The Llano colonist. [volume] (Llano, Calif.) 191?-1937, 1922-09-16
\ BRIEF REPORT TO THE
READERS OF THE COLoNIST
BY Geo. D. Coleman

The readers of the Colonist have
read from time to time that work was
going on at the Fertilizer Plant, but
lthey have had no report of what re-
suits have been accomplished; and, as
II know from correspondence they
would like to know, shall briefly state
the facts. The plant was operated the
first run, with one platform 40 K 4
feet. Then a second platform same
size was added. Between these two,
lin ten months, 500 tons Of compost
have been delivered, mostly to the gar
den. As the garden is 40 acres. pro-
badly only one quarter Of it has been
lat all heavily MANFRED. and one half of
it has received only ten tons to the
acre, and one-quarter, none of the com
post. But some $50 tons Of black saw
dust and ashes and black muck have
been added.
This land was unusually lacking in
humus or rotten vegetable matter; but
on the quarter near the hotel it now
has a rich dark color, as in some plac-
es it has received as much as 4 to $
inches of compost. But the garden
alone, to make it like the truck gardens
near the northern cities, needs all OF
1000 tons more. There is place for
two more platforms 90 20 feet, each
capable of holding as much as the two
present platforms and 20 to 30 tons
over. but with the constant demands
for labor in connection with the inn
provements going on, these two larger
platforms have not been possible to be
built. Besides, if built, the teams ne
cesSary to haul the material are all oc-
cupied in hauling saw logs, cultivating
crops and other very necessary work.
One needs to be here few months
and get a realization Of what is go
ing on before he realizes that we are
a very busy people.
The management wants these two
larger platforms as bad as | dor all
most as badly. So | am making no kick.
Ebert Hubbard wrote, Life is just one
darn thing after another, and with
improvement plans galore, considerably
more than our labor capacity to reach,
we realize that Hubbard was right.
There's no unemployment here, but its
vice versa especially versa.
? Now. 500 tons has not been all the
fertilizer put on the land, as quite all
Of 400 tons of leached ashes mixed
with a like quantity of black rotten
sawdust has been hauled upon our cane
fields, and its effect upon the cane is
plainly to be seen; this year we shall
have so much cane that it's query to
my mind how we are to manage to ham
die it all. | understand we are soon
to have, a bunch of people to join.
Well, all can say is, we need them;
for we are growing and need more mo-
tive power. Once we have the land
under contract bought and decided to
us, what now goes to land purchase
will be working capital and we viii be
over our growing pains and on broad
and pyramid-Iike foundation. | intend
ed this as report to the readers Of the
Colonist on the fertilizer plant. but find
have been forced to scatter some.
Briefly, we have the raw material here,
and are rapidly getting it into shape.
Improvement follows Improvement, and
we are growing fast. and all the time
getting into better shape, and, ike the
tadpole when his tail dropped off. won
dering what is coming next.