Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-01-16
One Instance of the Remarkable
Advance Made In Iowa Dur
ing Past Forty Years
EIGHTY CENTS AN ACRE LAND
Soldier of the Mexican War Bought
Three Hundred Acres Near Alden
Forty Years Ago and tho Price Has
Increased Over Ten Thousand Per
cent-WiIson's Letter.

| Special to Times Republican,
Iowa Falls, Jan. 16.A few weeks
ago visited farm, the history or
which affords n very remarkable In
stance OF rise In land valuation.
| About forty-flve years ago man
| named Hale. IA soldier OF the Mexican
war, availing himself of a privilege ac-
corded by the government to such SOL
diers, purchased a tract of some three
| hundred acres of land few miles from
where the present town OF Alden
stands. The price paid was so cents
per acre. Years afterward his son
took charge of the place, built thereon
a small house and a large barn, to-
gether with the usual outbuildings and
fences. Thirty thousand tile have also
been laid on the farm. which Is rather
low and level. Its present value Is "a
bout ten thousand per cent OF the orig
inal cost of the land. II may perhaps
be truthfully added that the laying OF
the tile was trifling task compared
with the expenditure Of energy that
would have been necessary to convince
the purchaser of the fact that his son
would live to see the day when three
acres OF the land would equal in value
the first cost OF the entire tract.
Mr.. w. III. Hale. the present owner
OF this farm, Is am interesting man. lie
Is by profession Il civil engineer and
is employed largely in that capacity by
those who contemplate thing their
farms. He regards agriculture as
science, which is yet In its infancy, ana
maintains that the young farmer OF to-
day will live to see methods used In his
vocation that will make present day
operations seem crude indeed. He says
the time will soon arrive when every
farm will be equipped with good build
inps, when the farmer will thorough
Nv understand the chemical composit-
ion of the soil he tills, it's fitness for
the production of the different crops,
the feeding value Of grains and grass
es, enabling him to grow the greatest
possible amount of feed ana 10 Ieeu
1t to the best advantage. Like many
others he is inclined to criticize the
present method OF the state In obtain
ing crop reports. He would make IL
one of the duties of county supervls-
ors to report regularly on local crop
conditions believing that the necesar-
ilv FREQUENT visits to the various parts
of the county In which he lives makes
that officer better qualified to accur-
ately report crop conditions than any
one else.
Passing the farm Of Mr.. j. G. Hibner,
n few miles south of here, one notlces
a new kind of farm gate which Is IN
some respects an Improvement over
ANYTHING OF the kind now In general
use. Three iron collars on the post to
which it is attached admit OF its use
AT as many different heights from the
ground. The two advantages In this
arrangement are obvious. In winter
when snow or any other obstruction
accumulates at the bottom OF the gate
and freezes there, 1T can be raised 10
position in which it will swing clear,
or when, as is often the case, IL IS
desired to allow the smaller animals
such as hogs or calves, the liberty OIL
two divided enclosures, and at the same
time to confine cattle or horses IN one
only, the gate can be raised TO the de-
sired height with little effort. Another
good feature is the double latch on the
free end which prevents the warplhg
of the gate. The frame Is composed OIL
wood and has q strip of woven wire
across the lower part, presenting an
appearance suggesting neatness, light
weight and durability. Mr.. Hibner mas
recently secured patent on his inven-
ton and has already made several
gates for those who have seen one and
appreciated its advantages.
few farmers in this vicinity are
putting in a new kind of water tank
which will, perhaps, come into more
general use later on. An excavation
about two feet in depth and of the de-
sired size is first made. The walls are
then extended two feet above the sur
face and the whole cemented. Stills are
then placed on the top of the walls and
a roof is built over the tank with doors
in the sides. A heater is installed and
the farm animals may have good
comfortable drink at any time. Anoth-
err device occasionally noticed Is an
open wooden tank without heater
The owner chops out the ice each day
and throws lHe Hliil III gear. Duil liS
cold, stormy weather his thirsty COWS
reluctantly leave the sheltered spot In
which they have been huddled together,
drink a few swallows. snort and shake
their heads, try it again, then with
lowered head and shivering body trot
back to the shed. Where this plan is
followed each animal is it's own tank
heater and the fuel consumed is the
high priced grain that was intended for
different use.
c. r.. WILSON.