Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-10-30
IOWA FARM Frs BUYING
STOCK TO FEED SOFT
& CORN DURING WINTER

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Special to Times-Repubiican.
Iowa Falls Oct. 30.-The manager of
big Wright county stock farm re-
turning recently from trip to north
ern stock market points talked inter-
he found them there. According to this
authority there has been literally a
congestion of buyers from the soft,
corn sections of Iowa looking for cattle
and hogs to bring home and finish on
the cor which it is feared will never be
fit TO risk in crib. The north land
has for years been a source of cattle
feeders supply but now these men go
there for stock hogs, which are said to
be grown in immense numbers. They
are brought up to seventy five to 100
pounds weight then shipped to market
where they are sold either to corn belt
farmers for further increases in weight
Or else to local packers for immediate
slaughter Many of these animals have
never tasted corn having been grown
on barley and other northern grains
but they are said to be as fine looking
herds as those produced in our
own part of the country. Those offered
for sale last week didn't last long as
offerings and many, buyers are said
to have returned empty handed be-
cause they waited for the market to
become better. 1t did take a most
decided turn for the better, that is FOR
the man who had them FOR sale, hence
a large number Of Iowa farmers are
inquiring where this kind Of live stock
can be had.
A well known farmer in Wright
county finding himself In impaired
health and having arrived at an age
at which most farmers begin to ease
up anyway, made big public sale,
rented his farm and moved to town
in another state. That was nearly
year ago. Last week one day
thar same worn out ca retired farmer
was on the streets of Iowa Falls re-
cognizing various men as they came
along, one of the most contented, APP
parently, anywhere i sight. Said he
liked the new location and the new
mode of life very much but these are
war times and farm help is scarce. He
has a relative near Iowa Falls who
needed man to husk corn nd he Just
dropped down for a few weeks to help
out. Was feeling SO much better that
he didn't want to loaf any longer any
way and thought 1t would be good
way for an old man to do his Bit
Several farmers in the vicinities OF
Iowa Falls and Hampton have Installed
private electric light plants in their
homes with gratifying results. One OF
these is John H.Shearer.of Hampton.M Mr..
Shearer has very complete set OF
buildings on his farm and every one
of them is lighted with the system OF
thirty-one lights that make up his
plant. In his barn yard he has a pole
with one strong light and he can drive
his car into the yard at night, switch on
the central light. light his garage, IN
spect any building on the place always
with a good light. Very different from
the times not SO long ago when ne
drove a team into the yard, CROPPED
around for a place to tie up or waited
until some one insioe could come out
with a lantern often in not the best
working condition, and finishing with
the feeling that the trip home vast
half so bad, as what followed espec-
tally on cold night in midwinter. These
electric lighted farms with their
grayeled roads. mail routes and other
modern accessories are considered val
liable around Hampton and Iowa Falls
too. One near the latter town sold ror
s2S7.50 per acre the other day and
others could not be bought even at this
high figure.
A former resident of this locality |
with very wide acquaintance when ne !
lived here, now a railroad man re-
marked during recent visit to the old
home, II came back expecting to. see
the boys and girls knew ten years ago
on the farms. I never thought but
that they would still be scattered thru
the country where l used to see and
know them but they are not there. In
auiry develops the fact that they are
not on farms anywhere but have taken
to other pursuits. l wonder what Is to
come If this farming business anyhow
when farmers so generally send their
sons and daughters away to schools
which they leave for other occupations
than those of their fathers. 1t Will
bring about a change very soon and
a most radical one at that"
Another man, a farmer IN Iowa
twenty years ago, city man Tor sew
eral years, then a small farmer In a
western state and lastly an Iowa farmer
again is amazed on his return at the
change IN farming methods that has
taken place during the intervening
years. He made his plans before his
return to this state In regard to the
necessary amount of live stock to be
kept, the kind of farm implements
needed, probable apportionment OF
the farm to the different crops to be
grown, plan OF crop rotation, ETC., but
finds that a considerable amount OF
this planning needs revision. Every
feature OF farming has undergone un-
looked for change in the comparative
ly short space Of time that he has
been "out Of the game"
c.. u. Wilson.
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