Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1913-08-28

states. Al the same time, large irrigation canals.
built by the government. are liberating cultiva-
tors from eternal worry the prospects of
rain. These changes taking place with
startling rapdity. The process Is proceeding at
a snails pace. so slowly that It is hard for for
elgners to realize that the transition Is going on
However. each year more and more OF the Hitter.
ate farmers are sending their and daugh.
ters to school and each year they show more in
terest In the demonstrations held on the expert
ment FARMS and display less opposition to inno
vations In few districts the advancement IL
already quite marked. This Is especially true
OF certain parts of the Punjab-the province OF
the Five Rivers, situated in northwestern India
which are known as the Canal colonies There
several million acres of land that twenty years
ago was barren waste. today have been con-
verted. thanks to n marvellous irrigation scheme
into an important grain producing region, spread.
Ing the fame of india wheat far and wide In the
world
The very first farm that visited in the col
onies during n recent tour vvidly revealed the
transformation of Indian rural conditions In the
courtyard. shaded by a spreading jujube tree.
stood reaping machine. In a mud shed erected
especially for the purpose OF protecting the farm
machinery. ! wound four chilled-steel piows, two
OF them made In the United states. On the floor
Of the low-roofed verandah the farmers son
lad OF about twelve, at the highest reckoning
clad Dame Nature had dressed him at birth
but for scanty breech clout, stood turning the
wheel OF modern fodder-chopper. which cut
green chart (metl In small shreds that fell
about him in n succulent shower.
After further travel and investigation among
the cultvators living round about Lyallpur the
largest city In the erstwhile waterless wilder
ness. which now. In the wake OF the water car
rIed by the Chenab canal has become paradise
for farmers. found that the cultivator whose
home ! had first visited not whit more
enterprisns than scores of others In the district
who today are employing time and laborsaying
machinery TO do all the work on their land Wher-
ever l went I found agrcultursts galore who
owned their own steel plows, harrows cutivators
and improved fodderchoppers. Occasionally |
would come across a reaper which was the prop
erty of progressive individual who profted by
renting II to his neighbors at harvest time. At
one place even found n steam threshing
chine.
Many causes have combined to make the farm
ers In the PunIab colonies progressive In the
first place they more less entirely have been
cut OF from their old mOorings and have begun
life all over again in strange locality. They
have left some OF their ultra conservatism behind
hailed. and the pioneer conditions that they
found confronting them In the region d.
vested them Of some more OF their Unborn reac.
tion. The Lyalpur agricultural experiment farm.
located In the very heart Of the settlebent, has
demonstrated to them the good results of deep
plowing With chilled.steel plows, and the advan.
tase o. using improved implements instead o.
farmans In tho cumbersomss bunetine. oldtime
way. still more possnt factor that Il sneour.
aging these farmers to use modern machinery