The Mena weekly star., 1919-10-09
POLK FOUNTAINS
 STUDY BERRIES
Spent Day in DeQueenland as Guests of Our Neighbors-Found 100 per Cent Hospitality Roads,
 Valuable Acres.

Queen, and returned home with not only earfuls of information but memo ries of a mighty pleasant day spent in Sevier county.
 It will be hard to tell which pleased the delegation most-what they learned about strawberries or how they were treated by the DeQueen folks. But there can be no dispute the visitors learned lot to their ad- vantage and were royalty treated.
 The trip from Polk to Sevier was arranged by County Agent 0. L. Hen derson of Mena in conjunction with County Agent Glenn Wallace and Home Agent Miss Jewel Levre at De- Queen. The Chamber of Commerce of DeQueen, which overIooks no oppor- turity to let the outside world kTow that city is bright spot on the map, was called on to assist the visitors in their search of strawberry knowledge, The business mems body promptly ex- tended an invitation to Mena conner ciai representatives to join with the prospective berry growers and come to DeQueen and make a day of 1t.
 Where Mena Fell Short.
 It is to be regretted that Mena's commercial body did not accept this invitation in the spirit in which it was given, for in not going they neglected a wonderful opportunity for getting together with the men of the neigh boring city
 BeQueen's citizens from the city and county officials on thru the list, assssass..t :.s;s.sa :..s:ss;s..sa 1t 1t special point to help the Polk county visitors find what they sought. and mako them happy while finding it.
 The strawberry is going to be big subject of conversation in and around Polk county for the coming months. The visitors saw all sorts of berry fields, got world of data on how they were started. handled and kept up, how the fruit was gathered and sold, and better yet, the big prof. it's that accrued to those who followed the correct system.
 They heard financial reports that sounded almost as alluring as those of an oil we'll promoter, they saw great fields of berries growing on land that most folks in Polk county wouldn't take as a gift. They rode in autos over graveled highways that made them resolve that Polk county is to have just as good or bet ter
 The Lesson of Good Roads.
 All in all, the seekers after knowl- edge came back to Polk county more pleased than ever with home, for as one of them put it. Eve can do just as well and in some things lots bet ter in Polk county"
 T.. .a.ssTF .a.;sT " ,ssis, tine delegates saw in Sevier county things already done that in Polk county they are only hop ing so do. But Fridays journey made stronger the determination to make those hopes real.
 One of the surprising things learn ed during the trip over Sevier coun- ty was the effect good roads and strawberry farms had in raising the values of adjacent lands. Land that 2 few years age was priced at $5 and $l0 an acre, is now quoted at $40 to $50 Scores of acres with berries on them were valued at sl50 an acre.
 But few blackberries were seen. This is a crop in which Sevier county is only getting start. Strawberries are the big berry there.
 There were 34 Polk county citizens who made the trip. The majority went down to DeQueen on No. 1, but others made the journey in their ears. In addition to the delegation from Mena, there were represents lives from Hatfield, Cove. Wander voort. Wickes and Grannis.
 Met Folks Before Daylight.
 When the train arrived at the Kan sas City Southern station the De- Queen Chamber of Commerce started work Tho it wasn't daylight, there was reception committee on hand headed by Secretary Autrey, H. l.. Fenton and County Agent Glenn Wal lace. They gave the visitors an ear nest and sincere greeting of welcome, and escorted the party to Hotel Luton, where headquarters were established, and the seekers of strawberry lore were made to feel at home.
 As sample of DeQueen hospital fly, County Treasurer Sam Tribble's case is typical. Early in the morn ing before the days program had started, Treasurer Tribble gathered d bic auto load of visitors and drove out to one of his places near the city limits. Here he conducted the party personally over the berry fields and showed one of the finest patches the visitors saw during the trip. He answered one thousand and one ques- tions. explained h detail how tho fields were arested from the forest and converted into profitable berry growing acres It was splendid beginning of one big day and showed the spirit of DeQueen when t comes to accommodating strangers and tell ing about strawberries. Only press of business cares cut the visit short,
 Visited the Great Knod Farm.
 he 0lllr1ssl ....'i''ssss .'is''ssss 1iun began when autos furnished by DeQueen citizens
 SFgMMEp s<Mg nc