Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1914-03-18
GRANT STEELE WRITES INTERESTINGLY
FROM HOLCOMB. NEW YORK

ing time comes and they go into the
pork barrel or TO the market To fiji
pork barrels for others.
For about ten years the farmers in
this vicinity have raised alfalfa and
find il a most profitable crop to raise
for rough fodder and TO help out the
pastures in the summer months. The
hills along the valley are well cover
ed with black raspberry bushes. The
berries sell at the canning factory at
Victor for six cents per quart-at least
that Is the price at which several have
contracted the 1914 crop. Some do
not sell to the cannery, but sell to the
cities OF Rochester and Canandaigua,
taking whatever the market stands
for at the time the berries arrive. When
the price on the market gets below
the price paid by the cannery, or be-
low what the grower thinks is reason
able, the balance Of the crop is taken
10 the evaporator and dried to hold
for better prices and generally sells
SO as to realize about six cents or Of
ten better than that figure. The har-
yesting problem is the most serious
obstacle to farming in this commune
w, Last season the berry growers inn
ported Indians from the Tonawanda
reservation to pick the berries and ex-
press themselves as fairly well salts
fled with them, except in one particu-
lar--they never know just what
| moment the spirit might prevail upon
! Poor Lo" to return home and leave
the cherries To rot on the bushes.
| THE Bristol Valley was famous
4 hop producing country several years
ago and there is a large acreage of
hops there now, though not so great
as formerly. Cabbage is another fav-
orite crop here ON the farm former
! ly owned by X. NJ. Wilson, one of
Belongs pioneers, seven acres pro-
duced nearly sixty tons last season.
Most Of it was sold in January at $22
per ton In September the owner and
tenantwere offered $4,000 for the crop
just as II stood, the buyer to harvest
and market il at his own pleasure and
eXpense. You can readily see that
they made a mistake in refusing the
offer.
This letter is rather long, but il
would not be complete without mem
tioning the highways. This farm is
located ion a state road-that is, the
road was built by the state of New
York, the state paying two-thirds of
the eXpense and the county the bal
ance. The state highway commission
er, upon receiving a proper petition
surveys a proposed road The matter
is referred to the board of Supervisors
and if the. board considers the plan Of
building that particular highway feas-
ible, they signify their acceptance Of
the proposal and the state proceeds to
let the contract and build the road.
a good gutter is dug on both sides of
the proposed highway, then a tile
drain is laid IN the center. This is
filled with stone certain depth, then
crushed store Of rather large size is
laid on top, covered by finer crushed
stone. In some cases asphalt is laid
and covered with thin layer of fine
crushed stone. They buy or beg the
stones for crushing from the far
mers along the route. For some years
it was possible to have them given in
order to get them out Of the way, but
the towns began to build stone roads
and il was soon learned that a town
overseer Of the highways could build
as good roads rs the state for about
half the money. The farmers were
an African i'm the woodpile and then
the contractors had to pay for the
stone they used. Recent events in the
state legislature seen TO indicate that
much of the increased cost Of state
roads over town roaas was made nee
essary in order to assist certain Off
GERS to secure reelection. Probably
when that fact is dtfinitely proved,
some Of the farmerlwi hand back
to the contractors thek6oney they have
received for stones. Whatever the
! legislative COMMITTEES. md several
grand juries now Investigating the
matter, may be able % unearth re-
garding the graft in The highway SER
vice Of the state, it is interesting to
me that the roads theyhave produced
are the finest l have ever seen. No
need to tie up the horses tails no mat
ter how muddy it is, thee is no mud
on a state road. The wagon wheels
never sink into it-even traction en-
gines scarcely make a deaf in it and
| the mark they do make soon settles
and is lost.
If this ever gets beyond your waste
paper basket, perhaps / will write
again.
Speaking as a hasbeen inthe news
| paper field, | wish to says word of
appreciation of the many Improve
ments l note in the Banner. You GER
tainly have done wonders, boh in the
additional news and the adrertising
matter that appears from week to
week You seem to have an artistic
ad-setter also. He has donet some
thing to improve the appearance of
the paper.
Respectfully,
GRANT STEhE.