Warren sheaf., 1906-05-10
A Good Letter.

A Good Letter.
Madison Lake, Mimi, May S, 1906.
Warren Sheaf,
Warren, Mimi.
Gentlemen Il have been much in.
terested in articles written by farm
ers for your paper, in fact among the
many periodicals take, yours is the
only one that I carefully CLEAN. ]
was particularly Interested in the
article from Alfred Horgan of Ra-
dium, April 18th.
On my first visit to Marshall Co.,
in 1900, I became remarkably in.
terested in the possibilities of it's soil
and it's people, and later became in.
terested in a piece Of it's soil from a
financial standpoint.
To my mind the greatest needs fo1
the development of the farms is
drainage, including not only the large
waterways, but a systematic drain.
age of each separate piece of land,
more good stock, including the raising
of corn and other feed for them, AND
so far as possible, better tilling OF
the cultivated lands, including earlier
plowing and getting in the crops.
l could not touch upon these SUBJ
jects enough to even outline my ideas
of the best ways to accomplish the
above needs in an article of this kind,
and would not attempt it, but will
add my ''vote and Amen" to Mr..
Horgan on the corn question, yes,
and take in his COWS and milking, be-
cause I am aware that there is more
feeling among many farmers that
corn cannot be successfully grown
nor COWS made to pay for their keep
and that, to some disagreeable task,
of milking.
A word about corn, but first let
me say that I am not egotistical
enough to think that I know more
about farming than most Of my Mar
shall Co. neighbors, 1 am learning
from them every trip up there, but
perchance, I may know something
that all of them do not know, and it
is this Interchange of ideas that we
are after in these articles. The seed
for an acre Of corn costs but a few
cents. If it is planted in the right
kind Of land, Gland that is well drain
ed), and is put in properly with the
right kind Of tools, it does not cost
much more to raise than to summer
falloW, leaves the land better, and
gives valuable return in fodder,
even if no corn is secured.
Corn will do best on brush or tim
ber soil and if protected on the
north by grove or Windbrake, better
still and the more it is worked from
the time it sprouts until it tassels
the faster it will grow and develop.
About the time it is coming up a
thorough dragging both ways will do
it lots of good. A light drag will
not injure the corn, but will not only
clean the land of weeds, but also
make the corn grow twice as fast.
Then when it gets little higher go
after it with the ''sulky plow'' or
cultivator, two or three times before
haying time, and the ground will be
clean and a good crop assured, if the
man understands his job OF handling
the plow.
Care should be taken to get the
earliest and best varieties, etc., but
I am running this out too long for
a single article and will stop.
Hoping to see more of Mr.. Hor-
gans's articles and others, l am yours
for the common good OF Marshall
county. G. W. Allyn.
P. S. We had a little snow here
yesterday and this morning. Ice as
thick as a window pane four hun
dred .miles south --by south east Of
you, SO, if you got little winter up
there in the 'Bread Basket' don't
think you are the only afflicted COM
munity.