The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-09-01
A bKlGh VIEW
GOOdland Man Says DrOuth Is
Blessing.
Means Future Prosperity for
Kansas Farmers.
SCIENTIFIC IDEAS ARE ADOPTED
Hundreds of SilOs Built by
Western Farmers.
And Scientists Are Now i'm
Good Repute.
SCIENTIFIC IDEAS ARE ADOPTED

Hot. dry weather in Kansas this year
has been viewed with suspicion and
alarm not only in this state, but on the
stock exchange and in the columns of
the eastern newspapers But it is
Kansas man, Frank ]. Horton of Good
land, who comes to the front with the
real optimistic statement of the season
ana declares that the 1913 drouth is a
real blessing in disguise and that in fu-
ture years Kansas will reap harvests
or golden grain because of her present
adversities.
western Kansas farmers have
learned many things about soil deve1
opfnent and scientific farming because
OF the present heated spell, declares
norton, who is a lawyer in GoodIand
out watches crop conditions in western
counties with keen interest. Without
drouth this year. the hundreds of big
SlIos IN western Kansas would not have
Deeh Dullt, says the Goodland man.
mad there been an abundance of rain
the western farmers would have told
tHe crop experts, the farm demonstra-
tors and the agricultural scientists to
Jump in the lake with their new the
orles' BUT With drouth in Kansas
anu an imminent need for feed for
STOCK TINS winter. the farmers have
adopted many of these new farm ideas
ana there is every indication that
farming IN Kansas in future years viii
ne on a more scientific basis than ever
before ei
norton spent an hour in the office of
Cnarles n. Sawyer, state bank commits
S I.bio,,' tooay, and told of the blessings
MnicIl he felt sure would result from
the adVerslt1es in Kansas this year
A True Blessing, He Saws.
me 1913 drouth will prove the greatest
pressing in the history of the state for
the farmers in the western KapsaS co,,n-
ties" declared Mr. Horton 1.hecsnSe H.
mas opened their eyes to the advanced
iueas IN farming as nothing else could
have done.
with a bumper crop this wear. our
farmers would have chung fervently to the
oiu lucas BUT with a dry year. they re-
@ fn,t.; tnat the most scientific ideas in
farming We're necessary for them TO raise
even falr crop Conditions this summer
nave resulted in the building of hundreds
OF silos in the western counties and a
greater Interest in intensified farming
than was ever shown before These silos
would not have been built had the farm
efs not realized that some new method
was needed toaeonServe their crops and
provide feed for their stock this winter.
The Silo was the solution.
Take the matter of farm demonstra-
tors. They have been in bad repute in
my locality until this summer. But now
the farm experts and demonstrators are
popular.
Much credit is due to CLYDE Mckee
demonstration for the Rock Island, who
has done great deal to advance new
ideas among the western farmers With
plenty of rain this year. it is pretty GER
tain that the farmers would have paid no
attention to McKee's theories on soil de-
velopnent and intensified farming. But
when the drouth came, the farmers began
to look for Mckee and his theories were
given test.
Now, western Kansas is prepared for
future drouths. She has her silos and the
latest ideas scientific farming and
the loss of crops in Kansas will in my
judgment be a small item as compared
with the new system of farming in this
state which resulted from the drouth and
the hot wind