South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-07-22

loIutlng failures
Nt- y - - .rat come. sooner
Nr later tn everyone who tries 90
wrest a living from the soil is in no
position 90 eympathize and under
stand the problems that beset the
average farmer.
So. like the playrights and story
writers who often go far afeld in
search Of local color, your farm edi-
tor too sought local color by turning
his spare time Co the actual work
az producing in small way the
necessities Of life by putting into
practice the things that are taught
81 the weekly farm page OF The
News-Times.
An Abandoned Farm.
After much casting about and
suany miles Of travel. an abandoned
farm was located early in the
srring eight miles north on the
Niles road. which appeared 10 offer
a splendid opportunity for expert
mental work. with extreme empha-
Fis on the worG work"
Inquiry in the neighborhood
brought forth the information that
ahe property was owned by w. j..
trQhart who lives n mile north. Mr..
Crqhart was located No, he did
not believe ne would care to rent
the place. He had had trouble with
FORMER tenants. He would prefer
40 sell-in fact was considering a
deal then.
Hard TO Get II.
However. when il was explained
40 him who wished 20 rent il and
that an effort would be made TO inn
prove the place instead OF causing
further depreciation ne admitted
that he read our weekly page with
interest and if the deal ne was CON
siderins did not go through. as per
schedule. he would give us a chance
10 see what we could do.
To make a long story longer the
Yarn was finally leased 20 US for a
period Of one year. Weeds and
June grass had a flying start when
we got our homestead effects moved
in and before we could get started
on them they were nearly waist
high.
Had No Tools.
A. was necessary to canvas the
neighborhood for someone who
would pillow by the day. To find a
farmer willing TO do outside blowing
IN May is "a most discouraging task
but one was finally located who
came and ripped up the heavy sod
in a slipshod manner and apparently
saw no need Of doing any dragging.
Grateful for what little he had done
20 agitate the SOIL however. We
started in with a hand rake TO pre-
pare what we believed would he
o suitable seed bed FOR the garden
sruck which we wished To- get start
ed. Seed was purchased from p.
~ Williamson. the Goshen gardener.
who carried of the bulk of first pre-
sniums at the county fair. and with
the assistance of the good wife il
was put into the ground May 20 a
week Of heavy rains allowed the
weeds 10 get another dlsCouragins
start Hand wedding was necessary
and lots of TO- Then the wheel hoe
was brought info action and applied
iiberally.
NcighbOrs Kind
kindly neighbors offered their
CoudoIence and what farm tools
fhey could spare 90 assist US in our
ambition % make pleasing trans
formation of the loug-neglected
premises
Another patch OF ground was
planted by The same laborious me-
thod. in sweet corn. tomatoes. cab
bage and pumpkins Later another
was nut into potatoes beans and
yellow dent corn for the COW.
Can Sympathize Now.
Now with the growing season
about half over your farm editor
feels ne can sincerely sympathize
with almost any calamity that may
befaI any Of the farm page readers.
We have known what II Is 20
have the COW break throurh fences
and eat of the tops of golden giant
svrso- corn mst as So was about TO
put forth suCCulcut ears OF tnat most
5ercious table deEcacy We have
had moles. cophcrs and rabbits eat
the newly planted seeds. chew on
the ends OF melon vines and CAP
baEes.
We have anxiously watched ceru-
ned ShiveIy potato seeds lie IN the
.--,nrd three weeks without a drop
~ rain on them as well as 10 SET
what promised 90 he an unusually
GOOD family garden suffer almost to
min bv the same drought We
know what Dc is 90 have the Wind
mill rod break below the surface OF
enc platform and the difficulties IN
re.t.7g il repaired We know what
!, 20 have an unruly cow rip our
hest SUNDAY trousers from the knee
+o -he waist with her Visions horns
taking also "a portion OF the leg Win
them We know what II IS 10 hgh'
weeds and lots 81 them and We
know what it means 90 spray trees
with a small hand pump.
Not Discouraged.
Tbrourhout IL al, though. we
have NOT been discouraged. some
re-sons mleht evsa say we were IN
different but we believe u Is
mighty poor farmer that viii gel
discouraged and cry quits. He
in fact unworthy OF the name farm
er = IS the old optimistic splril
and the old cortInual fight against
hssvv odds that always wins IN the
end
so0r the harvest viii be with us
T-~dcr almost constant cultivation,
cucumber are showing wonderful
.t -.-tororrnoe are larger IMAM