Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1898-04-01

aid.
Road improvements.
The State of New Jersey is credited
with having the best road law of any
state in the Union and a state board
improvement association that pushes
the work right along. The annual re-
port of the road commissioner for 1897
shows that during the year there were
built sixty-six miles of improved roads,
for which the state will contribute
500 600 and the counties and property
owners about 5000, 200. During the
last three years about 23S miles of
macadamized or gravel roads nave
been built, for which the state spent
$685. 595 and the counties and property
owners along the lines roads more
than 81, 600, 900. The report says that
opposition to the law has changed to
enthusiasm in it's favor, and the COM
missioner cannot keep up with the ap-
plications for road improvements. The
farmers have found by experience that
the taxes for their part of the improve
ment sit lightly upon them and are
small expense compared with the saw
ing made by the more easy transporta-
ton of their produce to markets and
the inducement offered to settle in the
country. The report says:
1t costs 9h cents per bushel to snip
wheat from Chicago to New York,
distance of 900 miles; it costs 3 cents
a bushel to haul wheat on level road
a distance Of five miles, and on sandy
road 1t would cost 8 cents per mile to
haul it. The saving on bushel OF
wheat with coed roads for distance
of five miles would be equivalent to
that of 900 miles of transportation by
steamer or canal boat, or 3T5 miles by
railroad. One mile of good roads would
make a saving equal to seventy-hve miles
of railroad transportation. Thus every
mile of good roads places the producer
seyenty-five miles by rail nearer to the
markets. 1t is estimated that the cost of
hauling 800 900, 900 tons of farm produce
to market is 50 rer ton, or just about
81, 900, 600 900; it is also estimated that
about 60 per cent of this last amount,
or 5000 600, 600 would be saved each year
il farmers were able TO do this hauling
over good roads.
Last Years Harvest.
The Chicago Post directs attention TO
the fact that over $1,000, 100000 worth OF
products was taken out of the earth IN
this country last year in wheat corn
and oats. If hay had been included there
would have been almost $1,5O0ooo,ooo
According to the statistics of the ogr1-
cultural department corn led the great
grain products of our soil and Industry
with 1902, 967 1913 bushels, worth $50l,
O72 $50; wheat came second with o3O, l49' :
brought up the rear with 6oo'fo', ooe push-
els worth $147,9T4.719.
Tn the production of corn Nebraska,
with less acreage than Kansas, led all
the states with 241 ,26S, 400 bushels and
Illinois. with still less acreage, was
close second with 1872, 02S, 0S5, outstripping
both Kansas and Iowa, with their greater
acreages.
In the production of wheat Illinois is
far dawn the list, being only seventeenth,
with only II. $3.50 bushels. In this ce-
real Minnesota steps grandly to the front
with SO, SOL 1872. Singular to relate, ONO
occupies the third largest wheat Din.
Iowa stands at the top OF the oal-pro-
ducing states with 103, I21, 100 bushels'
| and illinois, with one-sixth less acreage
! is a close second with w, $50 business
Alaska and the District of Columbia
orc the only divisions of the Union that
! produce nothing in the cereal line LOT 'he
| maintenance of mankind.
With about the same acreage, the pro-
| duction of hay was worth almost as much
as that of wheat, being $401, 800, 80 hay
| produces better value per acre than eltnei
| corn or oats This is something for the
| farmers as we'll as their cattle to chew
| on.
| Farming.
Farmers are the most Independent class
| of people on the face of the earth, or al
| least they should be, for all depends upon
them. Although they are sometimes I'M
| nosed upon, a great deal is brought upon
| them by themselves. If they shouiu Ial
in farming there is no law to bind them
to it: or If they should be so fortunate
as to own a farm they can sell 1t ano
| taoo,oa aputhiOP thew want to become