The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1912-10-04
A FEW CROP INSURERS

n ILW UnUr lWSUnEhS
A town Teller" isn't supposed to
know much about the great game OF
farming, nor how to play it. The
farmers, as a rule, doesn't take kind
ly to advice from him, so this ism
offered as advice at all. 1t is Just
plain horse sense, and just as old
mother Nature works it out in her
own laboratory, and she has been
growing crops quite few years.
A few weeks ago | was in the
northwest part OF Seward county,
and the crops were an inspiration to
me. saw as fine vegetation as ever
grew in the state OF Kansas. One
farmer had broomcorn the full length
of the south side of quarter Sec
ton, and on the quarter south OF
this, the east 80 acres was in broom
corn also. The west 80 acres of this
latter quarter had been in wheat,
which was harvested, and standing in
the stacks.
In the northeast corner of this
wheat field, there had been planted
about an acre OF Indian corn, and it
was literally burned to death; yet
the broom corn on the north and
east of it, Except that the two out
side rows We're somewhat wilted)
were as green and vigorous, and
healthy as vegetation could be.
What caused the Indian corn to
burn up? There is but one solution.
1t burned up because the wheat stub
Bile had not been turned under, the
sun being able to penetrate through
the stubble to the earth, drying and
sapping every bit of moisture from
1t, and the wind sweeping over it,
hot, dry, whitening, as soon as it
reached the corn, simply Slapped the
life out of it. The heat must have
been fierce. Yet, this piece of corn
would have suffered very little, had
the ground been turned under as soon
as the grain was cut. 1t would have
held most of the moisture in the
ground, and cooled the air passing
over it. To be sure, the loss of this
small piece of corn figured as insig-
nitlcant, but the lesson here is, that
II 1t works that wagon a small piece
OF ground, it will do so on more
extensive scale. This, then, is one OF
the why's"
Seward County will one day be a
garden spot-rich, fertile and beau
tiful. We can take the slow method |
OF the pioneer of the eastern portion
of the state, or we can take adyan-
tage of the knowledge at hand, de-
rived from their experience, and do |
in few years what it took them a |
generation to accomplish.
Every acre of ground intended for |
cropping next season, that is not now |
in crop, should be either listed, or
double disked. No matter if you do
not intend planting it until next |
spring-there is why" here, also.
1t holds the moisture in the ground |
which is there, and it will more cas-
lily and surely take in all moisture |
that falls upon it. Also, during the
fall and winter, the moisture is con-
stantly breaking up, and disintegrat-
ing the food for your pla mt next
spring-and water does not readily |
soak into ground that is firm, Meth
er will it penetrate very far.
There are farmers in Seward coun-
ty who never fail to get crop.
There are others who do passably, |
but there is no reason why each han
can not absolutely INSURE his
moisture supply by proper cultiva-
ton AT THE PROPER TINE. | do
not say there are no excuses, but
l do say there is not a reason un-
less the man is physically unable to
work.
Another thing needed-another
why" is the planting of trees They
will grow here, with some care. Per-
haps, however, this feature will come
a little later on, under favorable con-
ditions. Those favorable condi-
tions" are just as sure, as that the
land is put under cultivation, and
crops grown that will show the re-
suit of using the mind on it, perhaps
Of greater Importance than your har-
row, or clfltivatOr.