The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-03-26
The Farmer in Years to Come

lingtons and Rockefellers in the
ranks OF the farming community, but
1t Is not because of any inherent
weakness in the soil method Of rising
to eminence. Farming in America is
in its infancy. The great, grand men
who shall succeed at the plow have
not yet come to the front in sufficient
numbers to attract the worlds atten-
ton, but this is not to be always so.
The time will surely come when
from the fields of agriculture, horti-
culture, too, II you please, since l am
speaking of the soil as maker of
great fortunes-the creator of the
ideal life, there will spring men of
eminence and power as great as any
this free land of ours has ever pro-
duced. Millions of acres of smiling,
not unfruitful, soil lies fallow plead
ing from every grassblade and bush
for the hand of the husbandman to
come and make good with plow and
harrow and spade. He is coming.
1t cannot be long bewore the great
empire of unturned sod fields Of the
West shall become teeming gardens
of living realities.
Possibilities in Farming.
The possibilities of soil culture are
so amazing as to cause one who un-
derstands to lift his hands in Won
der that the opportunities have re-
mained so long unattached.
Five acres are enough to care for a
family of five. Five acres! No farm
at all, you exclaim. Let me tell you
what | have done on three acres Of
the despised sand of Western Michi-
gan. began as an invalid from the
heated office of the town, came as an
amateur at the game Of land culture.
| posted myself in book lore on the
subject. Then l got down to business
on three acres of soil left untenanted
since the cutting of the pine 20 years
before.
There were three of us in the fam
lily, the only worker for the field.
| will not 60 into particulars only to
state that my inclination led me into
the fruit field. Strawberries first,
then the bush fruits, followed by
peaches, grapes and apples.
Such berries. They were the
astonishment of my neighbors. No
body had seen anything like the lus-
cious, meaty strawberries that grew
on my first little patch. | had to
buck low prices all along the line.
The first year was discouraging
one. Even the second was not much
better, We managed to live, how
ever. My health improved and | be-
gan to work and study, study and
work in earnest. From a trembling,
halting. hesitating amateur fruit
grower, came in five years into the
full sunlight of successful hortIcul-
turist.
I had my land paid for, good
team, plenty of tools, nice cottage
home, small fruit of all kinds grow
ing better and better each year, with
half acre of the finest Worden
grapes that ever purpled in an Octo-
Der haze.
My grapes were the wonder of the
town and county-and they grew on
the sand. Around about some of the
richest farms in the state were To-
Gated Some of the farmers had tried
to raise grapes, but one and all made
a failure of 1t. Why? Wrong con-
ception of the requirements of the
vine, for one thing; no ideal love for
the work.
Love Your Work,
Love, That is the word that COM
passes all things that are good. Be
in love with your work, man and
woman, if you would succeed. The
fruitgrower must love every plant
and tree on his place il he would
make a success of his operations.
was in love with mine. went daily
and talked with the berries, talked
affectionately with my e berta
peaches as they yellowed in the Au-
tumnal sunshine, walked among the
raspberries, the luscious blackberries,
giving them friendly good mornings.
And the birds! | never had gun
on the place; l never killed a bird,
not even the despised English SPAR
row, and there were hosts of these
my battles against destruc-
tive insects, aiding me in every pos
sible way known to feathered friends
of the busbandman. | am a friend