Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-12-22
EXPERIENCED POWESHlEk FAR
MER SAYS INTENSIVE FARM
ING WILL NOT PAY.
MUST CHANGE
RADICALLY TO JUSTIFY
Land Must Rent For sis Per Acre and
Farm Hands Must Work For $40 Per
Month and Not Be Averse to Pulling
Weeds and Using Hoe. E. Will
sons Observations.
, Times Republican.


read in his daily papers some Of the
recent articles discussing the adVislph-
tty of importing Belgians into Iowa anu
the effect of their demonstrations IN
the line of intensive farming here. he
lives to the north ana east OF Grinneii
and any man with eyes VINO mas ever
travelled thru that part OF the country
knows that when he passed that way
he was looking upon some OF Iowa
best farms and upon the work OF some
OF this states best and most prosper
GUS farmers. and The farmer quoted De
low Is a young man VINO RANKS VITA
the best in his community. And TINS
is what he thinks of intensive farming.
In effect he said: w are getting an
average OF something more than iltty
! bushels OF corn from the average acre
oil our land in this county. We might
perhaps. in small tracts double that
yield We grow an average oat crop
ana by different methods and extra
work which we either know about al
ready or can find out for ourselves
/ whenever we consider i, necessary, We
might increase our yields ten or fifteen
| bushels per acre. Where We raise from
se> enty five to 100 bushels OF potatoes
we might get $50 or more from the
/ same ground. Oh course "e might
/ THO extra hoings and a few days OF
/ hand wedding would DO the trick We
leave tons OF good feed in our corn
fields every year when we allow acres
I OF crop to stand uncut when we might
on smaller farms cut up and save the
entire crop We have been told this
every fall for years and we realized the
fact even before we were told about II
the first time Why don't we do this
extra work and secure these better
results? Why, simply because II
wouldn't pay. Whenever the time
comes that men can make more money
on smaller farms and by more thor
ough cultivating they will be found
ready TO embrace the opportunities and
II won't require peasant from for
eign country as an object lesson either
If farm land rented for SIS per acre,
corn sold at 81 per bushel and hired
men worked for $50 per month and
could be persuaded to pull weeds with
their hands or work with hoe we
would farm differently from the way
we do under present circumstances.
1t has been asserted some mum Der
of times within the last few months
that the Germans are the most fornid-
able soldiers in the world. The man
| of English, Scotch or Irish descent
always agree with this statement and
where men differ in opinion there IS
| reason for doubt. The writer of this
doesn't know much about 1t but he does
| know when Il comes to raising hogs
the man who gets in ahead of the Ger
| man, to use a slang expression. has to
"go some" One of the finest herds in
this part OF the country Is the proper
ty of Henry Oltrogge. who has been
feeding twenty five head since Sep
TENDER. The animals average about 400
pounds at the present time and those
who have seen a herd of great big uni
form porkers know how they look
One man here has observed a fact
that settles the hard winter question
this season so far as ne is concerned
According to this authority timber
squirrels. nuskrats and other animals
have nothing on the humble pocket go
pher when il comes to prognosticating
futures in meteorology. When there IL
to be a specially severe winter Mr.
Gopher fortifies himself against dis
| tress and Inconvenience by niling his
, tunnel from the surface of the ground
!. clear to the forks" distance usual,
of two feet or more. and this accord
ing to the farmer noted above is the
!. precaution taken by every gopher thai
infests his place The corn husk sigr
& pointed TO mild winter but 1t Nigh
be argued with some show Of reason
that whereas corn is supposed to bt
safely harvested before this time o.
: year, the sign period has run out. Thu
gopher being exposed to the weathe
the winter thru, bases his calculations
on the whole season
There was a brisk south wind blow
ing following a period OF stiil COLI
). weather. The kind that penetrates t
= the bone and makes the traveller over
land wish it would calm down. But tn
|. farmer came out OF the house and said
isn't that a fine breeze? For tire
days I have been driving my cattle
-. mile to water. There hasn't bee,
enough wind to run my mill and m
:, engine refused to work All forenoo
30 the mill has been spinning and m
~ chores are lightened by full hour i
i, consequence" Another old proven
~ yindicated--tle one about the ill-wint
G. F. WILSON,