Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-04-04
Ssven Years Of Easy
Money IN Alfalfa, One
Year Of Hard Work
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to mes-Republican.
Eldora, April 4.--IIeck Johnson is
the name Of a farmer living in the
south part OF Hardin county. His
farm, timber land; topography, roll
ing. His son was blowing UP small
field and the mass 'of big white roots
that permeated the ground was making
it anything but easy work for the
horses or the driver either. Alfalfa
sod, and anyone who has plowed it
or seen 1t plowed knows 1t for one Of
the toughest propositions in the line
Of farm labor. It was suggested to
young Johnson that inasmuch as a
good crop of clover is almost as valu-
able as one Of alfalfa it would perhaps
be better to raise the former than the
labor greatly. The answer he made
will prevent one man at least from
suggesting anything Of the kind in the
future. The field in question consists
OF about seven acres, has been in al
yfalfa for six consecutive years and
from 1t the owner has sold and fed in
hay. Fifty dollars per acre for each
year and no hand work, reseeding or
cultivation in all that time. More
than that no wearing out of the soil
but rather improving it., Men are ev-
erywhere saying that land is selling
and renting too high in proportion to
returns that It is possible to secure
in general farming and quite possibly
this lis true but not in the case Of the
seven acre. field Of alfalfa on the
johnson farm which has been produc-
ing three and -FOUR crops year Of hay
that has been sold at an average price
of more than $12 a ton.
George "A. Moore lives on a farm in
Grundy county. In his yard are ever
greens that have attained a diameter
OF. sixteen Inches, Mr.. Moore planted
the trees himself and has occupied the
place continuously since they were set
in the ground. He planted other kinds
OF trees and later made them into
lumber with which he built his barn.
AL this requires time, much more time
than the average farmer remains on
any one farm. Mr.. Moore has lived
hah century in his present home and
has seen the value of his land increase
about fifty or sixty fold IN that time.
He explains why It Is that so many
farm lines in that part Of the country
are marked by willow rows which In
these days men are working long days
to destroy to the end that woven wire
fences may be placed where they
stood; also in response to the sugges-
ton of the township trustee that will
low rows and good roads seldom exist
In close parallel lines. 1t seems that
in the early days every hnead road OF
trees planted on a prairie farm OF
Grundy county lessened the taxes on
that farm - much per rod and taxes
IN those days as in these later ones
were considered "high." Winding lines
Of willows or cottonwoods are yet to
be noticed following the courses of the
early day "sloughs'' tho in many cases
these have been cut away in former
years and only the fast decaying
stlmps remain In land now sufficiently
dry for pasture. meadow or held.
These sloughs were traversed by
bitches made with machines drawn by
oxen when the country was new and
IN the "furrow" turned out trees were
planted to hold the furrow in place.
Unusual dCIlSlly LII SulLlIE6 ouI lAAS
kind Of timber is noticeable this spring
due, no doubt, to systematic road I'M
proyement projects, the ever-increas-
ing tendency to utilize waste land and
the desire for supply Of summer
full.
one crop, the harvest of which us
expected to figure largely in paying
mortgages, taxes, rent notes and the
like, is beginning to appear all over
the countryside spring pigs. Reports
in general indicate, successful start
in this line Of stock raising, Htters
generally large in numbers and Of SUI
ficient vitality for continued growth.
The dependency Of the farmer on
q regular market for his product and
the futility of growing crops, staple
ones at that, and these where soil and
climatic conditions are favorable and
all this right here in Iowa are strik-
inRly illustrated In the matter Of
wheat growing in this community.
Farmers here know how to raise
wheat, the soil will produce it, yet
wheat production doesn't pay. One
man who tried it last year inquired OF
his local grain buyer as to what he
could pay for wheat The dealer didn't
care to handle 1t in small quantities.
Thu, farmer made further inquiry,
found buyers ,but none anxious enough
to pay what the wheat was really
worth. Finally the owner of the grain
sent q sample to distant town where
a flour mill is located and in reply re-
cefved an offer 10 cents bushel above
the local quotations. In one neighbor-
hood several farmers every year put
out small acreages to this crop and in
stead Of selling at home they combine
and ship it themselves. There are a
few fields Of wheat grown in my To-
.tality every year. said farmer the
other day, land there would be more