
THE hard ridges and clods make
us very angry, too, at least those CT
us who have enough life left to get
angry. They are like good food on
your table shut up in jars which you
cannot get open. You can see it, but
cannot get 1t. We can smell the food
in the hard places, but our roots
cannot push in to get it. They do not
let the waterboys in, either, and as
result they run away on top of the
ground and carry with them the best
soil that they can pick up, leaving
us to go hungry and thirsty"
ITO make matters worse, he let's
these weeds and briars grow up and
steal much of the little food there
IL for us. II he would only pillow deep
er we would have more food. We eau
smell 1t below, but like that in the
clods. II is out of our reach"
why does the farmer not do bet
ter?" I asked. ut would surely pay
him we'll to treat you more kindly"
Indeed it would" was the reply.
The trouble is that he does not know
any better. I am sorry for him much
more than l blame him. He gets
along badly because he does not know
when he might get along we'll IL he
only knew moro about how to care
for his land and his crops. One rea-
son why l wanted to talk to you was
that you might go and teach him. 1t
is too late for me to be helpful now,
but 1t might help other plants.
With this she said good night and
started to draw back into the husks.
but before they had closed over the
little face she added. Il am a poor
stalk. but have done the best |
could. My ear may possibly be taken
for seed, and, II II is. you may be able
to help some Of my babies, which ]
am wrapping up so carefully in my
grains, to have a better chance I'm
the world than l have had. II you
can l thank you for them, for they
may never have the chance to do IL
themselves" CD. Lewis.