Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-16
NOT ENOUGH TENANTS
Farm Lands in Some Portions
of Iowa Can Be Rented at
Low Price
NO FARMERS TO TILL THEM
Explanation in the Fact That Cheap
Lands Have Drawn the Men Away
From Iowa and High Price of Farm
Labor-Another Reason in the Cost
Of Machinery and Livestock.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Rockford, April 16.--One day last
week a young farmer in this county
was negotiating with the owner for the
use of an eighty-ncre farm adjoining
his own during the coming season. He
had not intended to farm anything ex-
cept his own, but the owner of the
eighty was unable to And aitenant and
got 1t. The case is not at all uncom-
mon. Good, productive land can yet
be rented in many parts of the country
on very reasonable terms, notwith-
standing that field work has been In
progress for more than two weeks.
While it is everywhere admitted that
there never was time when the aver
age income from an acre of land was
so great as it Is at present, the great
men to cultivate that land. A, partial
explanation is found in the statements
that emigration from Iowa to the cheap
lands has drawn many farmers from
the state and that farm help is so ex-
pehsive that many are not farming so
extensively as in former years. Anoth-
.er cause for this state of affairs is the
greatly increased amount OF capital
required to buy and maintain a modern
farming outfit. Only a few years ago
any young man who could accumulate
four or five hundred dollars could with
that amount purchase the necessary
outfit for beginning. Now 1t requires
almost as many thousands to COM
mence in way that gives any promise
of success. One need not travel very
far this spring to see a four-horse
disking outfit that could not be bought
for $1,000.
The yards OF the same farmer con-
tain hogs that cost him $25 to $50, and
he thinks he beat the former owner at
that. The farmers machine shed of
today often contains stuff that could
not be replaced without an, expendi-
ture OF $500 or more, all of it necessary
to the successful prosecution of his,
work. Buyers are securing the coun-
try here and In other places for mich
cows for the dairy regions Of Illinois.
and the value of this class of farm
property is advancing almost as fast
as is the horse. "How much further
can this thing go before it begins to
go the other way?" is the question that
occurs to almost everybody interested
and the answer is not to be obtained.
One of the rural places of interest
IN this section is the big dairy farm
OF Mr.. Charles Howell, few miles
south Of here. Not many years ago
he began with two or three cows at
Mason City, carrying the milk on foot
over the. town to the few customers
he had secured Now he has between
seventy and eighty head Of registered
Jerseys on his farm and ships the en-
tire milk product to a station he has
established at the above named city,
where it is taken care Of by man
employed for that purpose alone: Mr..
Howell is an enthusiast on the sub
ject of sanitary milk" and advo-5
Gates not the destruction of germs
that milk often contains, but the keep
ing out entirely OF all Objectionable
accomplished by the methods he en-
tion Of the milk, and careful washing
Of cans being. the principal points upon
which he insists.
"Come into the house with me-" said
Mr.. Howell, "and will show you
what Jersey milk will do for the little
folks" and there on a cot lay fat,
cooling little specimen of infantile hu-
manity, that the dairyman explained
belonged to a mother who had been
to seek treatment at hos
pital and that the sixteen pound girl
baby that had been left with them five
weeks before had gained more than a
pound week in weight on a diet Of
"sanitary Jersey milk" alone.
The other day, half an hour before
the arrival Of a passenger train at the
station in a small town, about dozen
boys were lounging on the sunny side
of the building. Their ages ranged
from about s to 1s years Three or
four, the smallest included, were
equipped with pipes, which they ham
died like veterans. Obscene and pro-
fame expressions made up the greater
part of the conversation. Current
sporting events were discussed in a
way that showed considerable en-
lightenment on the part of the speak
ers and good listening ability for the
others. A whole years driving thru
the country would not enable one to
find such bunch of idle boys. The
farm boy. large or small, is seldom
without occupation of some kind. and
his early acquired habits of industry
no doubt account very largely for the
fact that so many Of the successful
men in every line of effort were born
and lived for time on the farm.
&C. E. WILSON.
REGARDING cLARKEN CASE.