Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-05-07
Special 70 rimes-Republlcan.

occa sional one much larger, We're the
ponds, innumerable in number Larger
in wet than in dry times, but always
In evidence. "This country has an ex-
cellent SOIL but much Of the land can
never be drained because there is no
outlet" said many w no saw 1T. But
they were mistaken. Today almost all
of it is under cultivation. The fields
have been squared up. the ponds have
disappeared and will not again return.
The value of the land has increased
surprisingly and indications point to
the conclusion that this will soon be-
come one Of the best agricultural por-,
tons Of Iowa.
The direct cause Of this remarkable
and sudden transformation of q land Of
ponds and disappointmerlts to one ".
cornfields and prosperity is the recent
construction Of q series OF artificial
water courses, designated usually as
drainage bitches. For time after tsi
completion the big ditch winding thru
the lowest portions of the land which
1t Is to drain great ridge or winrow
OF earth piled on either de is an ula-
slightly spectacle but With. very few
years there occurs aSdecided change OF
appearance. The dirt II scraped Or
plowed down and leveled and scattered
by rain and frost, grass and grain are
soon found growing TO the very edge Of
the ditch and after awhile only an ex-
perienced eye detects any considerable
difference In the natural and the arr.
tifcial stream into, which hundreds Of
strings Of tile lead from the adjacent
land. One fact perplexing to many Is
noticed invariably where a pond is tiled
out and the land it occupied plaeed un;ST
der cultivation. For few years IN
sRsshat was the lowest part Of the former
pond good crops grow from the begin
Mtg while those portions which formed
the outer. edges refuse to respond read
ilyA to cultivation An observant farmer
explains this by saying that shells Of q
ponds were washed ashore and formed
an excess Of lime which must be,
mixed with earth before it will produce
a luxuriant vegetations the process
sometimes requiring several years.
It is noticeable that these reclaimed
sections are populated largely by for
mer Illinois men who saw the benefi-
cent effect of the drainage ditch in
that state, and it is owing largely to
their efforts that the plan has been
put into operation here. A large pro-
portion of the farms are occupied by
their owners many nonresident own
ers having hurriedly sold OUT rather
than submit to the heavy drainage as
sessments which they foresaw were in
evitable. The effect Of all this on land
prices is already apparent, one farm
near Williams recently changed hands
at 500 per acre. man near Blairs-
burg paid $50 for an untitled eighty, so
wet heretofore that little of 1t could.
be cultivated, and a cheap" farm is;
not to be found anywhere within any
OF the drainage districts.
w. F. Lutzke, a farmer near Will
fans, believes he has found simple
and easy method Of adding Ave to ten
bushels per acre to his yield of corn.
Early in&the spring, as soon as condi-
tions permit, he thoroughly harrows
his fall blowing, sometimes allowing
small grain planting to wait until that
matter has been attended to. The
theory is that many c1ods are crushed
that would remain unbroken If left
till later. and a considerable amount
of fertility thereby released that would
not be otherwise available. Several Of
his neighbors have become convinced
that the plan; is a good one and are
following his method.
- - - y. Z
Two or three years ago the non
resident owner Of a large farm on one
OF the rural routes from Blairsburg,
found himself without a tenant for the
place. It was not very desirable farm
and several men had previously failed
to keep even financially trying to oper-
ate it. Buildings and fences were in
dilapitateds state and the fields We're
getting back to slough grass and weeds
as in the days before land was plowed
in Wright county. Finally young
man from distant town was induced
to take hold of the place. He had had
no farm training whatever, was with
out capital, unmarried, had always
been regarded as sort of ne'er-do-weH
in his home town, and in fact was to
all appearances about the most un-'
promising tenant that had as yet
tackled that farm Last week I visited
the place and found the same man
there that began its management under
such unfavorable conditions His
fences are all in good shape, small
grain coming up. fields ready for corn
planting, cattle looking well. about
fifty fine spring pigs in the yards and
a woman and child in the house which
he mentioned as my wife and baby"
The boy whom nobody believed would
ever settle down and who was danger.
ously near deserving the title of tramp,
had in that short time become re-
spected and prosperous farmer Few,
indeed. are the cases that parallel that
OF Frantz Hagenstein. who grew to
manhood in the thriving town Of Ack-
~. C. E. WILSON.