Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-03-14
MANURE and PRICES
ExAMPLEs OF MAKING HIGH
PRICED FARMS YIELD PROFIT.
ABLE RETvRNs.
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE
BUSHELS or CORN PER ACRE
Joe Feso, q Eidera. Demonstrates
Value Of Putting ingredients Back
Into the Soii-An Experiment. IN
Broom Corn Raisins-c. e. Wilson's
Rural Observations.
Special to .Times-Republican.

Rural Observations.
Special to Times Republican.
Eldora, March IA few years ago
northern iowa farmer. weN-known to
the section Of country In which he liv-
ed, talking about the rising price OF
land, ventured the remark that $40 was
the very limit Of actual value for an
acre of farm land: that the then pre-
vailing selling price. about $50 at the
time. was exorbitant and fictitious
and could not be maintained. He con-
fidently expected to see prices drop
back to normal figures within q short
time.
Other men in that locality and for
that matter in every other one In Iowa
have been saying the same thing ever
since, raising the value limit from time
to time but always predicting the drop
that does not come. Then there Is the
other oft expressed view that land Is
cheap today compared with what 1t
will be in the not distant future, that
present day farming methods are care
less and crude and that better farm
ing with consequent heavier crop
yields will permit of profitable returns
from land that commands a market
value of two or three times what 1t
does at the present time.
One man, at least. in this locality has
demonstrated what can be done in the
way Of getting crops big enough to
warrant the purchase Of farm land at
prices that make present ones look like
rare bargains obtainable today but
never again.
Mr. Joe Fagg owns a farm Of about
100 acres near Eldora. Thirty acres or
this was used for pasture continuously
for twenty five years. Twelve loads OF
manure per acre were scattered over
this land each year during the last six
years 1t was grazed Last spring it was
broken up and planted to corn. An
army Of cut worms invaded the Held.
however. ana It foraged on Faggs
young crop until the promising parallel
streaks Of green grew DINNER and
fainter and finally disappeared. Then
the horses were hitched to the old corn
planter. the old rows were etraddled
and one more man had replanted his
COIHs "A CO0pl6 "a WSChS IdSOH ~ "dS
known that about two-thirds Of stand
Of each planting would grow. It looked
like slim prospect but after a time a
weeder was run over tho double rows
Of corn. now about four inches in
height. November came and with 1t
a man to husk that field Of corn.
Eighty pounds was called a bushcl and
| every load was weighed. Tho hired
man that did the Job received o check
for $14l. He was paid = cents per
| bushel for his work so he must have
picked 5000 bushels. Twenty-six
bushels Of seed were taken from the
field and 1t is estimated that visitors
carried of at least fifty bushels more
Of the biggest ears Of corn they had
ever seen. Everything included, that
thirty-acre field Of corn yielded lit
tie better than 122 bushels per acre
and II the crop had been cut up and put
into silos II would have wintered half
the cattle IN the country for some dis
tance in every direction.
There is a permanent pasture OF
about fifty acres on the Fagg farm
Last year was not a very good one for
five head Of cattle from March Is to
about Nov. 1. Here again the manure
spreader has been a daily visitor, about
nine loads per acre having been scat
tered over the entire pasture.
There IS still another field on the
farm from which record yields have
been taken since the present owner
assumed management. In the year
1905 It was planted to corn put in with
a drill. This averaged $50 bushels per
acre. Corn was grown on the same
tract during the three succeeding sea-
sons. the average estimated yield be-
ing eighty bushels per acre. Last year
It was planted to oats and the man who
did the threshing was paid for separat-
ing ninety-three bushels per acre, ma
chino measure. Every bushel weigh
ed out bushel and q half. therefore
1891 was the number Of bushels Of
oats that each acre Of land produced.
It might be here stated that this land
was carefully measured and that each
acre contained 100 rods, no more. no
less. Along with this crop a nne stand
Of clover was obtained.
The means by which these tremend-
Gus yields were obtained are. accord
ing to the man who secured them;
first, covering the land with manure;
second. q good seed bed: third. planting
Of good. clean seed: and fourth. careful
cultivation. Nothing secret in the pro-
cess at all. Every day in the year his
manure spreader makes one or more
trips. No refuse - allowed to accumu-
late, on the farm AMI muci, is i,au;eo
from the nearby town A lot Of stock.
dairy cows. calves and hogs are kept
on the place. Land maintained in this
condition, declares Mr.. Fagg, Is not
affected by extremes Of drought and
moisture like that not 30 fertile. OF
course such farming IL no picnic, but II
answers the question: 'Is It possible
for men to farm land that is already
high IN price and which gives every
promise Of going much higher. and yet
receive profit on Investment and rea-
AE7 H. indigestion,
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