Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-08-29
Successive Seasons
See Less Stacking
of :n,al] Grain
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Northwood, Aug. ga thresherman
near the town of Kensett i'll Worth
county began his season by threshlng
$4,000 bushels of oats, the combined
crop of three OF his neighbors. One OF
these men at the time this is written.
is negotiating for an automobile.
Something like 80 per cent of the
small grain average here is being
threshed out of the shock. In spite OF
theory there is feeling on the part OF
the farmer that 1t is better to thresh
just as soon as a machine can be had
and have it done with. Each success
sive season sees less and less stacking
and it looks as tho in most places in
this part OF the country the practice
will soon ease-altogether, altho con-
tinued wet weather in threshing time
would mean very great loss to the
shock threshing farmer.
Dry weather has undoubtedly dam
aged the corn somewhat in this part OF
the state, yet indications at this time
are for a very good crop. Some farm
ers report no apparent injury while
OluSIS WIlOSc ldlu las suiNS ~
gravelly subsoil say their corn is fired
Conservative men estimate two
thirds normal yield both Of corn and
oats. Hundreds of acres of flax were
grown in this section this year with
very satisfactory results and at the
county fair held here last week flax
seed was one of the most prominent
grain exhibits. The yield is said to be
from twelve to fifteen bushels per acre
and the selling price this year is high.
One farmer east of town had in a flax
crop of ninety acres. AS is the case
in other parts Of the state. much timo-
thy here is being threshed for seed
and clover also gives promise of a good
seed crop.
Peculiarities incident to the season
have made fall blowing by the horse
power method an almost impossible
task in this locality and some farmers
are turning to the gas tractor as a way
out of the difficulty. Hebe! Bros. who
operate large farm near kensett,
have been using an engine and three
plows on a 500 acre oats stubble field
with satisfactory results. They pillow
from ten to twelve acres a day and do
the work much better than could be
done by the ordinary method. These
men turned their eleven work horses
into their pasture and the saving in
hay and grain pays for the oil used.
The number of hours a day that the
plows can be run is only limited by
the number of hours in the day, for
the machines can be run stea Oily from
daylight until dark and then some.
An auto load of people rode out into
the big field to see the machine work
and they talked as they went of the
great difference that has come over
the business of farming. Instead OF
half q dozen two horse outfits run by
six different men, here was horseless
concern operated with the utmost ease
by one man and the method employed
by the visitors in travelling to the field
to witness the work being done was as
far from the old fashioned way as the
work itself. And the land which be-
lonsed to one of the men in the car,
now worth 5000 or more per acre, was
bought by him not so many years ago
at one-eighth part Of what it could
be sold for today. Great changes all
around.
you meet all kinds of people, don't
you? is what the traveller hears from
folks who. hardly realize the full truth
of the oft repeated statement. There is
a family not far from Northwood that
represents most strikingly an extreme
that ought for the good of farming
communities to be more common. An
over dinner acquaintance brought out
some facts that seem worthy of record.
1t is quarter section farm. There
are four or five boys in the family
from about seventeen years down. The
father was away helping run thresh-
ing machine outfit and the boys were
doing the work at home. They were
really doing it too and enjoying the ex-
perience. Not a particle Of contention,
so common in so many families, was
heard, ard the talk would have done
credit to heads that were several years
older. The preparation of a poultry
exhibit for the county fair was in full
swing that day and on the grounds
later on one of the boys said 1--WE got
four first and some seconds" and fin
ished by telling why they didn't do even
better. but this was their first exper-
fence, etc, etc. This kind of farmer
boys will make good in the years to
come and produce a different impress
sion on the visitor from that of the one
who doesn't know where the old man
is today" and whose county fair activi-
ties are confined strictly to attendance
at the races and baseball games
$50
An elderly man and a young man
sat in the car seat and talked about
farms and farming in different parts
of the country. They seemed to be
well informed and well to do. They
discussed the change of climate sub
ject, and agreed that seasons are
changing and that the dry farming
regions will gradually become less anC
less dry until they can be depended
upon to produce regular farm crops
Some lard boomer statements, proven
| unsound and unscientific over and over
again by the most trusted and reliable
agricultural writers of the country still
held as gospel truth by men who have
| made or are making a success of life
and maintaining reputa tions fol
| thoushtfulness and intelligence.
c. E. WILSON.
South Iowa Lands at High Prices.
| Special to Times-Republican.
Red Oak, Aug. 29.-One of the larges,
gomery county was made last week
when six farms. consisting of 1871
acres. were sold, bringing the snug sum