Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 37, Number 38, 19 December 1911 — Page 14

THE RICHMOND PALLADIU3I AND SUN-TELEGRAM, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1911.

Many Indiana Farmers Raise Their Crops on Unfit Ground

BY ISAAC L. TOTTEN. There are many farmers in Indiana today who are raising crops on tbeir Carina that are not best adapted to their soil. If these farmers only knew what crops would pay best on their oils, and would devote their time to the raising of these- crops, instead of those now being raised, they would not only increase their incomes, but they would better conditions generally. There are other farmers too, who, lacking the knowledge as to what treatment their soil will best respond, re farming sixty acres to produce the number of bushels that should be produced on thirty hctch. In an article written by Forrest. Orisy in The Saturday Kvenlng Tost a hort time ago concerning the Portuguese farmers of the I'arinc coast there is much food for thought, especially that part of the article which deals with the shrewdness of these lien farmers in fitting the crop to the oil. Wherever the Portuguese farmers Tegln their operations they utilize every inch of the ground, forcing It to produce the maximum yield. They even make use of the roadsides, and instead of permitting them to grow up With noxious, unsightly vegetation to cat tor troublesome seeds hither and yon over the farmsteads, they keep them close cropt by means of sheep grazing. Many thousand head of sheep 4ire raised by these thrifty Portuguese, and, in many instances .the roadside is tbeir only grazing land. Not only do they utilize the land rhlch the American fanner permits "to lie idle, but they make a very large Jportlon of their soils do double duty. They practice intensive rather than extensive farming. "Another interesting trait of the representative Portuguese is his freedom from crop traditions, lie raises nothing because his father or his grandfather before him raised it," says Mr. Crissey, and then he quotes one of

these aliens as saying, "There is nothing that pays a farmer so well as a close acquaintance with the soil his own soil!" It is too often the case that we do things because of precedent. Even our courts are sufficiently archaic to rely almost solely on this practice in ren

dering decisions, therefore, the farm-: er is not alone in the ancestral catering. Not all farmers, however, who are trying to raise crops that are not adapted to their soil, do so because of tradition. They would anxiously devote their time to more profitable crops if they only knew what those crops were. We are not. all chemists; we cannot all analyze our boils to find out what crops would thrive best thereon. Of

i course, more experimenting might be

done to Hnd out, but somehow, we don't, get around to it it is not always convenient to do everything that the farmer should do. Occasionally a farmer hits off on the right track; and, in a few years, he has acquired a small fortune. There are many instances of this in the iloosier state, and several of them can, no doubt, be pointed out right here in Wayne county. A few years ago, a certain section of the northern part of this state was

j looked upon as "no man's land." It was described geographically as bfing i composed of Innumerable sand dunes

and marshy waste land. Fanners in the more prosperous sections of the state spiting those old stock jokes about how poor the land was in this no man's land. They said that the ducks and geese were compelled to carry napsacks and canteens when visiting the marsh-

They said that the Pee wees flew ov-

ier that section in pairs so tnat one

could say, "Pee" and the other "wee." This would save their strength until they could find food again. Today, that same section which was

held up to the light of so much ridicule is yielding cash returns to many of the farmers there of from one hundred to two hundred dollars an acre, net. Yes, we mean, net! It took a long time for those farmers to find out what they could raise to the best advantage on that apparently waste soil; but they discovered it and are now reaping the bountiful results. Who knows but that it would be possible for many farmers right here in this community to take one tenth of the land that they are now farming and make as much as they are now

making, and do it with much less drudgery? If sixty bushels are raised on one acre instead of on two acres, is it not evident that the labor of plowing, harrowing, planting and cultivating, and harvesting will be greatly reduced? "Know the soil" is a good motto for every farmer who is desirous of adding to his bank account and of reducing his labor. In finding out to what crops his soil is best adapted and to what treatment it will best respond means no groping in the dark, it re s a straight out and out intellig t fjirocedure. . J stated before, it is not an easy

matter Sa determine what crops would thrive f-.t on the farms here, or under what treatment the soil here would do best; because we are not all geologists. But we can often profit by the experience of others, and we can get valuable information from many available sources as to the best methods of procedure. The farm papers and city dailies all over the country are conducting ex-

! tensive educational campaigns on soil ! fertility. Popular magazines are also j manifesting an interest and devote j space to articles by men who have valuable information to impart on the ! subject.

The agricultural department of the United States and of our own state publishes thousands of reports from experts who are busily engaged studying soil conditions and treatments both at home and abroad. Then, there are the farmers' institutes, and the corn schools, and the agricultural colleges.

All of these sources of information can be relied upon and found invaluble. ' Now comes word that our state geologist, Edward Barrett, has set out to help the farmers in obtaining a better knowledge of their soils. In a letter which he is sending out Mr. Barrett says: "Early last spring I began negotiations with the United States bureau

of soils at Washington. D. C. looking : to co-operative work in the soil sur-1 vey now being conducted in this state j by myself and my assistants. I am pleased to announce that arrange- j ments have been consummated with Milton Whitney, chief of bureau of soils, Washington. D. C, by which his department will assist in the Indiana survey next year. "This arrangement means that the

J field force on the soil work next year i will be more than double, and that ! some of the best geologists and soil.

men of the United States bureau of soils will be sent to Indiana. It means too. that the means for conducting the work will be more than double and that, in addition to the supervision that I shall be able to give it, the work will have the benefit of the experience and criticism of the best men in the soil work in this country. The government, of course, will pay the salaries of the men it sends to Indiana. "It is my purpose to devote twothirds of the funds of this department to soil next year, and I desire very much to awaken an interest among the farmers and business men of Indiana in this great work." When the survey work is done in this country it is Mr. Barrett's purpose to supply copy for publication, so that farmers and business men may have the benefit of the information derived from the survey. Let the good work proceed.

Biggest line Xmas Candy. Greek Candy Store. 1S 5t

Different Now. - New York had 150 watchmen In 1S11, and in the same year Philadelphia had forty.

KEPT HIS MOUTH SHUT. I i The Lady Guaranteed Silenc. and Sha Made Good. Unexpectedly an uptown pastor who encouraged congregational singing gained a new parishioner. Keen though his delight in heariug his peo pie sing, there was one member of his flock whose endeavors he never encouraged. But the man sang without encouragement, much to the discomfiture of pew holders anywhere near him. who claimed that his loud, unmusical voice threw them out of time and tune. Repeated complaints convinced the minister that somebody would have to assume the responsibility of silencing the ambitious singer. He decided that

the man's wife was best fitted for the

job. Owing to a difference in reli glous views husband aucl wife attend

ed different churches, but the minister

knew her, so he called and explained his predicament She was genuinely

surprised.

"Do you mean to say he sings?" she

said. "Tries to." amended the pastor.

She thought a minute. "I shall have

to come there to church." she said.

"I shall be glad to see you." said the

minister. "But what effect will that

have on your husband's singing?"

The look she gave him was more

significant than words, and they

meant a good deal.

"John will ne.er open his mouth

when I am around." she said.

And John never has. New' York

Times.

Easy to Identify. A Chinese prince in this country visited police headquarters in New York and was much interested in the thumb mark records preserved there as a method of identification for criminals. "We hnve used thumb marks for several thousand years as seals on mercantile and other papers," the Chinaman told the man iu charge of the thumb mark bureau, "but we do not use tlieni In any other way." "How do you Identify your criminals ?"' asked the thumb mark man. "Oh, we have a very simple method of identification--we cut off their heads." Saturday Evening Post.

Primogeniture.

The law of primogeniture sends back its roots to the most ancient times. Away back in the patriarchal ages the first born son had a superiority over all his brethren and in the absence of his father was in every Important sense the head of the house. Upon the death of the father he became by the unwritten law. which could not be questioned, the priest and lord of the family, and naturally to him fell the property as well as the honors of the household. Primogeniture wherever it is found today Is the lingering remnant of the ancient custom, a custom which common sense and justice pronounce to be as unfair as it is superstitious. Exchange.

A Lesson In Musie. A household much given to music I comprised three daughters, who played the piano well and showily. At the i regular Sunday afternoon gathering a j musician of retiring manner was presj ent. and after the daughters had gal- ! loped for awhile he was asked to play. He chose one or two composiI tions designed to show the feeling of j the pianist rather than the resource ! of technique. When he had finished

one of the young women said: "You play very well. Who was your teacher?" With a modesty that was almost painful he answered: "My last teacher was the Abbe IJstt." Chicago Post.

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