Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-07-19
DES MONIES LETTER

DIES MONIES LETTER
Des Moines, Ia, July 1.-THE bulletin
Just issued By the experiment station of
the Iowa stale agricultural college at
Ames shows that Iowa loses $40 100000
year on account of bad drainage, or
lack of any drainage. At five per cent.
interest, this represents an investment
of $400,000,000 that is nonproductive.
The data from which this bulletin has
been prepared was gathered with great
care from all the counties in the state,
and 1t has been in course of preparation
for many months. The returns are sum-
married as follows for 1903:
Average size of Iowa farms in
acres ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 10Y
Percentage of land partly nonpro-
ductive In 1903. Observation-Disclosures. 1872
Percentage wholly nonproductive. GA
Percentage in pasture because too
wet for cultivation .............. 80
Percentage subject to overflow. GA
Percentage of farms that would
be benefited by drainage. AT
productive 1862 1856
Annual loss at s. an acre.......... $50, 81, IT'S
Nonproductive capital involved at
five per cent. S4Ub, 200, oUO
Cost of drainage at s25 per acre. .$10l, 55s, S75
Net increase of property value in
counties of Iowa. .S304, $1,000
The information of land needing
drainage came from 1000 farmers, and is
regarded as very conservative, probably
Understanding the actual situation.
70 81 nf 6roi in ic
said to be high enough to more than
cover all possible contingencies, and
it is claimed that it does not usually
reach this figure. The estimates were
furnished by experienced drainage en-
gineers. Much money has been wasted
by badly-constructed bitches and thing
laid without proper plans or knowledge
of how to do it. 1t is urged that no
farm that is in any need of drainage
can be properly worked without it.
Rotation of crops is impossible unless
all the farm is in equal working condi-
ton. The enormous increase in the
value of farm lands has brought the i'm
land forcibly to the attention of the
state. The wet seasons of the past two
years have accumulated it. The north
western counties are chiefly interested.
Some counties have suffered almost to-
tai loss of crops in large areas because
of lack of drainage Towns have been
greatly reduced in population because
the farmers, who support the towns, had
no crops and no money to spend in the
towns. The new drainage law will, it
is hoped, aid in the extension of tile and
other drainage schemes.
Date Set for Convention.
The republican state convention will
be held in Des Moines July 20, and will
nominate successors to the following
named state officers:
Secretary of State-William B. Martin,
Adair county.
Auditor of State-B. F. Carroll. Davis
county.
Treasurer of state-G S. Gilbertson, Win
nebago county.
Railway Commissioner-Ed. c. Brown,
O'Brien county.
Judge of the Supreme Court-Horace E.
Deemer, Montgomery county.
Attorney General-Charles w. Mullan
Black Hawk county.
All these will be renominated with
out opposition except Railway Commits
sioner Brown, who is not candidate for
second term. The candidates to sue
coed him are: Col. Welcome Mowry.
of Tama county, who was Mr.. Browns
predecessor; N. S. Ketchum, of Marshall
county; DR.. Frank w. Porteraeld, of
| Cass county; Chris. Ottosen, of Hum
boldt county; Owen Lovejoy, of Green
county, and Ed. Sitz, of Clay county.
The contest is generally considered to
| be between the first three named No
| other contest promises to come before
| the convention, though there may be
some contest over the organization Of
the state central committee. Mr.. R. IA.
Spence, of Ringgold county, is certain
| to be given fourth term as chairman of
the committee, to manage the republican
campaign in Iowa this year.
70 Utilize Swamp Lands.
The last legislature enacted law pro-
viding for the surveying Of the lake
beds of the state that may be drained
and the land made useful The pro-
ceeds of the sale of such land go to the
counties in which it is situated, instead
of to the state, as heretofore with swamp
lands Gov. Cummins has appointed L.
B. Ashbaugh, of Ames, to be the sur
yeyor, who shall determine the extent
of the drained land, as required by the
law. The executive council made. a
rule that the county surveyors should
not be permitted to do this work, as il
was considered better to have it done by
an outside and wholly disinterested off.
Ger. Prof Ashbaugh is regarded as an
authority on drainage matters, as he has
been in the work long time, and it was
he who prepared the drainage bulletins
issued by the government experiment
station at Ames. It is expected that 8
large area will be redeemed from use.
lessness by this scheme, and that the
counties will realize handsome sums
from the sale of the lands, over ant
above the cost of drainage. Most of tn,
land is in the northern and western
parts of the state.
Railroad Taxes Increase.
The railway companies paid $1,S74,
419 in taxes in 1908, which was an in
crease of about s25O,OOO over the previ
Gus year, and amounted to about one
eleventh of all the taxes paid for al
purposes in the state. The taxes paid b.
the various lines were as follows:
Miles of Taxes pal
Name of road or d. main track in 1903 in
4 Irtr,n low