96 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



jin old newspaper to guide nie in answering the letter. The next thing 

 the newspaper men began to bother mo for small articles — they always 

 made them twice as large as I wrote them in order to fill space. After 

 the day's work was done I spent many hours after supper reading and 

 studying the English language. It was harder work than digging out 

 stumps in hazelbrush. But I find that a man can learn almost anything 

 if he makes up his mind to do it. A man ought to try to take hold of 

 every opportunity offered him and try to make good. 



In 1905 I was asked, through the County Agricultural Society of 

 Pawnee county, to represent the county farm products on state and 

 interstate expositions without any aid from the county. The first two 

 attempts I made were not a financial success. The small farm I had 

 back of me held me even. I began to study what to do. I could get no 

 aid to carry on the work. Instead, I drove all over the country to collect 

 my specimens so as to get a thorough representation. 



I have had to change my operation of farming the last three years. 

 A different system had to be studied and laid out. I can always find 

 something to do on my farm in selecting the seed, planting the seed, 

 collecting and storing seed for future use and in preparing exhibits. 

 Every year competition is getting stronger in the markets and every- 

 where in exhibits. No man can stay in the race of exhibiting agricultural 

 products unless he keeps his soil fertile and in the highest state of culti- 

 vation and takes care of his seed. The most unfavorable seasons are 

 the most educating ones. Good, fertile soil and good care will make up 

 for many shortcomings of seasons. There are many enemies to our crops 

 after the seed is planted in the ground ; they work under the ground and 

 above it. Rotation and spraying are not always remedies for those 

 enemies. Every insect has its natural enemy and also its favorite plants. 

 Each man has got to be his own experimenter on his own farm, and as a 

 result of his experimenting he will become more successful from year 

 to year and his farm will become better. 



I have kept a record of the income and expenses on crops grown 

 each year — the number of bushels of each, what they sold for, how the 

 money was invested. Farmers' Bulletin No. 325, "Small Farms in the 

 Corn Belt," will give complete statements for each year for a period of 

 ten years. Potatoes and small fruits were my best money-making crops. 

 The average yield of potatoes per acre from 1897 to 1907 was 147 

 bushels. The average price per bushel was 66V2 cents. The cost of 

 production of 147 bushels was $32.70. In ten years I sold 7,791 

 bushels of potatoes. 



