The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-03-10
County Auditor Allen is
Seeking Information.
is COMPILING STATISTICS
Fostering Back to The
Farm" Movement.
County Official Is Seeking Light on a
Question Which Interests Every
Man in the County Whether he Re-
side I'm City of Country.

County Auditor Allen iS notninB
" not versatile. One day he digs
up a most imposing array OF inter
esting figures showing that farm
lands are appraised considerably be
low their valuations as shown by real
estate transfers and the next he is
boosting the back to the farm"
movement. However, Mr.. Allen Is
doing this simply as a matter Of duty
and his work Is filled with most in
teresting and valuable information.
Just now he is compiling statistics
calculated to show some of the con-
ditions which exist in this county,
why the boys are deserting the farms
and why they have better opportun-
tiles in their own county than in some
of the glowingly advertised sections
of the south and west.
The auditor is endeavoring to learn
as accurately as possible some of the
following things:
How many acres, n any, Of waste
lands, in Marion county, how many
acres of worn out or abandoned
lands, how many farmers have left
the county and gone west or south in
the last five years He will also look
into the matter of what sort of litera
ture is being circulated among far
mers of this county giving reasons
why the farmer can make more
money in some other state; in short.
Mr. Allen desires to learn the reason
If any, for any decrease in farm popu
lation. He wants to know what
makes men leave here.
~ xf flz xG,,f.
that the people of Marion county
would favor the teaching of agricul-
ture in the public schools and thinks
1t would greatly stimulate interest In
farming. 1t is found, that some, but
not many, of the schools through the
county are teaching the history of
the towns, townships, and counties,
while il is found that the geography
of the home community is not taught
in the schools. Another little thing
discovered Is that the country schools
are not teaching puprs how to write
business letters. how to properly re-
ceipt for money and the forms OF a
promissory note.
Roughly estimating, the auditor ar
rives at the conclusion that about 60
and spray their fruit trees this spring
while about 20 per cent have made a
little study of the question of mar
keting their crops.
One thing which VIII be hard to
learn with accuracy IS whether or not
the farmer makes az much profit out
Of his crops as the middle man maxi
es out of IT, other things the auditor
desires to learn is now many far
mers use gasoline engines, automo-
biles, ditching machines, cement tile.
commercial fertilizer, cream separa
tors, corn huskers, silos etc. in short,
he wants to learn Just how progress
sive Marion county yarmers are.
This report, when completed, will
be forwarded TO A, p. Sandles, sec
retary of agriculture and it is believ-
ed will compare very favorably with
any that may be received from other
counties. 1t is believed that farm
methods in Marion county are rea-
sonably up to date and that the far
mers need have no cause to fear a
comparison with similar workers in
other counties throughout the state.
Mr.. Allen has not attempted TO
place a value, for taxation or other
purposes, upon the ballot In this
county. but he's absolutely certain
that Adams county leads the state
and nation as to thrift among the
farmers in this respect.
See Dutch" Powell play tonight.