Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-03-26

The following letter in regard to
the new road law was received
this week from the secretary of
state board of agriculture: "The
new road law which went into eff
feet the first of last January is
now on trial and we hope to see it
put into effect so that a marked
improvement in our system of
road work will be shown at the
end of the year. The State Board
of Agriculture has demonstrated
the effectiveness and cheapness of
the road in practically every coun-
ty in the state. Through your
paper 1 wish to call attention to
the farmers and particularly to
the o%verseers, of a provision in
the new law for maintaining the
roads with the drag. Section IA,
page 403, Laws 1907 provides that
the overseer may contract with
the farmers living along the line
of road for dragging the road when
ever it is necessary. Now, if the
farmers will cooperate with the
%overseers in carrying this pro-
vision into effect and the o~verseers
will contract with the farmers for
dragging the road for so much an
hour or so much per mile, we will
see a marked difference in the con-
dition of the roads in a short time.
This will not require the expendi-
ture of any more money than has
been made in the past but will use
the money in such a way as to
bring better results. The plan of
voluntary dragging has been a
success in some neighborhoods
but men soon become tired of do
ing what they consider more than
their share of road work and the
dragging is neglected; but under
this provision of the law the far
mer agrees to do the work for a
stipulated price per hour and at
the same time he is getting the
benefit of an improved road along
the side of his farm and for this
reason will take more interest in
the work and will feel under obli-
cations to do the work at the prop
err time"
An imposing sight now greets
the traveller who takes a journey
down the Frisco through the
Southern Missouri Peach Belt.
Everywhere in the big orchards
as far as the eye can reach, is one
veritable sea of pretty blossoms
for the peach trees are now in full
bloom. This year the blossoms
came out a little earlier than is
usual, owing to the mild winter
and the unusal warmth of the
present month. Never before have
so many buds been on the peach
trees at this time of year. Not
one has been killed by frost, some
thing unusual in this state. Cen
orally the peach growers begin
to get anxious early in February,
when the weather becomes severe,
but this year there has been no
cause for anxiety so far. Around
Pomona, Olden and West Plains
last year the peach buds were all
killed before this time, and fur
Their east some damage was done
on April 18th, when peaches and
apples in lowlands were damaged.
According to the almanac there is
only one more storm predicted
before spring comes to stay.
This is in the early part of April.
Should conditions remain favor
able this section will have the
greatest peach crop ever known.
According to estimates recently
made there are almost one million
peach trees around Koshkonong
and from that point alone more
than 1000 cars could be shipped.
Brandsville could ship one third as
many and other points in this
section may do as we'll. Three
car loads of peach trees have been
received at Koshkonong this
spring to be set out in the immedi-
ate vicinity. At other points
many trees are being planted and
if there isa good peach crop this
year the fruit industry will get
such a boom as was never known
before. The greatest anxiety now
with growers are the April frosts,
but many point with favor to the
old time prediction that when the
wind is in the south on Christmas
day it's a sure sign of a big fruit
crop.-West Plains Gazette.
s H1- Mt D-.s.