The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-01-07
The Farm Life Commission.

WELDON, IOWA, DEC. Is, 1907.
EDITOR LEON REpORTER.--I believe
this is the first real recognition and |
biggest consideration the farmer has
had direct from the president Of the
United States. Now God helps them
that help themselves, and we should
get all the help from this farmers com
mission they may give US. The letters
to Wallace Farmer telling of how to
better farm life conditions are greatly
varied and offer lot of different reme-
dies for the same cure. Charity Begins
at Home" We should suggest help for
Iowa and especially the southern part
of the state. Uncle Henry Wallace of
the commission will surely put in good
word for the middle west and for Iowa.
AS was born on the old home place
mile south of where we now live, re-
call the change of a great deal of raw
prairie to it's present condition, so
will digress from the subject and remin-
isence little Of the early history of
Garden Grove and Gospel Ridge.
Mr.. Winters settled here in 1919 and
was a Baptist preacher, and so this was
named Gospel Ridge. r. M. McBroom
entered land here in 1850. MIR. Nc
Broom and Susan Winters were the first
couple married at Garden Grove. jim
McBroom now owns and lives on the
old homestead where he was born 90
years ago but the McBrooms live in
all parts from Kansas to Canada. My
father entered land and moved here in
1854. The Meters now live in states
from Missouri to Washington. Josiah
Morgan, of whom Morgan township is
named lived in Garden Grove and later
on Gospel Ridge. He was buried in the
Meter cemetery in 1866, the first funer-
al in my memory. Two generations of
the Morgans now live in and near Boze-
man, Montana. My father bought the
three sos native pararie land, now We'll
don Meadows, in 1872 at $13 per acre.
bought half of this improved, in 1898
at $50, of brother Cy. We are still try
ing to improve the home also the quality
of the land and would not take 500 per
acre. Now what is true of the Ridge is
true of a great part Of the middle west,
but the farmer generally needs more
advanced conditions. The farmer needs
full protection from Uncle Sam the
same as big industries. Another thing
the farmer needs is more wizards,
Luther Burbanks, more wizards, Tom
Edisons, more Mendals law taught in
our schools, at Farmers Clubs, Corn
Clubs, Farmers Institute and in homes.
We need the essence OF Burbanks' in
vestigation and teaching offered On the
farm in hybridizing, fertilizing and ad-
agitation of grains, vegetables and fruits
We need Wizard Edison's rule and law
of Harvesting up natures forces to gain
time and save labor, and extract profit
and pleasure from them. Now tie big
industries here have been fostered and
protected till they cease to be infant
industries. 1t is now time that the
farmers should have little encourage
ment at least. At the same ratio of adj
vance in price of land, and increase of
population during the next fifty years
that have Just passed, we would have
to double production to live and have
any profit at all. If we should let our
Imagination loose and take ''Bill Nye'
view of looking forward, we should find
ourselves nearly on the condition OF the
densely settled little country of Bel
gium and the born and bred American
farmer will hate to come to that but he
may have to do it. In union and har
mony there is strength and we should
all pull together and should ask our of
: ficers elect, Carroll, Jameson, Brown
, Sankey and the rest to look after the
, welfare of the farmers of Iowa.
, A. II. METER.