Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-01-30
lesson FROM ] ||l|NO|S|
MEN FROM NEloHsoRlNo STATE
TRANSFORM FARMING COM.
MuN,r,Es.
INVASION or WET COUNTIES
FOLLOWED ~ THING SYSTEM
Many Sour and sossy Acres Converted
Into Fine Fields by Effort and Money
NORTH lows Farmers Gong in For
Dairyins-shortass Of Hay Crop in
Vicinity Of Garner.
Special to Times Republican.

| Special to Times Republican.
Garner, Jan. 30.-It Is interesting to
observe what happens to q neighbor-
hood when a colony Of Illinois farmers
come in and buy up a lot OF farms
from owners. who depend on none too
good n class OF tenants to dig out from
undrained, sour. half-improved land a
livelihood for both owner and tenant:
impossible. !undertaking when there is
o little too much rain or an early frost.
| The first year OF such a movement
| there are loads and loads Of tile, lum-
| her. sand, brick, stone. and cement
| hauled out. Posts, woven wire and
| more tile. Some big red barns 90 up
with double cribs. poultry houses. hog
| houses and tool sheds. The dirt or
| rather mud soon begins to fly out
| among the weeds and PUSHES where the
| ponds have marked the divisions OF
three cornered fields. Black ridges Of
| soil and red lines Of tile cross each
| other at right angles all over the place.
L
all completed and next year there will
be rectangular fields of corn: no more
point rows or plcwing around the
sloughs. The heaviest crop hcnceforth
will grow where the muskrat houses
i formerly made the land look from n
distance like great meadows OF shock
ed hay. The occasional really good
| native" farmer begins to feel proud
rather than ashamed of his location
and realizes that his farm Is worth
from SO to $25 per acre more than
under former conditions. aItho that fact
/ Is not so important now as he doesn't
care to sell any more. Every little
while this thing has been happening in
some northern Iowa community In the
past decade and the result is always
the same. Underground drainage was
condition OF successful farming in the
fiat counties and the farmer from the
state to the east brought the idea Of
thing, from the regions where he saw
1t do the work before. It Is interes ting.
instructive and gratifying to witness
the transformation.
Last week two prominent farmers of
this section were in a neighboring
state purchasing herds OF dairy cows
for use on their Iowa farms. These
animals are becoming popular In
places where only short time ago
nothing but the beef breeds were toll
Grated. II interest In dairy matters in
creases for few more years as 1t has
in the past five, this part OF the coun
1 try will be feeding at home all the
grain and hay that can be grown here
and an empty grain elevator will be
shack was in earlier days.
This is one Of the spots where the
grasshopper got in his work on the
crops last year. In the field OF one
farmer they cut the stems that sup
ported the green heads Of a crop al
most ready for harvest. perhaps one
third of the whole, leaving the ripe
ones untouched. The field was cut. and
as soon as possible a disc was run over
the ground covering the chopper" har-
vested grain, which was far enough
advanced toward maturity that when
the late summer rains came a splendid
fall pasture was the result, Those who
built silos last year or had already
done so have cause for self congratu-
lation for they are about the only ones
who have plenty Of winter feed. Last
year was one Of the most unfavorable
seasons In many years for seeding new
fields and farmers are wondering where
pasturage for next year is to come
from. Some experiments with alfalfa
were made in this vicinity and there
will be more this season.
The railroad companies are not en-
tirely alone in their transportation
troubles. Deep drifts In the roads and
the uneven packing Of the snow when
heavy loads were hauled over them
have made teaming In many localities
anything but pleasant and mishaps In
Vulnerable have occurred wherever
these conditions prevailed. AS an in
stance, one farmer started to town
with q load Of grain, Hadn't gone far
when he went into hole and crushed
runner. Borrowed neighbours sled.
proceeded short distance and clipped
over" wrecklng the wagon box. Then
he put his own box on the neighbours
hobs, gathered up the spilled load as
best he could and went on to town.
Started home and met rig where the
snow was the deepest. attempted to
turn out and give hnlf the road and
when he finally managed to get his
uOuIlucTluk lcfdUi luIV SHo tIdCk again
there was broken tongue to reckon
with and that Of sled that belonged
to somebody else. Fine thing, hauling
grain under such circumstances.
$50
Much has been said recently about
the buying Of high priced farms by
those whose means-are limited to small
amounts and the great risk they incur
In such ventures. About two years ago
man paid $1,000 down on quarter
section valued at about $3.50 per acre.
He had been renter for many years
but thought he would like to have a
farm of his own. Last year he raised
big crop which he sold for enough to
net him a good profit above all ex-
penses. but the load was heavy and the
=.