Evening star., 1915-06-05
TAKING A FAMILY
BACK TO THB SOIL
Being the Experiences Of a Gov
ernment Clerk Who Sets Out
to Lower the High Cost of
Living.

1t makes a man wonder sometimes
upon what theory, or to meet what need
the weather is regulated. One thing Is
certain, regulation of the weather since
last March has had little, if any, to do
with the needs of the farmer. 1t might
have been worse, of course: but there
isn't any denial that it might have been
a whole lot better.
Farmers always have been accused of
being chronic weather grouches. 1t
always. so their critics say, is either too
wet or too dry. or too hot or too cold.
But don't be in too big a hurry, you
folks who live in cities. to condemn the
farmer as weather grumbler. His con-
Germ is based solely on the fact that
certain kinds Of weather at certain
times of year-an equitable distribution
of rain and warmth and sunshine-ane
necessary TO grow and mature his crops.
His interest in the success of crops Is
a vital one; but It Is no more vital than
is yours. You have to eat, don't you?
And you can't eat If the farmers crops
are failure. When you gr1Imble. there
fore, because the weather interferes with
some particular pleasure you had plan
ned or some particular clothes you
wanted to wear, just hear in mind that
the farmers grumbling Is foundationed
in more substantial things.
"Corn Weather Badly Needed.
With corn selling at dollar bushel,
and promising to go higher. good corn
weather is absolutely essential to ma
tional prosperity. Good corn weather
consists of an abundance Of moisture
and lots Of heat. We have moisture in
erabundance, but no heat at all,
speaking from corn-growfng point OF
view.
You don't eat corn. you say. and the
troubles of the corn grower don't inter-
est you? You eat beef and pork ana
mutton. don't you. and want fresh eggs
at reasonable price next winter? The
prices of all these commodities are go
ing to be affected very materially by
the kind of weather We have during the
next few weeks. If the corn crop is
short a quarter of a million bushels be-
cause of the prolonged cold weather,
you will have to help foot the bill. The
grumbling the farmer is doing today
isn't a marker to what you will do at
next winters high prices.
All of which goes to show that. in the
complex civilization Of today, the for
tunes of one class Of people, whether
is true that the success or failure Of the
few acres we have in corn at Sunny
Knoll isn't going to make very large
impress on the total crop Of America;
but the conditions we are confronting
are being confronted by farmers pretty
generally throughout the country. And
with three acres in corn 1t is just as
much a relief to our feelings to stand
up and howl as it is to the feelings Of
the man who has 300-acre corn field.
Corn Not Sole Sufferer.
1t isn't corn alone that is suffering
from adverse weather conditions. All
crops-with a few notable exceptions
are more or less affected. A season
which started out with the highest
promise has turned square around and.
today, is very much to the bad. Con-
ditions may improve, Of course; every
one hopes they will. But rural weather
prophets out our way predict that when
hot weather does set in 1t will be both
hot and dry for so long time that We
will be hollerin' about drought as loudly
as we are now about cold and rain.
Philosophers tell US, though, that 1t
is foolish to always look on the dark
side of things. Nature, have observed,
is very strong on the law Of compensa-
tions: and there is no use trying to deny
that there Is some brightness mixed up
with the prevailing gloom. For instance,
never within the memory Of the Oldest
fnha bftant were pastures so good. Peas
revel in the prevailing weather, and
potatoes have no kick coming; but most
everything else in the vegetable line Is
suffering Lima beans planted April Is
are no farther advanced than others
planted May 1, and the stands Of early
planted beans and other warm weather
plants are poor.
Concerned Over Popcorn.
Jim and Ned are very much concerned
over their popcorn venture. but as 1t
was planted rather late 1 don't think
1t has suffered any SO far from the
lack of warmth. They have made
large planting and are counting on
having profit of from 800 to $50.
am very anxious they should win out,
as l believe it would be a valuable
object lesson on the possibilities of
agriculture, and there isn't any object
lesson so impressive as one that is
measured in actual dollars and cents.
j would be glad if both the boys
would show an inclination to make
farming their life work. though l have
some doubts whether Ned was cut out
to be farmer. II he has no adaptable
ity for the life / would not. of course
want to persuade him into it. but he is
young yet and il he could make some
substantial earnings q boy he might
develope the interest which now seems
to be lacking.
Jim, l believe, would like farming
and make a success of IT. He is keenly
interested In everything that pertains