Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-10-19
FARMERS IN WlNp.hlT sEcTloNs
DREAD ANNUAL HARVEST
OF CROP.
POTATO RAlsERs LOSE
BY RECENT HARD FREEZE.
spuds Near Surface Frosted and Crop
Will Be Cut One Third in Vicinity
Of Hampten-Green Corn Fed With
Success by Careful Management
Wilson's Rural Observations.

special to Times Republican.
Hampton, Oct 19-This is the first
week of the corn husking season in
this part of the country. Ever since
the time, several weeks ago, that
wind storm fattened the fields of many
counties Of Iowa feeling Of dread has
passed thru the mind Of the farmer
as he looked upon the innumerable
down rows not made by his team and
wagon nor by MS consent, yet made.
Stories of 7-cents bushel corn husk-
ers have scared some men and brought
the declaration from many others that
the corn might rot in the fields before
they would pay any such an out
ragecus price for husking. One farmer
really cid offer man cents for husk-
lug forty acres, and didn't get him at
that, but cents seems to be the gen
orally accepted price that will be paid
this year. Many agree that the bend
ing over to pick up down corn will not
be the most disagreeable feature Of the
work, but that the time and energy
that will be required to keep the team
on the right row will make the job
slow and disagreeable. Aside from this
IL is not thought the corn crop has as
yet suffered much from the effects of
wind but if the fall should prove to
be wet one there is no doubt that
much of it would be spoiled.
The freezing weather of last week
inflicted considerable damage on the
potato raisers Of this locality there be-
ing men here who grow potatoes on a
large scale. Where the potatoes were
above the surface or where they were
near the top of the ground and the
weeds and grass had been removed
preparatory to digging, a large proper
ton of them were destroyed. One ex-
tensive grower estimated his loss at
one-fourth the entire crop.
An observant man who regularly en-
ploys considerable farm help was talk
ing, the other day on the question that
is proving too hard for so many men
to handle and is annually driving many
middle-aged men to town who would
very much prefer to remain on their
farms. ut is not so much a question
| of supply as of quality" he declared.
Many are heard to inquire, Where is
the old-time willing, competent farm
| hand?' The best specimens of him
have gone to the cheaper lands in
northwest and southwest and bought
farms of their own. Others have left
their farm Jobs for the large towns
and cities, where they are in training
for the very best positions in life later
on. The rest are here along with q
| few as good as We're ever in the land
and many others who fail to anywhere
near earn the wages paid them. A
frequent suggestion is that importa-
tons from foreign countries might be
made to supply the deficiency but any
one who has watched a gang Of Greek
or Italian laboring men, or with two
or three exceptions those from any
other country, at work with pick and
shovel, see very little promise of ma
terial for an up-to-date farm hand
expert with dozen different kinds OF
machinery and able, or even willing to
learn to handle a team of horses with
any degree Of skill.
I'VE. are willing to pay more than
we used to do for help. We know tina,
wage workers must have higher pay
than formerly. That is not the un-
fortunate feature of the farm help
problem. 1t is the lack of service OF
which we have right to complain
Some day this thing will right itself
When the west is filled up and farm
emigration on a large scale ceases
and the towns fill up little more /,
will again be possible to find COM
petent help on the farm. However
that doesn't help out the old farmer
who is preparing to sell the farm wher:
he has lived so long because the young
est boy is almost 81 and has giver
his father to understand that he
doesn't intend to be a farmer after the
next birthday anniversary"