Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-04-11
LAND 1t S2iO PER
MARSHALL COUNTY FARM SALE
EsrAsLIsHEs NEW RECORD
FOR HIGH PRICE.
uNiMPRovED 100 ACRES
SELLS At FANCY FIGURE
Purchaser an Experienced Farmer and
Knows Land valuss-Lats Snow
Starts Discussion Of Value Of Spring
PIowins-Uss Of Gasoline Engine on
Farm-Wiison's Rural Observations.

Farm-vviison's Rural Observations.
Special to Times-Republican.
Albion, April 11.-"What is the price
Of farm land in your part of the state?"
is q question often asked by the north
ern Iowa man Of the one who lives
farther south. The latest farm sale in
this vicinity is an answer to the query.
There was recently sold from the Bur-
roughs farm, about three miles from
this town, a 1OO-acre tract for $4,000.
The man who purchased it bought the
land and that was about all, for on
some of the lines there is no fence. The
total value Of the improvements prob
ably Is not more than $500. Five thou
| sand dollars is none too great sum to
expend on an unirnproved farm in this
part Of Iowa to bring it to the stand
ard that farm owners here appear to
deem necessary and this added to the
original investment totals $4,000. The
man who bought the place ought to
know and does, the value Of land in
this locality. as he is a local farmer,
and 1t is said intends sooner or later
to place new buildings on the farm.
One hundred ninety dollars per acre
for unfmproved land or $240 with good
i'm provements-that's the price Of first
class farming land, well located In
Marshall county, and in a high state Of
fertility II this transfer of ownership
is to be regarded as criterion.
Last weeks snow, storm. which was
a rather heavy one in some northern
counties Of the state, furnished a sub
ject for discussion among farmers, viz,
the relative value of early and late
spring blowing. Said one good farmer.
with the possible exception Of timothy
or blue grass sod it is a positive dam
age to land to pillow too early in the
spring. If the surface of land turned
over is dry and warm it is possible to
prepare a warm and porous seed bed in
which planted grain may sprout and
grow at once. but il cold water or snow
and ice covers the surface blowing re-
tards the warming of the soil by the
sun. sours the ground and delays plant
growth to a very perceptfble extent. In
times like these many farmers get out
into their fields when they could find
far more profitable employment In the
harness room or machine shed putting
things there in shape to insure against
loss Of time in the field when condi-
lions warrant blowing and cultivation"
Does II pay the farmers to care for
farm machinery as a good stock raiser
does his horses and cattle? One Fra nix
lin county man Il asked the question,
would give an affirmative answer. with
out much hesitation. This man began
farming six years ago. Bought an out
~
hand, much Of it new. Sold it at pub
lie sale one day last winter and re-
ceived for it sum greater by several
dollars than the original purchase
price Of the outfit.
The general use Of the gasoline en-
CINE for power on the farm has opened
up a market for another kind of ma
chinery that is becoming more COM
mon as the days go blythe buzz saw.
There are perhaps ten of these outfits
this spring on the farms to one Of even
two years ago. Woodpiles are every
where in evidence and the groves and
windbreaks look the better for the re-
moval Of fallen trees and broken limbs
that are in this way easily converted
into summer fuel instead of being al
lowed to decay where they have
dropped.
Mr.. Ford Thompson has built on his
farm a combined ice house, refriger-
ator, cistern and storm cave that is
both literally and fguratively "out OF
sight" This is the way he did it, An
excavation sixteen feet long. eight feet
wide and ten feet deep was made and
in this was built wooden forms" for
cement walls and an arch Ninety sacks
of cement and an appropriate amount
OF sand were used in the structure in
which was placed partition wall six
feet from the foot OF the entrance. The
floor OF the larger room, the ice house,
was grooved, the drain pipe passing
thru the partition wall and leading to
"a cemented pit in the floor Of the en-
trance apartment. The capacity OF the
ice room, is seven loads and to date
the drainage from this amounts to less
than half a barrel of water in the pit.
Last year Thompson had all the ice
he wanted from spring to October. The
top of the structure is level with the
surface OF the ground and two cement
tiles form ventilators above. The door
is of wood, covered with galvanized
iron and fits into a frame of cement
work. The little front apartment is
first class place to keep butter, milk
and cream and the water taken from
the drain pit being soft. Is found very
convenient for use in the house. Mr..
Thompson estimates the cost Of sthe
cave Including labor at about $50.
I c. E. WILSON.