Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-09-08
Farmers in the ''Wet' Sections
Of Iowa Finally Convinced
of Its Value
DISAGREE AS TO. METHODS
Discussion in Progress as to Merits of
Floating Dredse and Dry Ditcher-
Much of Work Might Have Been
Done by Farmers rhemseIves-Wil-
sons Observations.
oecial to Times Republican.

~
Special to Times Republican.
Goldfeld, Sept. S.--As the crop grow
ing season nears its close the farmer
Of this locality, western Wright and
eastern Humboldt counties, sees that
barring unreasonable ripening wealth
er, his labors will be rewarded. with
an average ,crop of corn. He knows
that his oats yielded all the way from
twelve to fifty bushels per acre, early
varieties on high or well drained ground
running to the latter figure in several
instances The average is perhaps not
far from thirty bushels. AS dn nearly
all parts of the country hay is an
abundant crop and meadows covered
with second growth clover are espe-
cially luxuriant.
AS year after year. of excessive
spring rain passes by. those who have
been reluctant to tile their farms are
gradually awakening to the fact that
iattho involving heavy expense at the
outset the investment at once begins
to return good dividends and many Of
the little artificial subterranean cham
nels are being created turnout the re-
gion designated. A $4,000 ditching
project is to be conducted west of here
a few miles which will drain what Is
known as Owl lake, a marshy region
of about 1000 acres and several thou
sands of acres of adjacent low lands
additional. A. lively discussion has
arisen as to the comparative merits OF
the dry-land ditcher and the floating
dredge. The former begins at the low
er end of the region to be ditcied, and
the latter at the upper. Those who
favor the dry-land machine claim that
the floating dredge digs a channel 50
wide at the bottom and with such steep
sides that within a short time 1t will
cave badly and the black dirt that falls
to the bottom will soon produce q
growth of grass, trees and other veg
citation that will cause 1T to, fill up.
Others firmly maintain that the dredge
is the better machine Nearly all OF
the many great bitches in this region
were made by them and little or no
trouble has thus far been encountered
in their filing up. An assertion FREE
auently heard in communities where
public drainage has been effected is In
substance this. II we farmers had only
got together before this thing was
done we could have drained our land
ourselves with much less expense to
us but two or three men blocked ev-
cry attempt we made and the COM
pulsosy and more expensive method
was the result
One of the hnest country residences
in Wright county If not the finest,
is nearing completion on the 400-acre
farm Of James MCGOWAN four miles
northwest from Goldfield It is built
of cement blocks. 1t is thirteen room
structure with an eight foot basement
under the entire house. Solid cement
walls divide the basement into Ave
large divisions, one Of which, the laun-
dry room, will be 12x20 feet. The vege-
table room will be 10x22 feet in ex-
tent, an ample fuel room has been pro-
vided for also great underground
store room A hot water heating sys-
tenn will warm the building, and other
modern equipments will provide COM
fort and utility 1t is estimated that
the structure completed will cost about
$4,000.
Here are the reasons why a success
full old farmer Of this vicinity follows
the plan of stacking his oats instead
OF threshing them out Of the shock.
'sThe extra labor Of shock threshing,"
said HE, "suffices to do the stacking.
Those who don't stack naturally are
anxious to thresh just as soon as they
can, and consequently they are at the
mercy OF high priced help, and a high
priced thresher. The chances are that
the shock-threshed oats will be more
or less colored, and that means a
discount on the price If sold, or just
as great a loss If kept and fed. Many
people believe that heaves in horses
result only from feeding dusty hay,
but oats that have gone thru the
sweat in the bin, or that have been
damaged by rain in the shock, have
ruined about as many horses as dusty
hay The straw from stacked oats is
much more valuable than the other,
usually, and the work OF threshing can
be postponed until the hottest days
have passed. simply cannot UNDER
stand why men will persist in thresh-
ing out Of the, shock" concluded the
old farmer, when there are so many
reasons for another and better meth
3D." g. p. WILSON.