Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-11-26
Poor Crop Of Corn in Localities
Does Not Affect Advancing
Prices OF Iowa Lands
ONE CORN CONTEST RESULT
Farmer Near Eagle Grove Whose Son
Studied for Competitive Prize, Har-
vests Seventy Bushels Per Acre -
Corn Hu.kins Machinery Remains to
Be Observation-Disclosures Letter.
Special to Times Republican.

Just past, the appearance of the farms
In any locality Is hardly a criterion
by which the capabilities OF that 10
cality and the skill and energy OF the
farmers anha,biting it. may be judged.
Many farm fields that usually bear
evidence of having been carefully and
thoroughly cultivated, this year look
as tho very careless men had been IN
charge of them, when in reality the
reverse was true. On the other hand
the man who has succeeded In pro-
tilcing a good crop OF corn or small
grain this year Is justly entitled to
credit for being a good farmer, anu
the land which he owns or cents OF
being an exceptionally good farm, for
anterior farms operated by inferior
farmers didn't produce good crops this
year, If. indeed, they ever do. So far
as yields and appearances are con-
cerned the farmers of this vicinity
certainly have no cause for complaint
when they compare their results With
those Of others in other localities or
north central Iowa. Corn, while by
no means equal in quality to that
grown last season, is yet sufficiently
sound to keep when cribbed, and the
yield Is fair, the average probably
reaching 40 or As bushels per acre.
Land Is selling above the hundred dol
lar mark several miles from town. 1t
is doubtful if there is any better farm
ing country in this portion of the state,
at least, than in the vicinity Of Eagle
Grove.
Among the many fine farms of this
vicinity that impress the visitor is
one of 24O acres a few miles south
of town. It is owned and operated by
~. C. Middleton. He was found one
day last week out near the center OF
a large cornfield husking a load Of
corn. 1t was an easy matter to walk
thru that field. Very few weeds had
been allowed to grow there, the stalks
stood up well and the ground was ex-
ceptionally smooth and level Realiz-
ing that this was something more than
an ordinary corn field I inquired as to
the yield and was told that it would
be about 20 bushels. "HoW did you
do it?' was Pthe next question, then
came the explanation: This forty
has been under cultivation forty-four
years. So you see it is not because
the land is new. There are two miles
OF tile on It, Six years ago one Of my
boys entered corn raising contest as
q competitor for a prize offered by the
editor OF farm publication, and we
have ever since been building up from
the foundations he laid that year. The
field was cultivated with a surface Gull
tivatbr and you can see the rest" said
he, as he jerlled the husk off a big ear
of leaning" about fourteen inches
long, and threw it into the wagon.
zone thing more he added, "for sew
eral years this piece of ground has
been treated to a rotation Of corn,
clover and manure spreader."
sAs
a So far as the Iowa farmer is con-
cerned no other piece of machinery is
this fall the subject of so much
thought and investigation as is the
corn husker. There is a general be-
lief that the time has about arrived
when husking corn, by hand will be
superseded by some easier and more
rapid method as so many other kinds
>;of farm work have been in the past
few years. Several huskers are now
being operated in this locality and
they are attracting universal atten-
ton. One of these is now at work on
the farm of Baker Brothers, near this
town. Woodland Brothers are, using
one they have recently purchased in
their large fields and still another is
being used by Mr.. Allen in the same
locality. The manufacturers of these
machines refuse to sell them unless
cash accompanies the order, doubtless
because they realize that great i'm
provement is sure to come in their
makeup within short time, there
being some serious objections to over
come. On dry days they leave good
deal of husk on the ear, shell too much
corn and tear up and knock down the
stalk and blades until the rough feed
In the field, if utilized at all, must be
pastured before rain and snow have
destroyed its feeding value. On damp
days and in forenoons while frost is
on the corn they certainly do fine
work, none of these Objectionable
features attending. 1t may be safely
stated that the corn husking ma
chine has come to stay, will be i'm
proved and in general use within
very short time. AS much as ten acres
has been husked by one Of the local
machines in one day. By using
husker in the field and an elevator at
the crib corn husking is a veritable
SNAP" so far as work is concerned.
Just twenty-five years ago Nor
wegian settler of this community
named Johnson bought a 12O acre
tract near here, paid down $40O on the
place, and turned it over to his son
John, then young man ready for his
initial effort in the way of farming for
himself. The boys capital consisted
of meagre farming outfit and $40 in
money at the time. Without further
outside aid he has paid for and i'm
proved the original farm since then
and added to it until it now contains
almost 300 acres worth, perhaps, $780,
600 This is not given as a record
breaker at all, for it isn't such 1t is
simply illustrative of the energy and
business capacity of the Iowa farmer.
On Mr.. Johnson's farm is a $500 hog
house. 1t is built largely of Oregon
fir. In one end is a gasoline engine
with which he operates grinder bone
cutter and other machinery. Farther
up the hillside is a fine flowing well
eso0 which he pipes water to the