The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-12-01

L
across. On the strip from Kennett ia
the Arkansas line found folks fol-
lowing fairly closely the rotation of
cotton, corn and soybesns with hogs
enough to harvest big share of the
corn. Possibly this rotation scheme
doesn't leave as much in the land as
It takes out, but cotton yields are
higher than at any time in the sec
lions history, and according to my
friend, Charles V. Langdon, who was
a boy when folks ox-carted their cot
ton and other products up Crawley's
Ridge and across the hills to Cape Gil
rardeau, the yield Of cotton has stead.
lily increased.
Back from Honersville north to
Keniett again the trip took US. Past
the farm Of A. V. Kennett we went,
taking a hurried look at his two
sweet potato curing houses and won
dering why other folks didn't raise
more of them when Neighbor Ken
nett produced 5000 bushels last year
on ~ acres. Later in the day we
met Neighbor Drew Vardell, an. elong-
ated son Of the soil for whom alfalfa,
cotton and Polands seemed to have an
especial liking. We will have to stop
here for few minutes and talk to
him.
The vardell farm is on what is
known as the Little. River bottom.
Little River used to be not so much
river as swamp in summer and
flowing lake in spring and winter.
But as the timber was taken off, the
three big bitches were dug to carry
off the water, and by this outlet
Southeast Missouri was afforded am
pie drainage for a large proportion
of its western and southern halves.
"See where this ridge drops Off,
said Vardell as we walked through
the barn lot out to nearby field. We
did. WELL" he continued, "before
the big ditch was cut, this stood under
from to 10 feet of water. Back in
the days when Pemiscot was wet and
Dunklin dry the booze launch cross
ing the river locked here with its fire.
quent cargo. That was five years
ago" And when we looked we found !
chat ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS section was !
producing alfalfa for the fourth year
straight, and had yielded 20 crops in |
hat time. Further on was cotton |
ield making 1900 pounds of seed cot
on to the acre. At 8 cents a pound |
III let you figure out the gross acre
ncome. Vardell also had excellent
'orn and soybeans in this same bot
ON land, while the big black things
n the fields were not stumps but
hrifty Polands luxuriating in alfalfa,
orn and soys.
1t was getting late in the afternoon
md the Frisco might not wait, so we
,ulled stakes to get to Stoddard coun-
y, although missing some mighty
inc sections particularly around
campbell because our trip was at
light.
Fifth day aud all's we'll. Early that
morning, Neighbor &. C.. Mohl stadt
,iloted us to his rice farm north of
dudley. A hundred and sixty acres
ay before us as we gazed on this
crop, capable of at least
100 bushels to the acre, some fields |
going to 1876. At dollar it looked as
hough Neighbor Mohrstadt might
'ull through the winter with plenty
o eat.
Rice growing, however, is a story
n itself, ahd we'll pass on from this
md the half million acres available
or rire fields and stop for lunch with
Ohm A. Montgomery, east of Dexter.
Here we found one of the cosiest farm
ZONES in Missouri, a remodeled farm
louse with all fixtures for comfort
md convenience. We found Neighbor
good farmer, aud rec
rds show that he never had fed out
. bunch Of cattle without topping the
lays market. On this trip he had a
lunch of Hereford baby beeves al
most ready to go, and the fellow who
Freaks Montgomery's record on the
market had better reconsider and take
lis load to the international. Neigh
'or Montgomery, aside from being a
rood farmer, also is president of the
Southeast Missouri Agricultural Blu
eau, and the DEVELOPMENT work
which he is assisting so ably to pilot
S not the least of the things which
ring him happiness and satisfaction.
Early in the afternoon, County
Agent Sheets Of Stoddard had remind
d us, would be the best time to see
he Bloomfield hog show and fair.
This was the first of its kind, and
sheets regarded it in the same man.
Ter that a fond father watches over
lis first baby. Vending my way
through The crowds ! finally reached
he swine department, wondering how,
ar the purebreds had made inroads
N those predecessors that were once
20 numerous. Well, folks, the hogs
we're there, more than a hundred lus-
y Polands and Durccs.
On the sixth day nd what I've Of
en- hoped to do, cross Little River in
| car instead of by train. So we de-
.ided on the risk of letting Charles
5chWeer OF Cane Girardeau county
axe US over The roads were fair /
md would have been better had Char
lie been less reckless driver. ASH
lave said Little River is broad
tretch Of black bottom between two
idges that run from the Cape county
ills down to New Madrid and into
Arkansas. No richer land exists than
his. And now that it is drained, inn
proved roads will soon traverse it
rom east to west every few miles.
No longer is it merely lowland.
Drainage has dignified it to deserve
he title of good bottom farming
and, and such it is. Several lumber