Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1914-03-26
IOWA HAS BEST SOIL
LEADS ALL OTHER STATES IN
AMOUNT OF LAND AVAILABLE
FOR CROP RAISING.
HAWKEYE FARMS EXPANDING
Statistics Show That Only one-Fourth
of TiIIabIe Acreage Of Country is
Fully Cultivated According, to Re-
turns Of Last Land Census.

Fully Cultivated According, to Re-
turns of Last Land Census.
Des Moines.-As we'll as being the
most fertile, Iowa is the most indus
trious farming state In the northwest.
Statistics prepared by the department
OF agriculture at Washington, D. c.,
indicate that the Hawkeye state has
greater percentage OF area in crops
OF any of the dozen states in the
northwest; also the greatest percent
age Of land available for titled crops.
Only 27 per cent Of the tillable Land
OF the United States is actually under
cultivation, according to estimates of
the department Of agriculture, based
upon reports Of $4,000 correspondents.
The entire United States, excluding
foreign possessions, contains about
1,900,000,000 acres. OF this area
about GO per cent, or LAO, 0O0, 900
acres, is estimated to be tillable.
According to the last census the
land area in crops where acreage was
given was 100000 acres, This Is
about 16 per cent OF the total land
area, or about 81 per cent OF the es-
timated potential tillable area of the
United States, excluding foreign pos
sessions.
In other words, for every 100 acres
that are now titled about 375 acres
may be titled when the country is full
ly developed
Although he has been dead for sew
eral months, an award OF honor has
been made to the late Prof. F. H.
King, author Of volume entitled
Farmers of Forty Centu 81 by the
National Geographic society. Profes-
sor Kings book, completed but a
short time before his death, repre-
sents what the society believes is an
ideal study of foreign farming. The
author describes the methods by
which the Chinese support nearly
500,000,000 people on an area smaller
than the improved farm lands OF the
United States and which they have
titled for 1000 years, and from this
draws an interesting parallel for the
farmers Of the United States to con-
slider.
"If the United States" he says, SIS
to endure; II we shall protect our his
tory even through 1000 or 5000 years,
as the Monaghan nation has done,
and If that history shall be written in
continuous peace, free from periods
- 10 90 tn
this nation must orient itself; II
must square its practices with con-
servation of resources which can make
endurance possible
state to Rent Land to College.
II Attorney General George Cosson
rules that the state board OF control
may lease to the Iowa State college at
Ames, tract OF twenty acres at
each Of the state institutions, for a
period of twenty to twenty-five years,
the crop experts at the agricultural
college will establish experimental
stations at each Of the prisons. insane
hospitals, schools and Other institu-
tons.
Professor Stevens OF Ames appear
ed before the state board OF control
and the superintendent OF all the
Iowa institutions at the capitol. He
explained that the college is anxious
to establish a number OF stations
about the state and that tract OF at
least twenty acres Of ground is de-
Cd -, 80 4. eta
In addition to experimental work,
the college will assist in the teaching
OF farm methods to the inmates of the
institutions and will help solve the
soil problems.
The board OF control agreed that
the plan suggested is an excellent one
and will work to the benefit OF the
agricultural college and the state in,
stitutions J. H. McConlogue. chair
man, declared that the question OF
the power Of the board to lease
tract for twenty-five years IL the only
barrier to an immediate contract with
the college, He caused the matter
to be placed before the attorney gen
eral for ruling
To Visit Mining Camps.
Many OF the mining camps OF the
state will be visited by the mine res
cue car OF the bureau OF mines, ac-
cording tn the announcement made
by G.. T. Powell, WI /, is in Iowa repre-
senting the government, The propos-
ed itinerary follows: Colfax--arriye
March %, depart April 4; Melcher-
arrive April G, depart April II; Chart
ton--arrive April 10, depart April IS;
Albia--arrive April 20, depart May 2;
Mystic-arrive May 4, depart May 9;
Rathburn-arrive May II, depart May
IS; Ottumwa--arrive May IS, depart
May 30; Buxton--arrive May 25, de-
part May 30.
To Have State Camp.
The officials OF the Iowa National
guard have been informed that 1t is
the intention Of the war department
to have but two Vancouver camps this
year, one in the extreme east and
the OlHeT IN the SAtISHitt WeStcIu
part OF the country. II this Is the
plan for the year the four regiments
of Iowa will have state camps in
stead Of the usual custom OF going
to camp outside of the state every
four years.
II the government has but two
Vancouver camps, II Is the intention
to have. the officers and noncommis-
stoned officers OF each regiment from
every state sent to these camps, II
is said. This VIII be in addition to
the state camp period BY extreme
east, the Iowa officers believe that
some point east Of Ohio is meant and
that by extreme west, some point
west OF Denver viii be selected for
the manoeuyer camp. The state Of
ficials will make no plans until more
definite information is received from
Washington.