Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-02-01
FARMERS WHO MUST vAcATE
MARCH 1 IN DILEMMA OVER
uNPlckEp CORN.
STOCK GROWERS NOT WORRIED
OVER BIG MEAT BOYCOTT
Sec Failure Of an Effective General
Movement - Packers Not Ones to
suffer-Farmers Generally Opposed
to Marrow Road Plano. e. Wilson's
Rural Observations.
Special to Times-Republican.

EIdora, Feb. With but TO, weeks
of time left in which to gather and
market their unpicked fields Of corn
still under foot of packed snow and
ice, multitude of farmers in northern
Iowa having made plans to leave the
der what they are going to do under
the circumstances. Ever since the first
snowstorm of the season put stop 10
husking it was hoped and expected that
the snow would soon disa appear and az
ford the usual opportunity of complet-
ing the interrupted work but instead
Of this more and more snow has fallen
and the corn is still in the fields. so
serious is the situation at the present
time that some of these Would-be emil
grants are figuring on the problem,
which would it be better to do, sacrl-
flee the ungathered crop or the pay
ment made on the Dakota or Minnesota
farm? 1t is said that one man near
Iowa Falls who is to leave the state
March 1 has ninety acres of corn IN
the field. Fortunately for him big
stock feeder operates in that locality
and has arranged to buy his entire
crop. Some of those of an optimistic
nature still hope for a couple Of weeks
this month with conditions Suitable for
a "whirlwind finish'' of the most pro-
tracted corn picking season Of long,
long time.
Very little uneasiness is apparent
among the farming element here be-
cause Of the announcement of the pro-
posed meat boycott, tho every hog
raiser realizes that he is the chief suf-
ferer in case Of it's success. The opin-
ion is frequently expressed that a boy
colt of the producer accompanying the
other would bring about the desired
result but that such a boycott in these
days could not be enforced by those in
terested. Call that the Chicago packer
would need to do to get the hogs said
one farmer, would be to bid way up
until big run was started and then
pay what he pleased when the stuff
arrived" The more thoughtful ones
agree that there is only one way to
settle the entire matter Of prices and
that is to induce more men to turn
their attention to production. Give us
cheaper and better farm help and we
will furnish the market with lower
priced pork and beef with no loss TO
ourselves" is the assertion made by the
farmer everywhere. One man In talk
ing on the subject declared that the
question of high prices will soon reg
ulate itself, that when the thing has
developed to a certain point attraction
to the farm will follow. and cited sew
eral local instances to prove that the
movement is already on.
d
If the opinions of few Hardin
their ideas on the subject, represent
body besides the farmers will have to
do the agitating for narrowing the
roads, If any legalized narrowing is
done. One Of the men most positive
that sixty-six feet is about the proper
width for a public highway is G. w.
Hall, who insists that the advocate of
narrow roads fails entirely to look at
the matter from the farmers point of
view. Several years ago Mr.. Hall seed
ed the half Of the roadway next his
farm, moved the succeeding weed crop
which enabled the grass to get start
and has every year since taken crop
of hay off the land declared to be-
wasted, by those who would lessen the
width of the road. Any other lapdown-
er can do and many of them have done,
the same thing. Very often it is neces-
sary for the driver Of a team to turn
round while travelling a road and in
such a case four rods is none too wide
a space in which to make the turn.
Then provision must be made for meet
ing other people with wagons, engines,
autos, and other vehicles and any sort
of "sidetracks'' would generally be
found to be located in the wrong place.
The experience of the past few weeks
when snow bank roads have made the
meeting of teams the dread OF the trav-
eler has demonstrated the truth OF this
In seasons Of heavy snow
the track is made impossible within
day when on soft day a few heavy
loads are driven over a road, making
a series of deep gdepressions that rem
der another track necessity. In spring
time the mud makes the same plan I'M
perative Another farmer said, MY
farm is cut up enough by railroads. al
ready. don't want any side tracks In
denting my fields"
About ten years age farmer en-
tered business house here shaking
his head and exhibiting other signs OF
an unquiet and troubled mind. The
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