Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-10-06
STAY IN IOWA; IT'S BEST
Farm Lands Have Only One
Fourth the Men Necessary
For Proper Care
ION TO THE NORTH" THE CRY
T.-R. Staff Correspondent Finds Need
For Alarm in Rural Districts
Contrast of Present Situation With
That of Few Years Aso-Thayer
Advises Farmers to Feed More Stock
Special to Tlmes-Republ,can.


Traer, Ia, Oct. Gas one enters the
waiting room of any railroad in Iowa
today, one is confronted with posters
offering cheap rates to the northern
countries, and telling of the big crops
and good prices there. In driving thru
the country and talking with the far
mers, may be heard what has been read
in the depot.
In Iowa today is one Of the best, If
not the best crop that has ever been
raised, and yet many of the farmers
are preparing to pull up and go farther
north and leave behind the best coun-
try in the world.
The farm lands in Iowa today have
only about one fourth the men neces-
sary to handle their property. yet a
half dozen are moving out for every
one coming in
Not many years ago, as a farmer
son grew to manhood, an adjoining 161
acres were added on and a new house
hold started, but nowadays the sons
are being sent to farm the fathers
farm in Minnesota, Dakota or Cana
da. The new blood, the strength and
advancement are going from us, and
we are left with the older men and the
hired help.
The country surrounding this town
is an example. Many old farm build
ings too poor to move, are rotting down.
An old orchard, which probably was
some mans pride ten years ago, is
blown partly down. Weeds ten feet
high surround the cellar, where once a
house stood.
I drove four miles the other day
over mail route where but four
houses stood. Think of it - in CEN
trail Iowa-a strip Of land four miles
long and only four houses on both
sides of the road. Yet the cry is, on
to the new country.
This same piece Of road could, and
would, support thirty-two families on
eighty acres Of ground each.
Many of our larger cities are spend
ing large sums Of money advertising
their towns as the best places in which
to locate, but none OF the Iowa towns
will ever grow to be very big until
the emigration stops and more people
live on eighty acre farms and farm
them to better advantage.
1t looks to me, from what l see that
the Iowa farmer is spending too much
time and using too much ground pro-
ducing grain and not making enough
effort to produce something to feed 1t
to. I am asked every day: Where cam
get some stock hogs?" do you know
where 1 could get some feeders % They
all have an abundance of feed, but
only few are raising hogs and cattle
enough to consume what they raise
If they farmed less land they would
have more time to take care of more
hogs and cattle, and as rule the men
who are making the most money today
are the ones who are buying grain in
stead Of selling it.
Thru this section of Iowa farmers
are having considerable trouble with
their corn harvesting machinery. ac-
cording to report furnished me by
one farmer. He said, apparently dis
gusted, II never knocked off so many
ears of corn in my life. l have picked
that load off the ground, just going
across the field once Then he add
ed, in different tone Il have had
years when / could pick the field clean
and not get any more" Being inquisi-
tive, 1 asked what was the cause OF
the corn knocking off so. He walked
over to the wagon and picked off an
ear about as long as a ball bat, and
said: cit is too big to go thru the ma
chine Then he laughed, for every
farmer will take time to have little
fun with the town people. The farmers
are proud of their corn their hogs
and their homes individually, but kick
vigorously if you give them credit, col
lectively, for big crops, claiming ii
hurts the prices. They would rather
have reports of wet weather, cut
worms, hot waves. and early frosts
each in turn, as the season advances
and. then quietly slip in with Iowa's
share at about 400,OO0,00O bushels OF
corn. They forget that the government
big line elevators, and railroads, thru
their various agents, make reports
aside from what the newspapers say
More than a month ago the Iowa Cen
trail placed large order for box cars
so as to be better able to handle tht
crop grown along their road, and they
did not get their crop report from the
newspapers either.
ErnpnE Z, ruAvEP