Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-06-04
Secretary of Agriculture Sends
Message of Cheer to Dis
couraged Iowa Farmers
CONSIDERS THE OUTLOOK GOOD
The Secretary Has Not Lost Confidence
in Iowa and Thinks That There is
Yet Time to Plant and Harvest Corn
Crop Before Frost-Emphasize the
Importance of Cattle Raising.
oecial TO Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Council Bluffs, June 4.--Big, rugged
and picturesque, "Tama Jim" Wilson
is an optimist, every inch of his SIX
feet two. There was no mistaking that
fact as he looked out over 1owas water
soaked fields from the windows of the
presidential train as it whirled thru
the western half of the state yesterday
morning.
1t takes more than months steady
downpour Of rain to shake his conf
dence IN Iowa's ability under almost
any circumstances to produce crop
more than enough to supply the needs
of the state.
The popular secretary of agriculture
was hopeful 70 an unusual degree ana
he gave the representative of The Nom
pareil q message of good cheer to de-
liver to the farmers and business men
of Iowa who are disposed to feel de-
pressed and discouraged by the outlook
for prosperous year.
"A crop failure in Iowa!" he ex-
claimed, when the suggestion was MADE
that the Hawkeye state might go back
on it's reputation.
"Pshaw! I've never seen 1T yet IN the
forty or more years I've been IN the
state and there'll be plenty and some
to spare this year..
Tell the farmers of southwestern
Iowa" he went on, to remember that
old saying, "A wet May means a fuli
stack yard and to cheer up. II is
true that our corn and small grain
yield may be reduced somewhat by
continuation Of the present conditions
and that wherever the bottoms are not
drained there may be total failure
but after all the great crop OF iowa Is
its grass. Its value surpasses all othet.
products. Look out there at that pas
ture and that-isn't that magnihcent
sight? In all my experience In THIS
state I never saw a better outlook FOR
grass and hay and all similar pro-
ducts.
"As long as 1t has plenty of grass
Towa,s all ri-'r. We are disposed TO
magnify the Importance C.. otnet crops.
Our greatest industry is cattle raising,
and then we have a thousand creamef-
les in this state and as long as there
such prospect of pasture and nay Tor
the winter. neither Of these big indus
tries will suffer. Half of our farms
should be In grass anyway: With matt
of the acreage of Iowa producing such
a magnificent crop and the prospect OF
a fair yield from the other half, why
should anybody be discouraged! RINK
Of the humus that will be put back into
the soul by this years grass CROWNS.
"A few days of sunshine Will drive
away the recollection of rain, dry up
the wet fields and brighten up the
hearts of our farmers.
See that field Of corn on that hill
side there, and that over there on
that fiat stretch?" he asked as he
pointed out average fields in which the
corn was trying to poke its yellow
blades thru the muddy soil. That s
good stand, splendid And I've seen
plenty more just like it in my trips
across the state lately. Those fields
will come out all right, mark me IL they
don't, if it clears up soon. We've got
until the middle of June in most sec
tons of the state to get our cornf1elds
started and there's still ample time to
plant and harvest q corn crop before
frost comes.
'.The ground is wet but Iowa farm
ers shouldn't let the dampness settle
down over their hearts. The outlook is
still good and we ought to brace up"