The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-06-27
CORRECT FARMING
PAYS IN SEWARD

Just as the Indian watched the
continent settle with the man who
broke out the prairie, who used the
iron rod to bring down the buffalo,
who forced him farther and farther
from the frontier, finally extermin-
ating the herd and obllterSting for
ever the happy hunting ground; so
has the settler from the different
parts of the Union and sometimes
the foreign country broken up the
wide expanse OF grazing land for the
cattle raiser. Just as the Indian has
had to bring himself to the changed
condition of things, so has the ranch
er been brought TO realize that this
land once roamed over by the slowly
grazing herd must be converted into
land that will sustain the steer and
put him on the market in as good
condition as In former years; and so
has the man OF observation brought
himself TO see that TO do this sue
cessfully he must adapt himself tO
natural conditions and make the
most of what he has whether that be
much rainfall or little, whether ne
has land that blows or Is inclined to
be the home of the much advertised
prairie dog, 80 also have the rail-
road companies seen that the bust
ness they once had In the Ghlpping
line must be made To reach out and
meet the changed condition OF af-
fairs. In other words, If there is
nothing raised In place TO ship out
there will not be much shipped in
So the roads are looking into their
adjacent territory and encouraging
the land owner and farmer to make
the most OF what rain falls, raise
crops adapted TO the soil and climatic
conditions And the only thing that
western Kansas, western Oklahoma
and other semi-arid countries have
for their salvation Is the conserya-
tion OF moisture, making, what little
does fall stay In the ground until II
is absorbed by the desired producing
crop. ~
That this method Is practical and
werthy of much deep consideration
is demonstFated this year on several
farms near here. Perhaps the two
mOst noticeable are the
r. +. Hopkins and j. NJ. Piper
inches which have been
summer fallowed and show that the
method OF preparing the soil and
method of planting must have had
something TO do with the y.1ld that
these farms will show this, year.
That they must have followed a
good System Is demonstrated from
the very fact that fields In the same
vicinity, sometimes across the road
will hardly pay for the cutting, while
it is estimated that on the Hopkins
ranch will average about 2S bnshel to
the acre, That on the Piper sections
will not average quite as much due
10 certain difference possibly In the
soil, also In preparation OF the seed
bed. While neither of the two men
do the actual field work they are
farmers In the correct term OF any
profession, that Is they not only
know howsto do this work II neces-
sary but they know why they do GER
tain things and how 10 tell someone
else to do it, Roth these men have
tenants who are trustworthy
and follow directions as given them,
Mr. Hopkins, perhaps, Is the more
enthusiastic about this new method
of farming Mr.. Piper is a practical
cattle man, could look at a steer and
estimate his worth in dollars and
cents that would not vary fraction
when the scales were tipped and the
mathematical calculation made, He
would rather raise cattle than farm,
but he Is studying the conditions
that produce feed for fattening the
herd that no longer has the wide
range OF the buffalo grass.
But he doesn't like the gas tractor.
The mule for him every time. And
he has field that shows why he says
so. One half OF 1t was plowed by the
machine and the rest OF it was gone
over by the mules. The crop on the
latter looks better and Is taller.
"You can't beat good mNles or hors-
es on a farmi Il you can, you have
got somethlng that ! don't know
anything about" He has his diScing
done Just as soon as the wheat Is cut,
following right after the header and
the depth is about four inches though
he prefers about six. This year he is
planning to put In a larger acreage
but 1t Is all to 20 into land that has
not been used this year.
| Mr.. Hopkins planted his wheat In