Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-01-23
TO Be
USED in FARMING
Rock Island County Boys Get
4 Valuable Pointers at Univer-
sity Short Course.

Especial Correspondence of The Argus.)
Champaign. ILL.,, Jan. 21.-There is
likely to be an increased demand for
ground limestone to improve soil fer
tility in Rock Island county when
the boys attending the short course
at the college Of agriculture here re-
turn home. These boys were today
shown by Professor o. S. Fisher of
the soil fertility department just how
to test earth for acidity and how to
determine where there already is sufi-
cient limestone. The professor also
explained the necessity for using
ground lime rock in many cases to
get best results with any sort of a
legume crop.
the case elsewhere, many of the
farms Of Rock Island county have be-
come acid from the chemical action
that has resulted from heavy and per-
sistent cropping, particularly where
the rotation has not been what 1t
should be. If the boys who today
| learned how to do it make soil tests
to advise their fathers to buy lime
stone forthwith, so that the crop of the
coming season may have the benefit
of it.
Few parts of the state have a sup
ply of ground lime rock as convenient
! for use as Rock Island county, and
while this material is not costly as
| fertilizers go in any part of the state,
| the farmers of Rock Island county
have distinct advantage in that
many of them can get it without hav-
ing to buy 1t in carload lots, IN fact
without being compelled to pay any
rail transportation charges. In many
cases a load of produce can be hauled
to market and load of>limestone TAX
en- home from a nearby quarry on the
return trip. Where 1t is desired mere
ly to experiment with a small area
of land the cost will be very light
This was highway improvement day
in the short course and there were
addresses by A. N. Johnson, state
highway engineer, and w. G. Edens,
president of the Illinois Highway I'm
provement association. Mr.. Johnson's
address was illustrated by stereopti-
con, the views showing improved and
unimproved roads in many parts of
the country. Cost of road making
and methods employed, with various
materials were discussed and a sys-
tenn for permanent work carried on
d by means of national and state aid
was advocated.
Mr.. Edens pointed to the fact that
there are 1900 highway commissioners
in charge of the roads of Illinois, re-
sulting in 1890 different methods Of
road making and maintenance. The
$7,500,000 now expended annually on
the highways in the state is practical
ly wasted, SO far as permanent re
suits are concerned, and little can be
done to help matters till the farmer
wakes up and actively co-operates
Mr. Edens explained the 10 planks
in the platform of the organization o.
which he is head and which have beer
given in full in The Argus at various
times. The central idea is a system
of national and state aid in which thu
latter turns over the automobile Ii
, cense fund, and the inheritance ant
present road tax paid in cash, TO
the roads and takes partial charg
of the work. AS a means of arous
ing a more active interest in perman
: ent roads the speaker urged the US,
.. of the drag. This, 1t was argued
should give satisfactory highways Il
months in the year and so in tim
!. create a strong sentiment in favo