Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-05-15
T.-R. Travelling Representative
Finds More Scare Than Dam
age to Fruit Crop
MARSHALL COUNTY TREES FULL
Investigation Of Orchards Reveals Ma
jority of Cherry and Plum Trees in
Good Condition - High Record for
Hoss-Roads in Bad condition--Who
is to Blame7

/ Year after year, and twice each yesf
at that, we who particularly depend
on the farmers for our living, suffer
| with the farmer the thoughts of frost
land each year we have the same
frost, which comes late in the spring
and early in the fall, and the same
report Of damaged fruit. Sometimes
the report is true. but in most cases 1t
lis very much exaggerated, and
this year is no exception.
In talking with w. Fl. G. Wood
ward, OF Marietta township. this week.
about the crop Of fruit. he smiled and
said:
TT will not be a question Of fruit
this year as much as the question of
getting money enough to buy sugar
with. Our trees are loaded with cher
ries, and we expect an enormous crop.
Other fruit is the same way"
Visiting other orchards of cherries,
apples and plums and talking with the
wv ASSSlOPS SAS SciAAS SSASA1AOAs
that Mr.. Woodward expressed. More
fruit than sugar.
Small grain Is in fine condition. The
weather has been just right. The cold
weather coming as it did gave 1t a
chance to stoll out and will help to
make big stand. The ground Is in
fine condition, and planting Of corn Is
in progress Some had their crops in
before the rains of Tuesday and We'd
nesday, and one man who planted FRI
day Of last week says his corn is all
most up. A great deal of care has
been taken this spring in the selection
Of seed corn, and farmers who never
before paid much attention to their
seed are growing more and more to
realize that when corn is selling at IS
cents bushel, a few more bushel to
the acre is all profit and that by plant
ing good seed, this increase can be
secured.
G. F. Hicks, on Henry Merrilrs farm
northeast Of town, holds the high rec
ord for hogs so far this season. From
thirty-two sows he has 209 live pigs,
of which he expects to raise at least
200, and in order 60, have corn enough
to feed them, so that he can get a
check for at least $4,000 for Christ
mas present, he is putting out ITO
acres, half Of which he will feed to
these hogs.
When I meet farmer who will put
his capital in and take his chances not
only with frost, but hog cholera, and a
low market when he gets ready to sell
them, it makes us fellows who have
set out a few tomato vines or have a
few cherry trees, which got nipped a
little with the frost, and we stand
around for three days telling our trou-
bles to every one, look pretty small.
Rains this week have found the low
places in the roads, and wash from
the hard rains has taken out some
small bridges and made many others
dangerous to travel. When will the
roads be smoothed up or the grading
which Is necessary be done around
these bridges? Certainly not while
the farmer has anywhere from fifty to
100 acres Of corn to put in, and II
you were a farmer you would not miss
day after the 10th Of May out Of
the field If you never got to town until
your corn was In.
Who else will dix them? Certainly
not the man who lives in town, altho
he has more to be gained by 1t than
the farmer. SO those Of us who's bus
mess takes us into the country
at this time of the year get along the
best we can, and hope that some time
In the near future some wise man will
discover a system whereby we can
make good, hard roads from the same
dirt that raises corn and oats better
than any other soil in the world.
GEORGE F. THAYER