Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1920-03-25

The Iowa 2-cent fare will again 60
into effect, as soon as the railroads
shall have passed what might be call
ed the probationary .period. That
seems to be sensible view. That's
the way the layman would decide the
matter IL it were left to him. And
1t Is probably the best for the rail-
roads. The higher the fare, the few
er the passengers. The Iowan is no
longer dependent upon the railroaa.
The auto will transport him just %
quickly and travelling BY auto is not
any more discomfortable than riding
in stuny cars. II the railroad can
carry the passengers for less money
than the auto, it is going to get the
business.
Sioux City as center within ra-
dius of $50 miles is the greatest live
stock country ON earth. 15S hogs
were sold at an average OF $50, az
gregating $S0,940.o0. First fall sale
in August brought $19.270. for II head
averaging $4,000. The second sale
was held in October. The offering 81
"a head brought $1S.S3O. an average
of $55400. The third sale held in
January totalled ST ,S25. The 40 head
averaged $4,000. The fourth sale
which was held recently was . record
breaker. The Offering Of A head
brought .$25,o15. an average Of nearly
$4,000. The fifth sale will put the
total over the 100000 mark.
According to the report Of the Iowa
cooperative crop reporting service
there was 10 per cent of the 1919
corn crop on farms March I. 1920, or
116. 100000 bushels, compared with
13l ,468, 900 bushels . year ago. The
report indicates that % per cent has
been and will be shipped out Of tho
state. The quality of last years crop
was good, Sc per cent being merchant
able. approximately 80 per cent. or
76,511 900 bushels. OF last years oat
crop was on farms March /, 1920,
compared with 103,307 900 bushels .
year ago. II per cent Of last years
wheat crop was on farms March !, or
4.025,000 bushels. and 81 per cent has
been and will be shipped out Of the
state. Last year Iowa produced D.
032,O00 bushels of whe3t.
Iowa scored again IN her drst Of
March settlements on land when 20,-
900 farms changed hands and there
10 no report of financial wreck or
q panic anywhere. Not only that,
but land advanced from SO to 925
per acre and 1t will not only stay
there for short time, but 1t will
surely go higher. The admirable
federal reserve currency system had
. lot to do, Of course, with the ease
in which such huge financial tran.
saction was made possible. but the
stability of Iowa land values also Was
a great help. Those who were fortu-
nate enough to possess good Iowa
land-and there is precious little Of It
that is not good-have something that
will never decrease in value, but will
grow in value every year.
From the annual report OF the coun'
ty agent and farm bureau work in
Iowa an idea may be had Of the i'm.
provement in the poultry business
brought about by proper culNng and
/, selection. Meetings to the number
of 1076 were held in 63 counties and
were attended by l1.h54 people. Spe.
cialists culed 9S7 focks and county
agents culled 259 more hocks. The
total number of birds In the hocks
was 132,534 and from this number
50.697 hens were discarded, Records
kept in each flock two and two weeks
after culling showed that very few
layers were discarded. The average
100 birds in the original focks laid
i % eggs per day while the average 100
! birds left after culling was 35 eggs
per day. The original focks therefore
!, produced 29,157 eggs per day and after
50.697 hens had been thrown out they
! continued to lay 2S.643 eggs per day.
These figures show that the cullina
was SO per cent efficient and that
50.183 non-producers were eliminated
The largest barn in Iowa, Is the
barn on the j. Westrope farm, few
miles from Harlan. The barn was
erected in the days when building
material was cheap and 80 car loads
| Of building stone was used in the base
ment of this immense barn The
foundation wall is. 10 feet high and
covers space. of S4x64. The lower
part is used as cattle and horse
barn, and SO head Of cattle can be
comfortably accommodated without
crowding. There are eight rows oi
stalls and feed and litter alley fol
each row. In addition to the cattle
sixteen head of horses can be taken
care of along one end of the barn
One OF the outstanding features of the
4 foundation work is the fact that al
rock used, was hand cut. From
the top of the masonry wall to the
peak Of the roof Is IS feet. Enclosed
under this big room is the granary
hay loft, machine shed, feed grinding
room and repair shop. The grain
bins are exceptionally large and bull
with chutes to the feed alleys below
The hay NOW holds 500 tons of hay