The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-08-11
IRRIGATION is KING
The "6O-Cent Land" Of ShiaVassSee
County Made a Yeritable Gar
den Of Eden.
Mound Spring Gardens Of the J. W
Hihbard Farm . Model
for the World.
Hundreds of Persons Have visited the
Place to See the Wonderful
Changes.

farm or j. w. Hubbard on section 4 of Ben
nington township. Nothing is lacking +
make 1t model country home, and by
visit to 1t person can see any and ever.
branch of farm work.
Mr.. Hubbard was for several years owne
of one of the best herds of Shorthorn cattl,
in the state and has many medals awarded
by various societies to remind him of tn,
triumphs of his stock. He still keeps goot
herd but is not making a specially of thi,
branch.
The herd of Berkshire swine which fol
several years he has exhibited, took nearly
all of the first prizes at the great fairs, and
he has handsome silver medals given by the
American Berkshire Association as proof OF
his success in that line. He has at present
| a number of young pigs which he is getting
ready for the fairs that will be prize winners
and all round beauties.
Mr.. Hibbards flock of Merino sheep are
well worth long trip to see, and pay well
not only as farm stock, but at stock shows
have been successful in carrying off large
amount in prizes.
Much of Mr.. Hibbard's success in the
stock department Is due to his wide knowl-
edge of the methods which have brought
good results IN all parts of the United States,
gained by the constant reading of the vari-
GUS agricultural and stock papers. He also
keeps his stock IN the most complete and
most carefully kept barn in the county.
Each kind of stock has portion specially
prepared for it and each includes hospital
department in case any sickness should
arise.
For all of these departments there is
ample land space, the farm consisting of
four hundred acres, bordering on the Maple
river. Eighty acres of the land are still
covered with good timber, eighty acres are
used for pasture, while the remainder, ex-
cept the forty acres of market gardening
land, is used for the common crops, several
acres, however, being reserved for two
houses, barns, graneries and other buildings.
The work which is now taking the entire
time of Mr.. Hibbard, is probably the hard
est yet most promising branch of his work
and is the source of constant surprises to
the many farmers who have land similarly
located to that which Mr.. Hubbard is using
and which is to them without profit. For
forty years the land along the Maple river
has been marshy and useless and has for
most of that time been known as fifty cents
an acre land" About two years ago Mr..
Hubbard concluded to attempt to make some
thing of the land, and that he has succeeded
is shown by the fact that from fifteen acres
last year he made about 5000 and made
several hundred dollars worth of permanent
improvements. This year he has nearly
thirty acres and the profit will probably be
more than double that of last year. The
success of the attempt to make something
out of the land is even more satisfactory to
the owner than the money profit.
The process of irrigation, which is fast
making Washington one of the most remark
has practically never been used in this
state, was investigated by Mr.. Hubbard and
is now in complete and servicable condi-
ton on his farm. Celery, which no one
supposed could eyer be raised in Shiawassee
with profit or to any extent, now covers five
acres of this land in 90, 900 plants, $4,000 of
which will probably be marketed. This
celery is without doubt as good as can be
grown in the state.
Cabbage, of which there are 10000
plants, will yield about $4,000 heads, and
these will be marketed with profit at
the extremely low price Of 3 cents. Rad
ishes have been planted at various times
during the spring and can now, by the aid
of the irrigation scheme, be marketed at
any time during the summer and fall, and
they will be as good as the early crop, the
water being all that is needed to keep them
from growing strong or pithy. Expert
ments in all kinds of vegetables have been
made and in no case has there been fail
ure. At present there are fifteen kinds of
vegetables growing on the low land ard
each will give an unusually large crop,
although parts of the crops were flooded
several inches deep at least twice last spring.
Among the kinds not named there are
four and one-half acres of potatoes, one-half
acre of parsnips, one acre of onions which
will produce about 400 bushels, three acres
of beets from which 1t is expected 1000
bushels will be taken; six acres of corn.
one-half acre of beans, one acre of mangel
wurtzels, three acres of rutabagas and 200
tomato plants. The fact that tomatoes grow
to good size and ripen early on this land is
one of the peculiarly satisfactory results of
the process of irrigation and ditch draining.
1t is commonly supposed that the land is
drained by tile, but there is not rod of tile
on the entire farm and as Mr.. Hubbard says,
"A simple study and trial would show to
any land owner the utter uselessness Of
covering his farm with lot of manufactured
nuisances, when with shovel and little
common sense he can accomplish just what
he wants."
From the Mound Spring Gardens celery
will be marketed fresh in this city and
shipped until New Years. Potatoes, cab
bages and the vegetables will be stored in
his outdoor cellar and marketed all winter
i'm the best Of condition and all of these will
come from 1.-The worthless land along the
Maple River" as the result of the push and
enterprise of the owner.
Hundreds of persons have visited the