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

farmer mad read InlS ne WOulu nave
gotten up on his hind feet, spit out a
few things that would look like this
NtD(aQ ak ;-;-d;a;m;n-,
and summarized the matter up as the
rawlings OF some Teller with more
noodles than brains, b'gosh.
And forthwith he would have pat
ted himself on the back, compliments
ed himself upon his wisdom, and set
it out by all that's high and holy that
mo durn fool could give him any
pointers about farmin', because he'd
proved it himself and he knew.
And probably he wouldn't be able
for a week to get the stiffening back
into his lip so he could keep from
walking on 1t, thinking about the
asses who would dare to tell him
Now, if some neighbor of his
should come over some line morning,
and the two OF EN- should get to
neighborin' and within, ana
bymeby the neighbor should say:
Jim, there's a fellow over my
way that's a beatin' you and ME all
boiler raisin' stuff. Why, that fell
Ter Just raises anything he wants to-
he's raisin' forty bushels OF wheat
to the acre Just slick as a whistle
and corn that won't make bushel
less than sixty--why, he's got us all
skinned.
Say, jim, what would you say to
that neighbor? You'd just think he
hadn't walked up that morning yet,
wouldn't yOu?--just sort O. come
over t your house In his pajamas!
Well, maybe he did but he isn't
dreaming. He's awake, and don't
you let that get by you-he's awake
and you haven't even finished your
first dream yet. All you need is TO
know just what he knows He uses
all the little wrinkles, and all the
chemistry he can, in his, while you
are going it blind. You don't know
just why you plow, or the why OF
good many other things. And, to be
right down plain about it, you really
do need educating-at least you need
to know why" because it means
just the difference between success
and failure
You people of western Kansas
have greater heritage than most OF
you think. What is known today as
the semi-arid portion of Kansas, will
become the richest and most prOduc-
tive section of the state. II holds
many more advantages, as an agri-
cultural region, than the eastern and
middle portions.
The first objection that the ordi-
nary farmer of Seward County ad-
vances, is that we don't get rain
enough. The second objection is that
the high winds sap what moisture
falls Under the present system oil
handling our farms, both of these
are true, yet these two factors can
be, and will Je used to the greatest
advantage to the farmer, once he is
willing to understand them, and
work WITH them, and with their
help, rather than work AGAINST
them, as he does at present, allowing
them to injure him instead of bene-
fit him.
The next objection dragged out Is
that the hot winds cook the crops,
after they are grown, or nearly
grown. The same reply can be made
to this objection to some extent, and
it can be confidently asserted that
when other factors are equalized,
the hot winds will no longer be con-
sldered, for they will be gone.
II is generally supposed that where
there Is an abundance of rain, that
there Is the most favored region. If,
then, such regions are so favored,
some one please get us and tell us
why they do not always raise crops
and do not always raise fifty bushels
of corn, and forty bushels of wheat.
and other crops In proportion? 1t !
is fact that will be demonstrated |
that western Kansas possesses a |
more nearly ideal farming country |
than Iowa, or Illinois, once the farm
er will consent to farm so THE CON- |
DITIONS WILL HELP HIM. instead |
of farming contrary to all that was
intended for him.
We know old Jim" won't agree
to this, but if he really wants to |
ask any questions, let him get his |
feet in the trough The way is open. |
No one will be COMPELLED to bet |
ter his condition, contrary to his will |
Ask any farmer you meet, why 1t |
Is necessary to have rain in order to |
grow crop, and many of them |
would reply that 1T needed mois-
ture.' This is talking round a cir
Gle. and Is not reply, and II he
could give no better reply. or had no |
more idea Of the real use of rain, and |
its effect upon crop, little educa- |
tion wouldn't put much OF crimp |
In his brain. He ought to KNOW |
how the moisture affects his crop and |
he ought to KNOW when moisture is
needed.
Taking the hypothesis that rain is !
only Ito wet the crop with" and that |
1t does nothing more, we would be
forced to conclude that rain was moi |
necessary, except when the crop was
green. and in condition to grow Wei
would need no moisture in the winter |
time, And, judging the farming |
operations in Seward county there |
are a good many farmers who actual |
ly believe rain isn't needed in the |
winter time. Most of them have
heard their fathers say" that snow
Is a fertilizer, and is good thing,
but 1t is not supposed that it contains
any soil whatever, nor any humuB,
nor hay, nor vegetation of any sort
or description. Then, what is the
element in snow that fertilizes, and
what is the process?
You will all remember some shell
tered corner behind a fence, or barn,
where the snow drifted many feet
deep, and 1t laid on for a loag time.