Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-09-09
ON The LAND.

| enough land the other day TO put sact
of his eight sons on a quarter section
| Whether he gave the farms outright ol
| simply turned them over TO the boys
| without deeds until he passes TO a
| place where there will be no selling
| and buying of real estate is not stated
| If the old man acted sensibly, how
ever, he did the latter thing
1t sounds lot like old times when
| the farmer kept an eye out on each
| side of himself seeking TO acquire a
quarter TO be available when the old
est boy married and so on down the
| list of sons including the daughters
| and prospective sons-in-law. In those
days the farm boy looked forward t.
! a farm of his own. The daughter ex-
pected TO marry farmer and stay o..
the farm. Now and then farm you'll
got il into his head TO BE a doctor
and managed 10 get father 10 advance
his patrimony for that purpose. But
mostly they stayed on the farm. Later
an impulse seemed to strike the farms
which sent the boys seeking profess
sions and the girls marrying town
fellows" The apparent ease and pro-
At of city occupations had their lure
social standing attached to the town
and professions. the hard work on the
farm had its driving power and the
scanrv returns Of the farms for hard
youth away from the land. However
even then the youth who stayed Win
the farm and finally fell into It's own
ership found himself later signing
notes with Doc" and the Judge" ann
the brother-in law who kept store.
He envjed them in his way. however,
and they envied his solidity and COM
plete credit and freedom from the
special cares and anxieties with which
they were afflicted. They took on airs
over him and he and his submitted 20
that He and his had not acquired the
airs and graces of the city and those
airs and graces impressed. So they
accepted Uncle and Aunt Doe and
other city relations" as people TO be
looked up to- and accepted farming
as most humble occupation and farm
folk as humble folk. But in the Bah
cock test OF commercial solidity, how
ever the farmer ran much higher IN
butter fat than the doc or the squire
or even the merchandizer. the farm
couldn't get away. 1t might be bad
year. of course, but the land would he
there next year: and so the notes were
good at the bank and the instances
were not rare wherein the box on the
bureau in the bedroom off the farm
kitchen held Cancelled notes that cost
the indorser half the hogs in the feed
yard.
Things have changed a whole LOT
as the boys say. The farm and the
farmer and Mrs. Farmer and the girls
have lost much of their diffidence. The
boys drive as good cars as anybody
and wear clothes as we'll cut. They
also wear the air OF confidence that
their fathers SO admired in Uncle
Doc" and the judge and the store
keeper" They have found out that
farm is about the solidest thing on the
face of the earth and that farming is
a noble and profitable business. More
over, il costs more money to buy an
Iowa farm nowadays than to gain a
dozen professions. Those quarters the
boys are on up near Fort Dodge cost
s217.O0 The capital invested in each
quarter would buy a big merchandise
stock. Also that it requires as
much business sense to run a farm as
to run a store and that knowledge
of soils and seeds and the processes OF
growth rank with knowledge OF
anatomy and physiological functions
and symptoms Of disease. 1t takes
brains and energy TO succeed on si1o
an acre land. as much brains and
energy as to succeed in any profession
and business. And they've found il
out and taken stock Of their business
and themselves and find both pridefu'
| as we'll as profitable.
We have had our spasm Of desertion
| from the farms. The revnlsion Is al
| hand. We have filed the professions
! to a condition OF severe competition
! The commoner professions are prize
| rings and practice battle royal. Sc
the farms beckon alluringly. There
will he more sons on quarter sections
than in the immediate past. There's
a reason.
We have by labor saving machinery
shorn farm work Of its brutality. The
| automobile has moved the country aird
the town into close neighborhood. Goot
roads are on the way and when the!
arrive the people Of a county will al
be next door neighbors with one an
other We are building and maintain
ing real schools in the country. The
country church and community cen.
tiers multiply. The telephone has
broken the deadly silence Of isoiatio.
and the mail route brings the lates
news from ultima thule to the door.
step every day Those are some o
the reasons. There are more ant
progress is making more Just az gooe
one day after another.