Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-01-21
Lookey-On IN Ie'va


did not pre- eminently teach agricui-
ture or graduate young farmers. Ger
tain it is that some graduating classes
| here had so small a number OF stu
| dents whose avowed future occupa-
ton was farming that it caused much
| unfavorable comment. All this Is not
intended Ito start something. but to
call attention to the following clipping
from the Hartford. Conn, Times:
Students Of the Connecticut Agri-
cultural College will hereafter be re-
quired to have had actual farm eN-
perience before receiving their de-
grees. This is decreed by the fac
ulty. The new rule will effect the
succeeding entering classes in the four
year course in agriculture. The mimi
mum amount Is placed at three months,
which must be obtained before the sem
Tor year. This gives the student the
opportunity of getting his experience
| before entering college or during his
summer vacations.
| BY farm experience is meant real
work OF general nature, done prefer
ably on an up-to- date farm. The farm
! may be more or less specialized one,
! such as fruit farm or dairy farm.
! The work must be varied, however, and
no student can expect to pass the re-
quirements on the strength of having
driven a team of horses for three
months or of having worked in a straw
berry patch for that length of time.
The college aims to help place students
on good farms where they can secure
this experience. This plan Is not new
one. since 1t Is carried out by many OF
the agricultural colleges of the country.
1t would Seem 10 be good logic that If
three months actua! experience on
! connecticut farm. was good thing
Tor students there. and on such farms
the writer once as a boy picked stones
on Connecticut farm, receiving there
fore 50 month, a three months real
labor on an Iowa prairie farm. prob
ably at s35 Il month and found" would
be better thing.
During the zero weather In Deem
Der last II was interesting 10 watch the
erect OF II on people accustomed to out
door life. The first cold spell drove
nearly everybody indoors. The next
Gay more teams We're on the streets
and q few automobiles Then we had
week Of il. and soon farmers were
hsuiing grain. the crowd at the post Of
nee at mail time was as large as ever. !
On the sunny side Of the streets, with
iur coats. fnittens and ears covered! !
several men would stand and talk over
'hihes Bare headed bare-armed
women were seen hanging out the
"asAing that froze stiff before the
c4othes pins were stuck on the line
-holhers wrapped up the little tots and
aAoNed them out on sleds and in the
sno" old Father Jones. aged % last
december was fixed our with rna- (
mNtens and cap and allowed to go /
Gown after the mail. Hadn't been OUT
OF the mouse for four days and couldn't I
STAND II any longer And at the
suhesaaF night prayer meeting. eight
zero" and stiff northwest wind there
:" as lhe usual attendance And inst
as We were getting used to an old
tashioned winter, IL turned warmer
1t f= safe TO assume that the ola
Romans mad good roads discussions I
eEt1a! hundred years before getting /
suits Here in Iowa we are crawl /
ing a!ong, and men and papers adj
hocathg a good roads system are de-
iioui1ced by many. as public enemies.
men really working against instead ds
to' lhe puo!ic interest / g. the greatest
good 10 the greatest number All .his
was suggested by the following obi
tor.al taken from the Hartford. CORN /
llnes. II is particularly interesting 70 I
IOWA readers for the end sought ie the
same as mere in iowa. to bring tho
farmer closer home. for that's what /
good roads do. Closer 10 school /
church markets and social life It's |
suggestive, the talk down cas-. ;s In |
millions:
Not unit after season NJ fast. |
ing and prayer says the Springfield |
republican, should the state Of Massa-
chuse'ts ou!id an experimental trolley i
me at an estimated expense OF 81 200
Recommendation for the construc-
uoil or such line Is part Of an ex-
seHs!Fe plan advanced by the western |
" massachusetts transportation com
MISSION appointed by Governor Walsh |
10 study the needs Of hill towns whose
AGRICULTURAL possibilitieg are quite as
great as they ever were but whose /
populations have been dw.ndling while
those OF manufacturing and com t
mercial centers have enjoyed beaItbfuI |
growth. The proposed $1,000 900 /
trolley extension is but one of the corn- |
MISSIONS recommendations TO the |
massachusetts legislature, and scarce |
" less pretent!ous Is that other one
70 the effect that the time has come !
"hen the state should expend some |
$2.000o00 In constructing good roads |
between towns which now have neither |
railroad nor trolley, nor other routes |
Of communication with population CEN |
tiers. except over rough, unirnprored !
roads which tend 10 discourage rather t
than stimulate transportation either Of |
freight Of humans"
It's too bad that graft eeems to |
go with public improvements. A prom |
inent citizen here tells of his troubles |
along this line. In another county he |
owned farm. It needed drainage. He |
wrote the county supervisors about it. |
They appointed an engineer to in |
vestigate. He did. He surveyed. and |
surveyed, and then some. Finally re-
ported no drainage OF that farm I'M
lesG he found lower place In another
county. Bill enclosed $500. Now this
Franklin county man Is mot going to
pay that bill unless he has to-" says.
II that engineer knew his business
few days work would have settled the
matter. He isn't willing to pay 5000
for the information found in the re-
port Strange how particular some