Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-11-23
C. e. WILSON CONTRASTS CoNDi.
TIoNs IN IOWA AND
COLORADO.
PROSPERITY NOT so
APPARENT IN THE WEST
Smaller Homes and Fewer Farm
Buildings Required on Irrigated Lands
ty in crops-West Found to Be
Peopled With Former lowans.

DoWs. Nov 23.--Earmng is farming:
men pillow, plant ana harvest. whether
in regions warm or cool. wet or dry;
but striking contrasts nevertheless
present themselves to the car-seated
Spectator of agricultural activities
when after looking on Iowa farm
scenes for hours, he next morning re-
sumes his place in the coach and looks
again on the work OF the soil tiller of
eastern colorado. The great hills Of
western Iowa have given way to gent
" unduiating plains the frequent
swift moving stream to the rarely seen
slow moving waters of the broad shall
Low river; the orderly rectangular
fields 20 much smaller ones shaped in
a fashion similar to the parts of a
crazy quilt block. The excavated
bitches of Yesterday have been changed
TO close parallel ridges of earth form
ing q waterway on top of ground for
irrigation That the land here was
fashioned With a view of future arti-
fetal watering seems plausible when 1t
is observed that snoothness Of surface
prevails everywhere. there being very
few ridges or knobs which would rem
der irrigation impracticable. For the
farmer who irrigates simply dams the
ditch that supplies him with water.
makes new outlet at the eide and al
lows the moisture TO spread over the
field While he goes on about his bust
ness
Along the railroad track almost all
the land appears to be under irriga-
ton Little fields Of corn. sugar beets.
I,
raised and alfalfa meadows are every
Where in evidence. Small punches of
We getation surrounded by bare spaces
Of ground distinguish the unirrisated
from. the watered portions of the land.
Houses and other farm buildings are
generally much smaller in size than
those in states farther east and it is
not clear TO the observer in the car
just how winter protection Is afforded
to the numerous herds of farm ami
mails. cattle and horses that are at this
time getting a subsistence from beet
tops. corn stalks. ungathered cabbage
and late pasture ana meadow growth.
All live stock is fat and sleek. feed
evidently being especially abundant.
Hay stacks are TO be seen everywhere.
the derricks used in their building still
standing in the sta yards. Farm
machinery is not housed even so we'll
as in Iowa Maybe the farmer here
finds that climatic conditions make
machine sheds unnecessary. That ne
is good soil tiller is apparent from
the fact that uighty few weeds are 10
be seen IN the fields from which he has
gathered his crops.
A the afternoon train speeds round
the great curved way on it's return
from this wonderful region, north.
northeast, then east from Denver the
sun drops from sight behind the dark
cloudllke bank, the foothills Of the
Rocky mountains. and contempJat ton
Of these interesting farm scenes so diff
ferent from those in the states where
agriculture Is supreme among human
occupations. gives way to speculation
as TO the value that men place on such
farm holdings as these what profits
they receive from their labors. what
kind OF social life they live and what
kind Of struggle must have been nee
essary to establish the conditions that
made profitable farming in senli-arid
Colorado a possibility.
statistical table showing Just what
percentage Of residents and visitors in
western states have al one time called
Iowa home if such thing could be
compiled. would perhaps astonish
everyone who might study it. And If
all such were TO return for visit and
all at one time this state would surely
be densely populated while the home
coming lasted. Everywhere, in city,
town or country, are the men and
women formerly of Iowa One illus.
tration. last Wednesday forenoon two
men and a woman were walking
around the upper portions of the capt.
/ tol building in Denver getting birds
eye views Of the city and surround
ing country. An employee of the build