Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1917-04-27

poorest and most rolling two acres of sand land
on the farm. It grew rapidly, and by winter the
ground was SO completely covered with it's foli-
age that washing of the land was entirely pre-
vented An examination of the roots showed them
set thick with nitrogen nodules. Early in the
spring, before any other grass vegetation be-
gan to grow; the vetch plants were pushing out
their summer foliage and by May / they were
four feet in length. About the first of June the
two acres were cut for hay.
Seeing that he had found valuable plant for
the farm, Mr.. Smith planted 25 acres to vetch the
next year, the sowing being done the poorest
and sandiest land of the farm 1t decided to
seed Fl of this land to field and leave
the other for pasture. The vetch grew luxuri-
antIy.
The spring of 1908 very wet, and 1t was
May i before the ground was in condition to
break for corn. Delays were such that the 21
acres reserved for corn were not entirely broken
until May %. The vetch had grown to a height of
five feet and the mass of vegetation was so heavy
that it was almost impossible to turn under. A
half dozen makes of plows tried with COM
plete failure when finally success obtained
with double disk plow and the field was finished.
The prospect did not look inviting, for punches
of vetch showed here and there sticking out of
the ground The field was worked down to fairly
good condition for planting by dragging and
rolling, and on June and was planted to yellow
corn.
Dire were the predictions made as to the out
come. Many COMMENDED InaL the n0aVy mass Oh
vegetation would absorb all the moisture from the
ground and the would die But Mr.. Smith
gritted his teeth held his counsel and awaited
results The corn came up splendid stand Dry
weather set in, which added no little discomfort
to the situation. The grew slowly and
soon as it was sufficiently large the cultvatOrs
were set to work, and were worked with little
difficulty on account of lunches of vetch insult
ficiently plowed under catching the cnltivator
points.
The neghboring farmers came around, leaned
over the fence and INDUCED in sarcastic remarks.
The gist of these remarks that they had never
In all their experience seen so unpromising
prospect for corn this field presented.
The weather was dry, and the corn grew five
or six inches and made no further growth for
more than week At the end of this time it
seemed to take life, and grew with such
rapidity that even Mr. Smith astounded.
When the corn reached waist height the pro-
phets who had predicted its early demise
count of the great mass of vetch turned under
tried another tack: wait until it begins to ear"
they said "and you will see 1t fire and wither up"
But the corn refused to side with these chronic
croakers and grew up and up until it reached the
height of eight to ten feet silked, tasseled and
bore it's ears of golden
1t was subject to SIX weeks of dry weather
after it had silked, and vet it had not fired and
every hill was bright and green. Across the road
q neighbor's corn fired clear above the of
the corn and did not make more than 20 bushels
TO the acre But Mr.. Smiths corn finally reached
its harvesting stage, sound and solid. It was