Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-02-04
HALF OF PURCHASERS At RE.
GENT SALE OF sLoopEp STOCK
NOT PROFESSIONALS.
NOT TAKING CHANCE
ON POOR PIG CROPS
and Gravel Stretch Of Highway
Leading Into Town--Farm House
Constructed to Fit Lotto. EVIL
sons Rural Observations.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Hampton, Feb. i.-Arthur Mallory
and an associate held pure bred
swine sale here one day last week
Their catalogued stuff sold at a $204
average and of all animals sold an av-
eragc of sl5a was obtained. OF course
the higher priced offerings were taken
by professional breeders but the
great majority of the crowd that as
sembled to see those hogs sold were
ordinary farmers and it was estimated
that farmers bought half the number
that were bid off and to the observer
who for year or more has been lis
tening to threats Of dropping out of
the business of pork production unless
numerous conditions were rernedied it
seemed that il anybody was putting
his threat into operation at least two
others were taking his place. Farm
ers. like other people, are not inclined
to invest in such high priced articles
simply for the pleasure of investing
and professional breeders too, ,gener-
ally know what they are doing in this
line. Swine growers, realizing the de-
pendenCe of a large part of the\ world
on their ability to remain in the BUSH
ness Of pork production at living
profit will take their chances the same
as men engaged in other kinds of BUSH
ness and generally speaking. will raise
all the hogsN they can or all they can
feed and care fer. Their activities at
the pure bred sales alone indicate
this.
A most commendable instance Of
road Improvement is one that was put
thru near Hampton by a progressive
farmer and few of his neighbors.
Given but $50 by the township these
men graded and graveled a stretch of
the Hampton Ackley road. one and
one-fourth miles in length, employing
the same expert road building talent
that the highway authorities would
have used had the work been done in
the regular manner. And the move
ment has spread. It is estimated that
the cost of grading and crawling in
that neighborhood is $1,000 mile.
The community has offered to i'm
prove an additional mile if the town
ship will stand $500 of the cost. The
Iowa farmer has been accused of
lacking in the sense Of Community
betterment" but when neighborhood
proposes to build roads at discount
approximately of so per cent from
actual cost it looks as though it was
case of something for nothing for
the township taxpayer as such and
that the farmers making the propo-
sition are fairly well imbued with the
spirit of community welfare.
s<,+
Mr.. J. ]. Nachazel worked a couple
Of good ideas into the construction Of
a hog house that he built last fall. 1t
il unusually narrow for it's length.
only ten feet wide. This is to admit
winter sunlight to most of the floor
space. The floor is of hollow clay
block placed about an inch apart and
the spaces filled with sand. The re-
suit is a dry floor at all times. some
thing seldom seen in an ordinary hog
house in winter time.
The recent sudden slump in grain
prices put an end temporarily. to
practically all elevator activity in this
part Of the country and one manager
Of grain concern predicted the widest
margins in prices paid by different
elevators that has been known for
many years. this the result of the
general uncertainty as to what is to
follow and also the local feeding de-
mand. This man was informed that
in a neighboring town corn was.
quoted at 81 bushel one dat and,
that same date he was paying. or
rather Offering to pay, Sill. A, we'll
known Franklin county farmer de-