Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-05
LARGE FARMS
RESPONSIBLE
Il. II. EMERY SAYS FALL OFF IN
POPULATION IS DUE TO BIG
LAND HOLDINGS.
INTELLIGENT FARMING
More Care and Better Quality Urged
-intensif7ed Husbandry and
Modern Methods
Suggested.
INTELLIGENT FARMING

Larger farms and the tendency to
increase land holdings to drive out
the smaller farmer, is the cause at
tributed by e. H. Emery of the Emery
fruit house to the depletion Of the
population in Iowa. Mr.. Emery Is not
without remedy for this fall of in
numbers, however and he believes
that by inverting the rule that has ap-
piled, attention may be attracted to
the state and the income of those
within its boundary increased to the
extent that it will hold the present
population and induce other people to
live in Iowa,
The glowing reports from the far
western states regarding their crops
and enormous prices secured as the
earning capacity Of their lands, have
served as an attraction to the Iowa
small farmer and renter, and taken
him away from the Hawkeye state to
try his luck In the lands where great
promise held forth.
Mr.. Emery does not believe there
is much in this greater promise theory,
for he maintains that no state has
greater promise for big and safe re-
turns than Iowa. This, however he
Qualities by certain conditions that
are in his view necessary If the proper
results are to be attained These he
combined into two things, more in
tensified and intelligent farming.
More Intelligent Farming.
"A more Intelligent fruit industry
can be carried on in Iowa and with as
good results as have attended the ef-
forts Of the farmer in the western
states" said he. "Ottumwa and the
territory adjacent to this city can
make berry farming a pursuit well
worth following. TIE the strawberry
for instance. The crop of strawber-
ries raised hereabouts arrives on the
market at q time when all of the
others have closed their season. AS
the situation is at present and for
some time past, the berry growers here
raise barely enough in the annual crop
to supply the demands OF the immedt-
ate vicinity.
Should RepIant.
ITO 90 at the matter intelligently,
the berry farmer should replant his
strawberries every other year and
plant larger acreage. BY this method
this vicinity could market it's crop to,
a splendid advantage In the northern
markets at prices that would make 1t
worth while. There is one place in
Iowa that I have in mind where the
strawberry growers do cultivate the
berry with success. At Montrose and
at NAuvoo, ILL.,, across the river, dur
ing the strawberry season the growers
ship from eight to ten cars daily. There
IN absolutely no good reason why the
same thing cannot be done by OF
tumwa growers and the berrymen in
this vicinity.
Care For Apples.
"Another matter in which the Iowa
farmer Is shortsighted, is in the man
ner he cares for or rather fails to
care for his apples. You will scarcely
find, in fact doubt II you can locate
a man with an orchard around this VI
cinity and very few IL any in the state,
that ever sprays his apples. Nor any
that thin the apples out during the
season when nature has made the
trees bear abundantly. The Iowa
farmer may learn much from his far
western brother and that there is some
thing In apples II he will but care for
them. One man at Hamburg last year
made a name for himself as well as a
nice return from his crop, by appH-
cation OF common sense farming meth
DDS in his orchard. He in common
with others had an orchard that bore
heavily. Acting differently from all OF
his brother Iowa applemen, he
smudged his trees during the frosts
that are 50 killing on fruit. His eff
forts bore good results in the saving