Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-04
Good Roads Problem Discussed
at Wapello Farmers Institute


appointment of a commission to have
charge Of the road work.
Crank on Roads.
Jacob Lowenberg was the next
speaker on the subject and he declar-
ed that he was an old crank when it
came to good roads. Mr.. Lowenberg
stated that there was only one enemy
to good roads and that was water
Proper drainage so that the water
could be carried off Immediately fol.
lowing the rain he believed would
soon solve the problem. Build the
roads up in the center and bitches
along the sides to carry OFF the water
and the problem will be solved,'' said
Mr.. Lowenberg. He could see no
reason why with the money realized
from taxes the roads could not be put
| in good condition.
Used King Drag.
Elmer Moore said the main point
was getting rid of the water. He told
of how they did the work out in Rich
| land township. Out there he stated
they hired two men and two teams to
do the work and they accomplished
their task with. good results. MIR.
Moore is strong advocate of the
King road drag and he told of the
work that he had accomplished with
the simple little device on the roads
in the neighborhood of his farm.
Where Does Money Go?
Following the completion of Mr..
| Moore's talk, Postmaster Nimocks
arose and stated that $1,000 or like
sum was turned over every year by the
board of supervisors to the mayor and
| city council to be used in grading and
putting the main thoroughfares leading
| into the city in good condition and
that instead OF it being used for the
purpose intended it was used in clean,
I ing up alleys and other streets where
1t was not intended for.
Frank Gephart, president of the
Farmers Institute, stated that the
|roads leading into the city were in a
more deplorable condition than the
roads in the rural districts. Other
farmers present also stated their views
on the question. The culvert question
was also discussed and by the opinion
expressed by many of the farmers they
were in favor of the concrete culvert
instead of the old wooden or iron pipe
1 culverts.
i Afternoon Program.
Besides the good roads question
which proved an interesting part OF
the afternoon many other numbers OF
merit were given. The afternoon SEES
sion was opened by President Frank
Gephart who delivered short address
concerning the institute. He con
graduated the farmers present for
their loyalty to the institute. He pre-
sided over the meeting Invocation
was pronounced by Dr. T. w. Jeffrey,
pastor of the First NJ. E. church and
Mrs. George w. Evans and Madison
Warder rendered a duet on the piano
B. w McGinnis favored the audience
with a pretty baritone solo entitled
| "Melody of Love-" S. P. Hartman
on Fruit Raising on the Farm" Miss
, Edna May Grove favored the audi
ence with two readings, 'Wood Ticks,
| and bill Smith Miss Grove mas
5 marked talent as an elocutionist and
| her two readings were heartily ap
| plauded by the audience.
"Enemies of the Fruit Groves"
Enemies of the Fruit" was the title
of an interesting paper by Rollir
Kinds of Hedrick and he handled his
subject thoroughly Mr.. Kinds is {
| member of the Iowa Horticultural
: society and is well posted on the SUD
: ject on which he talked. Mr.. Kinds
| opened his address by stating that al
| though Iowa could become one of the
4 best fruit states in the union, but the
| Iowa farmers pay too much attention
| to the raising of grain, stock, and poul
} try, and by doing SO are letting slil
2 by one of the most profitable sidt
{ lines of farming. In speaking of The
| two general enemies to fruit growers
/ Mr.. Kinds named the insects and thu
y fungus diseases and he went on tt
: explain how they did damage to thu
a fruit and fruit trees. He named tht
8 rabbit as another enemy of the frui
/ trees He handled all of the subject
i thoroughly, going into minute detail
t and the address proved very helpful
/. to the farmers present who hav'
small orchards. Mr.. Kinds is recogniz
d ed as one of the best authorities OF
e the orchard business in Iowa and III
n receives many calls from horticulture
l. societies to deliver addresses on on
/ of the most profitable industries in TIL
+ country