Newark post., 1910-08-31
DR.. COOK WRITES
OF WESTERN TRIP


brief letter giving some impressions
after four wears residence in the East.
| have visited nine different villages
and towns in Indiana and Illinois on /,
this trip. some OF which | had not
visited for fifteen years, and none OF
which | had visited for three years. | |
was especially interested in noting the |
AGRICULTURAL conditions as compared |
with Delaware, the progress of the
towns and the effects ot local option
on the communities.
An unfavorabe season has been de-
cidedlv against the farmer. The early
part OF the season was SO wet that
much of the corn land was not even
cultivated and a great deal of the corn
was cultivated but once. However, IN
most places the corn will produce a
fair crop. The oats were exceptional
" good. the timothy meadows good
in some uiaccs and very poor III
others. the wheat was poor III most
places. The red clover was exception
ally fine, in most cases the farmer can
cut a ropof hay from their oat
fields and in some cases from the
wheat fields. Practically all the fruit,
except in the very southern parts OF
Indiana and illinois was killed by the
late freeze In general, it must be
said that the agricultural methods OF
Delaware are in advance OF those em-
ployed in many parts OF the Middle
West The farms here are in much
better condition and much better kept
than in most parts OF the country
through which | passed The con
trast in fruit farming was especially
noticeable. | saw manv acres OF or
chards viii n were uncultivated and
unsprayed. However, since they do
not have the markets that our Della
ware fruit farmers have it is to be eN-
pected that the methods should be
somewhat slow,
| was especially interested iii not
ing the increasing influence OF the
Illinois Agricultural Experiment Sta
ton In localities where the Station
was unknown few years ago, the
farmers are studying the bulletins and
corresponding with the members OF
the Station staff. The morep rogres-
sve the people the greater the inter
est in the work of the Experiment
Station.
They il!ages and towns have under
gone very great Improvement both II
" size and in general appearance. the
architecture of tn residence shows q
much greater varietj than is found II
this vicinity, and my attention was also
attracted by the very great number o
one-story residences. The abomn-
able double house is unknown outside
the large cities. The lawns were
much larger than here and well kept
The condition of the streets varied II
the different communities; i'll som'
places they were dirty and weedy
and in other places neat and clean. II
most places the street Improvement
were progressing rapidly. In SOM
towns oue-half the cost of street i'm
provements is paid by the town am
one half by the property owner, bu
occasionally a town charges the Ell
tire expense to the property holders
The sanitary methods in the smalle
towns and villages are poor, but
strict enforcement of law concernin
live stock in the town and an activ
board OF health prevents epidemic:
The passing Of the hitch rack roun
the public square is also worthy c
notice. Only few years ago tn
farmers drove to town and tied thei
horses to the long hitching rack whic
surrounded the court house square
These racks, relics OF pioneer day.
have been removed, and hitch LOT
provided for the farmers.
In many Of these towns and village
the local band gives a concert on
evening each week. The concert
given either in the town park or froi
a movable platform which is move
from place to place in the busines
part of the town. On these concel
evenings the streets ar crowded wit
people. The expense is betrayed b
the merchants, who are amply repai
by the increase in business.
The most interesting town vlsite
was Grcenvile, Illinois. This tow
which at the present time has abo'
1000 inhabitants, is located III VIII;
was for many years considered one
the poorest agricultural districts OF II
State About thirteen years ago tt
Helyetia Milk Condensug Compal
established a plant there. This pla
is now paying $1,000 per day to Il
farmers for milk One may readi
imagine the result the population h,
doubled the farmers have money
loan. and the value of farm proper
is from two to three times as gre
as it was thirteen years ago. HOY
ever, the value of town property h
not increased so rapidly as the far
property, but inducements are he
out to the people to buv property al
locate there. Rents are about tw
thirds as high as in Newark. This
one OF the towns in which all t
street improvements, paving, sid
walks, etc, are charged to the pro
crt yholders on the newly improY
streets. The improvements are mo
ing rapidly This town also has
college, established about twenty yea
ago. Last year the attendance W
324
| visited but one we town, VI
cennes, Indiana, and was there
only few hours The county