The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-07-31
That in the Kaw Valley Is Mar
ve10us STUFF.
@Dick" Hodgins Has Some on
His Big Farm.
THE old SILVER LAKE BED
Record-Breaking Corn Is Now
Growing ON It.
A Getty" Farmer Turns . Few
Clever Tricks.

A getty" Farmer Turns q Few
Clever Tricks.
Kaw Valley bottom land is famed
every where for the things it will grow.
One of its specialties is corn. The corn
of the Kaw Valley bottom land is Of
superior variety. It even makes a
pretty good sno-'ing in droughty years
when The corn crop savors Of minus
quantity in other sections. But Kaw
Valley bottom land appears to have the
earmarks Of hard-pan in comparison
with the possibilities Of the sub. bottom
land in the same valley. This IL
marvellous mixture. It seems to be
made of the stuff thar the East Indian
fakirs use when they plant . SEED anu
make it grow into a blooming Dush De-
fore the eyes of an audience. and WITHIN
a few seconds Of time. 1t ID wonder
worker, all right-under the manipula-
lions, OF course, of those who know now
to use 1t.
Naturally, this sub-bottom land OF
such remarkable qualities Is rather
rare. Most of the visible supply OF II
in this neck of the woods II the properly
of Richard F. Hodgfns. vice presioent
OF the Topeka Cold Storage. ice anu
Fuel company, OI A/ACA AAONoAA~S =
is more Familiarity known to almost
every one in Topeka. In fact. not only
does he own most Of 1t, but he dis
covered it and ,veloped, 1t. he 10 one
of those "city" farmers that are neio IN
such light esteem generally by the m
digenous agriculturists. And his SUD-
bottom land is what was once q por-
tion of the bottom of Silver Lake, that
erstwhile more or less attractive body
of water near the town OF the same
name. that occasionally developed the
propcnsities of a mud-hcle. and once IN
q while went as dry as the proverpiai
bone.
When "Dick" acquired this particular
niece of land, part OF his 64O-acre
farm around it, and began draining 1t.
cutting out the timber and brush. ana
tearing down what were once the hign
banks Of the lake, the sleeves OF the
natives were filled with smiles. the
'.city'' farmer was at work. That land
had been set aside by providence mere
" for the culture of healthy weeds;
and, anyhow, the river would back In
on it some day, regardless Of the sturdy
dood-gate that "Dick' has built at what
was once the union Of the lake and the
river. But Dick had an idea that
pay dirt was in sight. and he went
ahead with his plans and accepted the
friendly criticism of his 1eighbors In ais
usually good natured way.
Some Real Com. -
Presto! There is some corn growing
on this KaW Valley sub-bOttom land
that in the marvel of all who see 1t.
There are fifty or sixty acres OF 1t In q
corn field ON the Hodsins farm that
covers some 425 acres. quite little corn
patch. And then there is another 100
acres Of corn on the farm, which might
suggest that "Dick'' is in quest OF the
honor Of becoming the corn king OF the
KaW. This honor may be thrust upon
him, even II he has no designs on it.
For the quality Of all his corn. or most
Of IT, and tho prospective quantity OF its
corn records, If the weather man will
be kind enough to turn on the rain
that all She corn In this section OF the
country is beginning to need.
But, rain or no rain, there is going
to be some corn that is corn on that
particular corner of the Hodgins corn
ranch that is on this once-despised
sub-bottom land, the old lake bed. It
is already there. Not only is the
height OF this corn of majestic pro-
portions. 1t towers up in the air from
10 to Is feet. But the ears on 1t are
many. They are long and they are
fat. They look now like record
breaking corn ears. What they might
develop into with all the rain they
could use challenges the imagination.
And some of them, the lowest ears on
the stalk. are a good eight feet from
the ground. A six-foot man can just
touch the bottom OF them with the
tips of his fingers.
"Dick" Ho6gins has had q share Of
the successes of life. It II safe to say
that he never took as much pride in
any OF them as he does in this corn
on land that is practically Of his own
making. But you can't get him to
a
when you sing your praises Of his
corn He lets the corn speak for
itself. He will say that he wouldn't
give one acre Of his SUBJ bottom land
for four acres Of some mighty fine
land near by that cost him $50 an
acre. And he has nothing to say as
to how mich corn to the acre he ex-
poets to get from this sub-bo<tom
land, or In the rest Of his big corn
field. all of which. with the possible
exception OF one piece. looks marvel
ously good. "Ill tell you the facts
when the corn is harvested" is the
only answer he would make to such
queries from some friends whom he
treated re Gently to an enjoyable trip
to his farm and a view Of his corn
Pumpkins ON "Waste'' Land.
Corn Is not the, only thing that
flourishes In this sub-bottom land
Hodgins has already taken a crop Of
oats. and some husky millet IL now
growing rapidly where the oats did
their duty. And along the old east
bank Of the onetime lake. which has
not been entirely cut away as yet
well. some Of the experts In the pre-
misses told the city farmer that
nothing would grow on 1t for full
year or two. It would take that long
for the earth that the scrapers had
exposed to become acc1imated, a. it
were. But once again. Dick followed
the dictates Of his fancy. and on this
supposedly barren waste there are
strung three rows OF pumpkin vines,
each a half mile in length. They are
tho pictures OF vfgor and health.
Pumpkins are already ON them OF the,
size q benz sess: