The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1922-07-27
The Farm and the Farmer
BY William r. sanborn

Inc next plot has been fertilized
!, with the materials that most TIIinois
soils need-rock phosphate and lime.
/ stone For the past 10 years this plot
has averaged ISL bushels of corn
69.9 bushels of oats and 4O.4 bushels
OF wheat to the acre. On the basis
OF tne lO-year average yields this land
has been worth s2S8 For the past
three years it has paid returns on a
valuation of 1902 an acre.
That is more like it. But we are
falling far short in putting these les
| sons into practice. Only an occasion
al farm is using phosphate and lime.
stone. Practically every farmer knows
the value of clover, yet there is aston
lshingly little of it grown. In Cham
palgn county, where every farmer can
TAKE a few hours off and see the uni
versity fields for himself, only one
acre In AZ is growing clover
There are two reasons why more
clover is not grown The first is the
difficulty in getting a stand. Lime
stone will usually remedy that. The
second is the unwillingness on the
part of many farmers to lose the use
OF the land for a year, even though
they know it would pay in the long
run"
Sweet Glover the Answer.
This problem of lack of clover grow
ing has an answer in the plots at the
University OF Illinois, say the profes-
sors 'On the Davenport plots sweet
clover is being grown with small grain
10 De plowed under for corn the next
spring. 1t makes an average growth
curing the fall and before plowing in
the spring of about two tons of drv
matter TO the acre. 1t rots quickly and
furnishes much fertility to the corn
crop. There is no expense except for
the seed. The land is growing a mon
ey crop every year. This looks like
real solution of the clover problem on
the grain farm. 1t is plan that ought
to be widely followed. 1t will pay to
SOW sweet clover in every acre of
small grain that is going to grow corn
the following year"
Banks Back co-operatives.
California banks are lending $1,000
900 to help the farmers of the state
market their wheat crop cooperative
ly. according to an announcement bv
the California Farm bureau.
Farmers controlling 100000 acres.
which will produce about 10000 tons.
have signed contracts with the Farm
Bureau Exchange, which will handle
the crop. As this is close to 25 per
cent OF the total, it is fairly well as
sured that the exchange will have in
Its hands enough of the crop to makes
successful marketing possible.
The California Farm Bureau Ex-
cnange is non-stock, non-profit or
ganization, organized for the purpose
OF marketing its members grain and
Ior purchasing their requirements in
lager quantities.
Farmers may place their grain in
the hands of the exchange for selling.
or turn it over to the exchange TO be
sold at stipulated price. or NAV pool
their grain.
Prune Growers Alarmed.
news telegram from WalIa WaIla
Wash, states that with the movement
OF the Walla Walla valley prune crop
due TO begin on Aug. !, the strike of
railroad snopmen is making prune
growers apprehensive 1t is estimated
that the loss to the valley growers
would total 100000 unless the rail
shows early Improvement
rms is big country and the CON
sumption of fresh prunes is enormous.
aside from the dried supplies. for
which there are two great markets.
home and export.
Railway strikers are now drifting in
Q the northwestern grain fields and
nus decreasing materially the short
ige IN the labor supply for harvesting
operations. Both the Dakotas, Mon
ana and Minnesota have been calling
or harvesters and the northwestern
'allroads have asked permission TO
make a special S5 fare to these dis
riots to attract harvest hands. Some
u the striking Montana coal miners
ire already in the grain fields await
ng the ripening of the crop, early in
August