Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1913-09-03

eIu " loNOh0Ani - I'll AZ al q IilOtl
county to Lake Superior is
worthless -
So says w. B. Pedigo, editorial
writer in a two column article
on Impressions on Reforestra-
ton" which appeared in the
Saturday issue of the Wausau
Daily Record-Herald.
Mr.. Pedigo, since the fight on
Grifith's pet reforestration
scheme in Villas and four other
counties begun last winter has
been much interested, and, for
his and the Record-Herald's ben
eft, expressed a desire some time
since that he would like to "be
shown" An invitation was ex-
tended him by Villas county farm
ers and business men to come
and investigate. He did, and
the following is the result. He
says in part:
1t is impossible that the advo-
Gates of conservation really be-
ieve themselves when they say
the land will produce nothing
but trees. There is no shadow
of doubt as to the land being
suitable for farming. To say
that land on which clover grows
wild, which supports the densest
underground with scores of Wig
orous weeds, vines, briars and
bushes, which, when cultivated
produces, corn, wheat, oats, rye,
barley, buckwheat, potatoes,
turnips, rutabagas, peas, beans,
berries, hops and a score of other
vegetables in the rankest pro-
fusiou-ALL OF WHICH | ACTUAL
LY SAW GRowNG-to say such
land is not agricultural is to
utter an absurdity. All the soil
surveys in the world could not
disprove the facts.
As an example of what even
poor sandy land will do, was
shown a forty acre field of pota-
toes planted by Starks & Rad
clife on one of those abandoned
farms" like those which have
been photographed to exhibit as
proof of the non-agricultural
character of the country.
Mr.. Radcliffe leased the field on
the 9th day of May and began
its preparation after that date.
1t was we'll along in June when
he got it planted. No fertilizer
of any kind was used. The land
was broken up, disced and plant
ed; then the plants were sprayed
with the various "dopes" recon-
mended for spuds.
The result is a perfect stand,
with the rows full of big pota-
toes. One ordinary hill gave up
twelve, large enough for market.
The field, which is now safe from
bugs, blight and frost, will yield
from a hundred and fifty to two
hundred bushels per acre, which
at even thirty cents a bushel will
run up to the snug little sum of
at least eighteen hundred dollars
not bad for field pronounced
worthless by the highest author
lty IN the state.
10 a stranger, unacqualnted
with the grounds upon which
the land is condemned, the crops
all look remarkably like those
growing in true agricultural
regions. Oats grow to enor-
nous size and make fabulous
Yields. The old timber roads
through the cut-over lands are
carpeted with red clover. timothy
and other grasses. A fine field
OF wheat west of Eagle River
showed what might be done IN
that line. | was shown a corn
held inside the reservation. The
corn looked as we'll as any III
this Marathon county. Corn
grows about all the farm houses
and has a thrifty look.
This is fully the equal OF any
other portion Of Wisconsin, /" one
man declared. If the cut-over
lands Of Villas county are not
adapted to agriculture, then the
Whole mort bnrn WISCONSIN. from