The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1903-02-12

The wet season Of 1902 has given
great impetus to drainage schemes of
all sorts and kinds. Many of the wet
counties of the West are conducting
large drainage enterprises involving
the expenditure of thousands of dollars
TO provide ample and permanent out
lets for the surplus water of their wet
areas. while thousands of men are pre-
pairing to tile large tracts of farm lands
which such a season as the past has
rendered entirely unproductive.
The production of farm and garden
crops is being carried on very success
fully in connection with the state insti-
tutlOnS OF the Western states. In the
state OF Iowa extensive additions have
been made during the past year to the
farm lands OF nearly all the state in
situations, it being found that when I'M
der proper supervision the cOnvictS and
g. very large per cent Of the imbeciles
can thus not only contribute largely to
their own support, but in the doing OF
the work are greatly benefited mental
ly and physically. A sight which might
have been seen last July at one of the
insane hospitals was a brigade of Is.
patients engaged in hoeing a 40-acre
field of potatoes. The superintendent
hald told them that if they did not hoe
for dear life they would not have any
potatoes for winter use, and you should
have seen them hoe. They had plenty
OF potatoes.
The state of Iowa has taken mark
ed step in advance in the matter OF
working the public highways. Hereaf-
ter all road taxes are to- be paid in
cash.. The good old times are gone new
er to return when John Smith would
turn up about 8 o'clock a. m. in re-
Spouse &c the call of the road super
visor, plow a few burrows alongside the
highway SO as to dam up the water and
spend much time lying down in the
shade of a cottonwood tree, spinning
yarns which he dare not tell at home,
going home at 1880 and repeating the
performance in the afternoon, getting
credit for work to the amount of $3.50
faithfully applied on the public high
way. John will now pay his $3.50 in
money, and some man will be hired to
do days work Of ten hours under the
supervision Of township officer and
twice the work will be got for the
money.
The West should take to heart the
lesson taught by the abandoned farms
of the East-that of a wanton waste OF
soil fertility This evil was not brought
about in any one year or decade, but
like interest on mortgage or the prog
ress of an insidious disease worked
cumulatively and continuously until the
earth refused to yield her in crease.
The most splendid heritage of the West
lies not in it's landscape scenery. its
waterways or climate, but in the inner
ent fertility of its soil, the impairment
OF which is only possible by greedy and
barbarOus methods of agriculture
which, unfortunately, are too often to
be found, Today the buildings on
many an Eastern farm are worth more
than the land itself. and any effort for
the restoration of the fertility Of such
farms is of necessity exceedingly tedi-
Gus and expensive and in many cases
utterly useless. The owner Of fertile
Western farm should study no question
SO closely and intelligently as how to
preserve and maintain this natural fer
tility, for, like a mans reputation, it is
very hard to restore when once it. is
impaired.