Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-06-11
$500 LAND PREDICTED.
State Center Farmer Says That
Price Will Be Considered Reas-
enable Within Ten Years
AGRICULTURAL
SPOT
BEST
Farm Equipment That is Good to Look
Observation-Disclosures Declares He
Could Make Land Pay on Basis of
$500 valuation-c. E. Wilson's Rural
Observations.
Special to Tlmes-Republican.
Observations.

Special to Tlmes-Republican.
State Center, June 11.-Oue Of the
questions frequently asked man who
is known to travel over a considerable
portion of the state is, what do you
consider to be the best agricultural
community you visit?' It is not an
have not yet travelled thru that part
which is tributary to this town would
do well to reserve their decision until
they have done so. One man, pion-
eer settler of this section, in CONVERSE
ton one day last week said: Some
time ago stood for the first time on
the shore of the ocean and looked out
over the water bounded on three sides
Of me only by the horizon. My mind
Immediately reverted to the days back
in the sixties when l stood in the door
way of my humble Iowa home and saw
stretching in every direction the gently
undulating prairies unbroken by
groves, cultivated fields, or anything
that varied the monotony of the sea of
grass or INSTRUCTED the view which ex-
tended for miles"
But underneath those grassy wastes
was a remarkably fertile soil and to
the region was attracted, whether by
chance or otherwise, a class of settlers
who were capable OF bringing it to its
present high state of development. To-
day nearly every farm in these parts
is equipped with a splendid house and
barn surrounded by a grove Of planted
trees. Few indeed are the sections
on which pedfgreed cattle do not Craze,
on the luxuriant pastures Of bluegrass,
timothy and clover enclosed by fences
of Usage or cedar posts and woven
wire. In the cultivated fields the farm
machinery Is moved by magnificent
specimens Of draft horses valued by
their owners at extremely high fig
ures. Feed yards even at this season
Of the year are by no means all empty
and great cribs Of corn are everywhere
yet to be seen On every hand are evil
dences of the highest degree of mater
ial prosperity.
go
what is the future of such a coun-
try as this?" asked of a prominent
farmer and stockman the other day.
Inside Of ten years." he answered,
land will sell here for 5000 per acre.
This is the very heart of the corn belt,
and the corn raising region is at pres
ent about all under cultivation. I
y
tione. the price of corn will gradu-
ally rise to a level of that Of wheat.
Last year raised 1000 bushels of corn
off twenty acre tract and can now
sell the product at 46 cents a bushel.
With such crops and prices I can make
interest on land that cost $500 per
acres and still have $12 for my labor
and expense. Such yields will in time
become common. It is nonsense to
claim that land is already too HIGH" he
continued, '.for it's very cheap today,
compared with the price Of tomorrow"
go
One Of the distinctive features of
this vicinity In the way of farm inn
provements is the iron gate which may
be opened and closed without leaving
the seat Of the vehicle in which one
is riding. They are being set up by
scores all over this part of the coun-
try, not only next the road, but in the
back fields. Recently a carload Of iron
gates, some 270 in number, arrived at
this station, and were taken, it is said,
within twenty-four hours by farmers
to their homes. One man alone took
thirteen OF them, and wanted more.
Wooden gates, however we'll put up
they might be. are simply "out of
style" here.
It Is said that when a man becomes
Intoxicated his true nature generally
reveals itself. That when in this I'M
fortunate state the liberal hearted man
becomes still more generous, the un-
sympathetic one, brutal. Likewise
mans character may often be Judged
by the manner in which he treats the
stranger who knocks at his door.
travelling agent few years ago called
on man living on one of the rural
routes from Marshall county town,
explained the nature of his business
and as it was almost noon asked for
dinner. He was promptly told to
travel on, as he.the farmer-didn't
propose to farbor any travelling agents,
whatever as all that class were ras-
Gals and were entirely unnecessary to
the business world anyhow. He was
doing his part, he said, toward stamp
ing out what he considered a danger
Gus tendency. At the next place he
visited the rascal mentioned this ex-
perience to the farmer who only re-
marked Hes queer" Since that time
the man has moved to another neigh
borhood where one of his new neigh
bors used q stronger descriptive term
than queer" in speaking Of him. This
case is fairly representative of few
that the travelling agent meets-their
number is constantly decreasing-and
he learns after few years experience
to attribute them to one of two facts:
ESher that the man who abused him
without cause was queer or else that
he did not feel able mentally to deal
with his visitor. whom he misused so