The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1912-09-27
AN IMPORTANT FACTOR
IN FARMING

More and more the man who tills
our farms is learning that the hap
hazard methods of taking chances"
that old Mother Nature will do most
of the work in giving returns, are
misleading, and productive of large
waste.
The farmer of the southwest can
not afford to take chances. More than
that, he need not do so. This is
just as true as that some day you
and | will realize it. Let me repeat
that, because it is important HE
DOES NOT NEED TO I TAKE
CHANCES. He is master of the sit
uation to a far greater extent than
most farmers realize.
The farmer of eastern Kansas
perhaps does not realize it, because
he thinks he is favored more by Ma
ture than are the people of Seward
county, but, today, he is unconscious
ly doing what the people of Seward
county ought to be consciously do
ing, and doing 1t for the purpose of
getting results. The farmer OF east
ern Kansas twenty-five years ago,
labOred under very similar conditions
to those prevailing in Seward cOun-
ty. He had hot winds--he had
drouth-he had just as many and
just as great adversities as have we.
Today where are his hot winds? Yes.
occasionally he has them, but he
doesn't expect them, because he has
guarded against them. 1t may be
true that he does not realize all the
factors which entered into this
change of conditions, but he certain
ly does know things have changed.
Today the farmers of Seward cOun-
ty can we'll profit by what is so real,
and convincing, and absolutely prov
en-, and demonstrated during the
years when eastern Kansas was MAX
ing the start toward the mighty EN-
pire of Kansas.
The whole state of Kansas would
yet be a grazing ground-a desert
tas 1t was so long depicted in our
Geography of that time) il it had
never been brought under cultiva-
tion, and kept so. You and know
that. That is simple A, b, c, for
child. And positively nothing else
ever developed that country, or any
other country.
A farmer must know much more
than "how" to do a given piece of
work, If he makes a success of it.
He must know "WHY," and there is
a why" and there is a way to COM
bat drouth, hot winds, and chance
We do not mean by this that it can
be made absolutely certain, but 1t
does mean that Chance" can be re-
duced to negligible proportion, and
where now there may be uncertainty,
under intelligent handling, crops
can be grown every year.
If farmer brings to market a
ton Of broomcorn, or of some other
produce, and gets the money for it,
he doesn't often throw it round any
old place to take care of itself, but
goes and puts 1t in the bank. Yet,
perhaps this same farmer is willing
to take chance" "a sort of hit-or-
miss gamble on whether he will have
a crop to sell next year. He, isn't
taking care of, and carefully treasur-
ing up what will make that crop
more certain than anything else.
And, there would be no fun in tell
ing him just what he should do, be-
cause he now KNOWS what to do,
but doesn't do 1t. Some one please
tell him what he should do, and why
he should do it-giye the reason for
1t, Also, it won't hurt him to do
a little thinking on his own account.
Let him think what he has neglected
to do, and he will find a few things
he should have done. am going to
give you my views soon,