Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1913-02-27
THE FARMERS FUTURE
The Lite of Our Land, and the Ger
tan Result of Selling the Ele-
ments OF Soil Fertility In the
Form of Produce.

tan Result of Selling the Ele-
ments Of Soil Fertility in the
Form of Produce.
Some of the most fertile farms
that the United States has ever
seen were opened about one. hundre
years ago in New York. The soiD
was exceedingly fertile, and pro-
duced most bountifuIly. But today
these self-same, farms are being adj
vertised from one end of the land
to the other at prices less in many
cases than the cost of the improve
ments on them.
A little later the magnificent
prairjts of Ohio and Indiana were
reached by the pioneers. They wer,
fertile beyond the dreams of the
newcomers, and became a farmers
paradise. But they passed their
point of highest crop productions a
generation ago, and the wave of
high land values which drove their
young men farther west has receded
They may in many parts be bought
now for two-thirds of the price
asked twenty years ago.
en- Illinois was reached and
finally Iowa. Illinois has already
seen her best days in the pro-
iuct.on of crops, and Iowa is per-
ha1 now raising her banner crops.
But land values have not yet be-
gun to fall in either state, since
this usually comes some time after
crop yields began to diminish.
II history of farming in the
United St tes is a tale of soil
robbing. and finally worn-out land.
The soil has not yet been found tha
will stand more than thirty to for
ty yea of present farming meth
DDS, without showing serious signs
of exhaustion, attended by falling
values.
Let no one suppose that land pri-
ces will lemain high with us unless
the fertility of the soil is MAIN
tainei. 1t is NOT true.
We are wiser than the genera
tions that have gone before per-
maps. But who is wise enough to
sell the elements of fertility out of
nis nd, and keep them, too There
are very many farms in, Audubon
County whose limit is at present
thirtyaf.le bushels OF corn per acre,
and which have not raised a pro-
fitabl crop of small grain in sever
al yaers. Our wisdom seems to
run to taking things out of the
SOL instead of putting ,hlGgs into
it,
u grain farmer is a squanderer
of ia, d;n el tai natural wealth. un-
on VI hich we all depend for susie
ma ce. Tie stock farmer is better.
But e imaginas that grass, clover
and manure solve the problem of
so Northumberland he is wrong,
as many once fertile farms farther
east est. MCLEAN County, which
is IN the best par of Illinois, has
recently discovered that rock phos-
phate will increase its corn yield
more than fifteen bushels per acre.
A dulon County needs it, too.
Stock fan alming and grain farming,
alike, take the phosphorus from the
SOL. flow doas the idea oi CuM..
MERCIAL fertilizers strike YOU.
In using present farming meth
DDS, we are SHINING against the
sol, against our children, and
aga inst our C. ildi en { children
Yong men who are the descendant
and hers to the estates of our
prost erous farmers farther east,
ha e come to Iowa and other mid
western states in numbers curing
the past year to work by the day.
It's a case, in which the sins of
the parents are visited upon the
children, even to the third and
foar h generation.
The time to be far-sighted is be-
fore it is too Late. AS said II
tn, Sc columns Last week, Audubon
County needs an agricultural ad-
wiser, and ishe needs him NOW.
1t means not only more money
fer her crsps and greater profits
for her farmers. but it means bet
ter Land and increasing prosper
ity In all the future. And the cost
is surprisingly small.
Progressive farmers ought to put
themselves on record quickly in
this matter. A card to the Jour
nal,cr to the secretary of the Ex-
ira Commercial Club is all that
fs necessary.
Please do NOT put it OFF.
During 1912 the four judges of
4 ;o{, ~