The Arkansas Valley Farmer from Wichita, Kansas • 6

Page U. THE ARKANSAS VALLEY PABMER. December 23, 1910. farmers go to extremes in trying to handle a big acreage. One hundred and sixty acres farmed properly will produce more grain GREELEY COUNTY KAN.

The Poor Man 6 Opportunity Diversified Farming Has Made Profits As Cer-tain Here as Any, Portion of tKe Country. Land Can Le Purchased Cheaper than it Can he Rented in Eastern Kansas. V. to the land of the poor man's opportunity. Any farmer that la willing to work can make money In Greeley county.

A few cows will easily support his family till money from crops come In, and a few chickens on the place will help still more. v' The realy big thing-In Greely county Is the rapid development of scientific or "dry farming;" which means that instead of spending the early Summer days in prayer for rain, a farmer should be out pulverizing the soil or giving it other attention that will insure a successful crop whether is raising again before fall or not. Two farmers north of Tribune aro following the nilcs.of scientific- farming and the poorest wheat yield they have had was an eighteen bushel crop on land worth ten dollars an Othor years they have had even better success, and have had as high a yield as 35 bushels to the acre on the same land. Greeley county needs less speculators and more farmers. When you take Into consideration the fact that there are something over 600,000 acres In Greeley county, and only about 1500 people it enables one to size up the situation.

A simple little problem In division will show that at present there Is only about one person to each four hundred And remember this; the land in this county is as rich as any in the State. It Another farmer might be sited as a typical small farmer of western Kansas. A couple of years ago, Mr. Banks who also lived in the eastern part of the stato decided to come to Greeley county, and grow up with the country. It was not all talk with him, cither so he bundled up his family and few belongings and struck the trail west.

Having some ideas of his own, he bought up about twenty head of scrub cows, homesteaded a quarter section, and thoroughly enjoying every minute in his new surroundings. Up till the time or Mr. Banka arrival the question of dairying had scarcely been given a thought in Greeley county. His action was distinctly something new. Even the old settlers shook their heads a little and wonder INDIAN CAVE IN GREELEY COUNTY, is desirable.

It Is not miles of sand as C. C. Morgan lived in Jackson county, Kansas. He had farmed there for twelve years, and all that he had to show as the fruits of his labor was a good wife, 6cven 6m all children, and and old mother to care for; four cows, a team of old horses, a few chickens, a lister and breaking plow, two young colts, and an old wagon. He also had money enough to ship bis stuff to western Kansas.

That is what C. Morgan had in sight. What he had in himself was the ability to work hard, courage, and good sense. When in the fall of 1907, Mr. Morgan called on his landlord to pay his rent of $350, he showed the owner of the farm that he bad earned but $300.

during the year. He asked the owner to accept the $300 as settlement for the years rent. But the landlord remarked that business is business and demanded full settlement- Mr. Morgan paid in full although he had to sell a cow to do It. That little transaction was the turning point in Morgans career.

He talked things over with his wife and decided to go to western Kansas. With him to decide was to tct. When the family and their belongings got off the train at a little town near Colorado line, and drove into Greeley county, they were looking for a home. A home to call their own where no landlord would call annually to take practically every cent of the years earnings. They found their home.

It was as bare of improvements as the Sahara desert with the exception of a sod house of one room. They moved in and determined to "make'a go of it." They bought a few more cows and then absolutely flat broke. The cows and the chickens were their salvation the first year as a hail storm took off all their grain, leaving only a little roughness to feed the cows during the winter. The second year Mr. Morgan put in crops as follows, and made good money for his work.

Wheat 15 acres, bioom corn 10 acres, milomalze 10 acres, cane 10 acres and some kaffir corn. Since the first year he has Baade money on his crops, and his cows have Pt the table. He is accumulating property rapidly, and figures that he has over $3000 worth of stuff all accumulated in the past th-ee years. What Mr. Morgan has accomplished with his family of ten is no miracle.

True he is a hard worker, has good Judgment, and throws no money away, but any man with the same disposition to work as Mr. Morgan, and only one or two, or no children, can 6 tart farming in Greeley county, as Mr. Morgan and if he fails it will be his own fault. Work, cows and diversified farming will make him wealthy in a few years, and the assistance of a good, hard working wife. than can be raised on a half section tended carelessly'--'1" fw A movement is on foot to establish nefff Tribune, an experiment farm conducted by the state agricultural It is practically certain that inside of two years such 'd farm will be In operation.

The establish ment will be of immense value to this entire western end ofthe state. Nine out of ten of the faitures In farming in Greely county are caused by the absolute ignorence of the new-comers, and their futile efforts to farm In the same manner, and raise the same crops that they raise. In the eastern part of the state. A farmer is as sure of success here as he is in any country if he will only he content to adjust himself to climatic conditions. A demonstration or experiment farm would be of inestimable value.

Tribune, the county seat of Greely county is located in almost the exact center of the county. It Is a hustling little city of five or six hundred people who are forgetful of personal interests when a question of action toward benefit to their town and county is concerned. They are alive in every sense of the word, are willing and anxious to aid every new settler in making a success, and are always boosting for their country. As a class they are well groomed, intelligent folks. The Greeley county court house in Tribune is a 'beautiful stone building erected at a cost of $40,000.

It is the largest and most imposing building In the county. The city school building is another building that strikes one as unusual for the size of the town. It is of brick, well arranged, and large enough for the accommodation of several hundred pupils. There are miles or beautiful cement sidewalks In Tribune, dozens of cottages that Indicate comfort, and some homes that denote wealth. There are no paupers In Greeley county.

Not a soul Is receiving county aid. The poor farm was established in 1894, and is rented out. It is a source of revenue to the county. The farm is located just outside of Tribune. Tribune has all of the industries found, in the average town of twice its size.

There (Continued on Page 19.) SCENE ON BEAVER CREE GREELEY COUNTY, KANSAS. ed If he would be able to make It go. Ite has. So all you have to say now, to a Tribune man is how about the possibilities of dairying in this section and he will Immediately drop his work and enthusiastical ly tell you how fast money can be made in that branch of farming. Mr.

Banks has made good. During the summer months his monthly check for cream averages between 80 and 90 dollars. And his feed does not cost him a cent His cows have been fed grass only, running on the range. If the farmers of eastern Kansas knew of the opportunities in Greely county every day would see a line of wagons bearing new settlers Borne folks Imagine. This soil will grow anything that will grow In Kansas.

If a man should drift over the county In a balloon, In any direction, and should aim to drop something about every quarter of a mile, nine times out of ten whatever he dropped would alight on a quarter section every foo of which could be cultivated. Milo-malze is at the present the surest crop with cane and kaffir corn following closely. Wheat Is probably the best money maker although the lack of scientific or intensive farming has kept the average yielc less than half of what could be raised. Merely because land is cheap out here many.