The Mena weekly star., 1921-06-09
Notes of the Farm and Country
 and Life Today
By Jas. \. slols. Hataeld. Ark.


 of fruit in stores in China, arranged by agents of the Department of Agri- culture in an endeavor to create market for American fruit. These agents will probably have busy time explaining to the Chinks why they should receive our fruit. while We put a prohibitive duty on their shipments of eggs to this country.
 Yes, Jack Frost beat the railroad to our fruit crop, and he took it right of the tree. We had no picking or hacking expenses. However, the rail- road would probably have left us some unmarketable stuff and culls for our own use.
 The versatile Ford ear has on sew eral occasions recently been brought into the limelight by The Star. For instance, it mentioned a frogging party using the dazzling headlights to blind them so all they had to do was simply to pick up the frogs. Others caught fish in Ford, and, better whisper this. it is a bit of scandal among the autoes. Lizzie Ford spent the night in a garage alone with one of the Dodge brothers" But it was in an Oklahoma paper that made the farmers sit up and take notice, when one of it's want ads asked for a man to milk and run a Ford.
 We spent an amusing evening re- gently listening to a speaker who in a sympathetic way told a gathering of prosperous farmers of their miserable condition, in a delicate way comparing their condition with his and others who in the city are receiving from S1O0 a month up-more money in ac- tual cash than most farmers see in a year. We'll, perhaps he was right. This was Polk county, and as we glanced over the audience we saw al most without an exception a check book peeping out of the shirt or vest pocket of the listening farmers. Look ing out of the window on one side of the school house where the meeting was held was a row of automobiles, and on the other was row of teams, several of which a man would be lucky to buy at $500 each. Over in a corner of the room we saw three or four boys. chums, who would ride home on their high steppers, seated in a saddle made to order and costing from S100 up.
 Heads nodded in agreement here and there as the speaker mentioned only the advantages of city life ana the S100 and more a month pay, the disadvantage of farm life, the mercan- tile ring against the farmer end the courthouse buzzards favoring these rings Amusing-yes and disgusting, for the poorest farmer there was bet ter off than the $100 month city man Now then, just figure a little before you start to find that job. For you and your family it will cost you two months pay out of the year for d house to live in. Would one months pay buy your meat for the year about 25 cents a day? If so, you remember Sunday, when your neighbor called, those young chickens you had for din- ner were worth more than your weeks allowance in the city. Your fuel will cost more than a months pay. You have this on the farm. Your veget- ables more than a months pay. Your milk, butter, fruit and it's side dishes will take a couple of months pay. Then there are water, lights, carfare, the dray and garbageman to pay. Idle or sick, your expense goes on no laying off during the heat of the day, no catching up with work and fishing a day or two. No. But why go on? If you are only making a living on your little farm it is worth more than $100 a month. There are too many with beams in their own eyes trying to pick the notes from eyes of the farmers. Why listen to these-shall We call them bolshevists or fools?
 Did you see the pictures of those five 100 per cent babies in a contest conducted by ladies magazine pub fishing company? Two premium babies were Arkansas products. And why not? Can you imagine a better place than Arkansas for the little ones. Doors and windows open, 10 months or more of the year barefoot; minimum of clothing, purest soft water, fruit everywhere in spring. summer and fall; nuts along the roads and under the trees in most school yards in winter; little dust, and here in Polk county few flies and no mos quitoes. The great water shed in the Northern part starts streams in four directions. All streams flow out of the county, carrying away all the drainage ard rubbish that might breed dis eass; seldom a day in the entire year but at some time the tots can be put out and run wild as nature in tended. Again, can you imagine better place, with our sunshiny days and cool nights
 A few years back when the idea of a highway across the county was being talked of. hoped for, laughed or sneered at, according to the individ- uals views, among other things the advocates predicted, was trucks along the highways picking up farmers pro duce and taking to market. Now, al- tho the road is only graded in places, several trucks are making more or less regular trips. one truck especial ly taking thousands of pounds of poultry to market weekly, and often bringing a load of merchandise or freight on the return trip and usually at big saving to the shipper. For instance, the writer had a machine in Mena. The railroad would not accept this unless boxed, which would have cost several dollars and drayage bill to and from the depot. This freight truck drove to the place, loaded the machine and delivered it in our ma chine shed IA miles distant for just T. H..-..