The Glasgow courier., 1921-02-04

Why has the state of Sackless Jerry
Simpson and Middle of the Road Pop
ulists come to be the commonwealth
leading in per capita deposits and saw
ings banks? Thereby hangs this tale
and here it is:
have met many people in the ranks
of farmers, Workingmen of all types,
trainmen, retail dealers in the smaller
cities and towns, and always profess
sional men and mechanics of all des-
cription who live much in the open
air. / was once put wise" to the
story of the Kansas oil fields, their de-
velopment and history, by a .driller'
(the man who runs the drill in drill
ing for oiD whom l met casually in
Hutchinson.
coach from Wichita to Neodesha,
learned the story of the zinc
mines located in southeastern Kansas
unshorn mining engineer who occupied
to begin with, especially those telling
pie; then those about the topography
anu ScOlOSy VI lIlc IcSlOl dIu llOW CIlC
state government spends its money in
the way of development, improvements
and schools. But actual contact with
the people themselves and actual facts
in the actual territory-that is the be-
ginning of wisdom.
In one of my trips through Kansas
l noticed an increasing number of
poultry, mostly chickens of fancy
broad ,rboro bo lo Il
once reigned. l saw small flocks Of
more silos than before. There was
falfa. l was told that, at that time,
corn, was more drouth resisting than
often when Indian corn withered way
because of the fervent heat.
So went straightway to Wichita,
and a great display of Kafr corn.
learned the story Of Katir, why it was
ing cultivation by the farmers of Kan
agriculture in Kansas was winning its
loIiS liS III lCS lIlcNlCdDlc pOi
ton in life of sometimes recurring sea-
sons of hot winds and fierce, enduring
drougths.
The history of Kansas, both political
and economic, showed me clearly that
the people had gone through a good
many serious crises and, at one time,
from 1898 to 1896, were regarded by
good, unknowing people in the country
hniror r,1orolxy r,,l,1 tod ,1-s.
But, unless you allowed preconceived
sion, it was perfectly obvious that the
people of Kansas were desperately in
earnest in whatever they undertook.
and that idealism was their guiding
star. Their low percentage of litter
acy, the statistics of education and the
money spent for it, gave evidence of a
people to whom education and intelli
gence were matters of vital import.
The state government agricultural
reports disclosed serious decline in
crop yields, of late years, especially
in corn, although the acreage under
cultivation was as large as ever. A
study of the weather records showed
the coincidence of hot, dry summers
with decreased crop yields. The con-
by a trip to the State Agricultural
College at Manhattan. where the wea-
tAer bureau station had a record of
r.ra3".r rutirn anG temperature for a
1umber of stations in the state for a
lo.c s>.'ra Q. years back.
\, .-ape for tie Climate.
The only problem, then, was as to
whether the Kansas farmer would
learn the lesson of adapting his ways
in agriculture to climate which really
did not change, only varied somewhat
within certain observed limits, or
whether he would keep on going up
against fate. and keep on going broke,
nlindly clnging to the methods of cul-
-lvation and the plants to be cultivated
which We're all right in moist climate
as,1 all wrong in dry Kansas weather.
On one side were the education and
intelligence of the farmer and the
iceaseless teachings, backed up by con-
vincipg experiments of the Depart
ment of Agriculture and the State Ag-
ricultural College as to new ways to
meet the situation as are set forth in
this article. The other way only fail
ure lay, as the grim past had shown
only too plainly. 1t was an immortal
cinch what would be the choice of the
farmer, and how new generation
would adapt their ways and methods
to those of often hostile nature.
The study of business possibilities
IN Kansas some twenty-five years ago
was peculiarly distinguished by the
absence of many of those factors
which mark the likelyhood of future
development in most countries.
Those who, at that time, would have
made study of the future of Kansas
from the conventional point of view
would not ony have registered their
complete disappointment and diffusion.
but later. in the days to come, would
have realized how entirely they mis-
conceived the real situation and its
likelihoods.
For, to the casual observer. Kansas
is not picturesque state, nor one of
great attractive scenery. 1t is not a
land of babbling brooks. nor shady
dells, for in common with most of the
Great Plains states, it is rather def
cient in water in the form of lakes
and rivers. and of forests and groves,
compared to the states to the east and
north. 1t is. in the main. vast rolling
prairie rising gradually from the
eastern border to the Colorado line.
Under the Surface.
1t has coal in the east and southeast
IN large deposits. In the southeast
there are great mines of lead and zinc,
opS pracanf rro cti ion of on al