Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-05
GREAT DEMANDS FOR IOWA
LANDS DESPITE HIGHER
RENTAL VALUES
ONE OWNER ASKING $12;
PROBABLY WILL GET IT
Tenants in Some Instances Conclude
to Buy on Long Time and by Max
ing Small Payment Down, Figuring
Interest and Upkeep viii Be No
More Than Rent,
Special to imeseRepubiican.

Special to TimessRepubiican.
Eldora. March "a farmer living
near the Hardin-Grundy boundary
line the other day pointed out farm
after farm that could be seen from
the spot where he stood and told the
rent price that the respective tenants
on them paid. He began with two n a
were farmed on an $3.50 per acre basis
but these were cases in which leases
were made two and three years ago.
Among those indicated were places
which rent for 50, SO, and $11 cash
pen acre and it is said that one man
is holding out for a s12 lease for a
farm near the town Of Conrad. Perhaps
il is taken at the time this is written
for there Gems to be an overplus OF
inquiries for farms to rent this year
despite the prediction frequently heard
UP TO a short time & that many and
owners would have difficulty in ind-
ing tenants for their farms. "A striking
illustration Of this Is the case OF a
young man who expected to~be called
to military service but who was I'M
eXpectedly placed in a deferred class
He at once began to look for a farm
and has looked in vain. On March !
his household goods were all packed
preparatory to removal yet he hadn't
the remotest idea where he was to go.
One tenant farmer Disguised with the
situation assembled the few hundred
dollars that he had saved up and
na,uh< hirpcngf q Sonn-nar-arra ia rrp
He figured that interest, taxes and up
keep would just about equal the rent
he would have to pay and the realiza-
ton Of a settled home would compen-
safe for the loss Of interest that he
would have received on his otherwise
differently invested capital.
Land prices IN his part Of the
country seem to be on the rise regard
legs Of war or anything else. For in
stance Howard Modlin four years ago
bought a 120 acre farm for which he
paid $50 an acre. Some paint and a
windmill and our years Of rising prices
enabled kim 10 turn the place at se25
per acre. West Of Eldora a farm
with very ordinary improvements sold
at $3.50. The enant on the place vas
PS1I4 -'vE ~ al SliuCA u -.
lease and at once rented one Of the 81
farms previously mentioned. Land
prices and farm rentals are still rising
in the counties OF Hardin and Grundy.
Emil Ttetz, west OF Eidora, tested
100 ears Of seed corn, taking three
grains from each ear and found every
grain ]sprouted strong. Small white
corn the kind that will always ripen
in this latitude but which In ordinary
years will yield fifty to sixty bushels
per acre. Mr.. Tietz IS not In the seed
corn business and has none for sale.
Another maj in the same part Of the
country had a different kind Of ex-
perience. He tested some selections
from fodder shocks last fall and Sc
cured a nearly 100 per cen test. This
spring he shredded that fodder selected
a quantity OF the best looking ears.
tested them and found that only a
trifl:ng percentage would grow. The
difference between fall and spring
selections.
A local agricultural implement firm
reports as a feature Of spring trade a
greatly increased inquiry about sman
tractors and two-row corn ~cult!vators.
Prevailing high prices OF coal to-
gether with future probabilities in this
line already have resulted in improved
road conditions in this part Of the
country where miles Of tree rows.
nuisances alike to the farms on which
they stood and the roads which led
past them have been cut down and
hauled away for fuel.
Country collections in these times in
| volve the handling Of checks in about
nine cases in ten. These are generally
made out with common. lead pencils
and the man holding a bunch Of them
naturally has a feeling Of responsibility
in regard to them while they are in his
| possession. A few days 6 a farmer
solicited for the first time expressed a
willingness to subscribe for the Times
Republican but stated that he d!sliked
to write small checks. 1t was suggest
ed that he write a larger one and re-
ce.ve IN return his receipt for the
paper and some change il addition
which he did. There wal a little visit
ing over the war situation, this ma
being the same one mentioned in this
column last week as a foreign-born
citizen that 10 right" in the present
struggle, and the check incident fol
the time was forgotten. 4 few days
later the farmer appeared at the hotel
where the collector was stopping and
in stern tones demanded to see the
check he had signed. The other In
quired what was wrong and was told
that it made no difference. what was
wrong but to produce the check. Visions
of a possible mistake Of somewhere
from 10 cents to 800 or even more
came to the holder as he hunted for the
check which wasn't in the bunch. Then
he remembered that he had cashed
three of them at one Of the banks In
the town and he suggested that the
farmer go there and inquire. The
farmer. sterner than ever demanded
that the collector accompany him and
to the audience in the office the situa-
ton seemed TO threaten serious conse-
quences. Finally the old farmer LAID
his hand on the others shoulder, the
stern look vanished. and he said
"Dof't get excited, I want to show you
something that I have come all the
way to town to tell you about,"a n he
tont bje nbeck hnok from hia nocke1