242 IOWA DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 



up withi the various commercial clubs over the state but ihey found it 

 impossible to interest these clubs to the extent of putting <.in an exhibit 

 According to the United States government statistics six-tenths oi the 

 people who have settled the west and south have come from wihin one 

 night's ride of Chicago. The estimated attendance at this exposition for 

 this year was 500,000. 



If Iowa expects to regain her rural population, develop hev resources, 

 and bring about a state of more intensified farming it is higii time we 

 were sowing seed in fertile fields. This is a day and age of advertising. 

 Other states, and even municipalities, are spending thousands upon thou- 

 sands of dollars to attract people to their bordei's, while Iowa sits idly 

 by and sees her population decrease. 



I believe our next session of legislature should make it the duty of 

 some department — or create a deparunent — whose duty it would be to 

 collect and disseminate information regarding the opportunities afforded 

 and the productiveness of the soil in our state. 



A slight investigation of the returns of the Bureau of the Census on 

 farm crops and live stock in Iowa as compared with other states is con- 

 vincing evidence that Iowa has a good foundation on which to base her 

 advertising campaign without capitalizing her climate. 



The following items were clipped from the country papers, which came 

 to my desk, regarding yields of different products. Such items are often 

 enlarged upon and used in advertising the productiveness of western 

 lands by means of circulars put out by aggressive real estate agencies and 

 by folders circulated by railroads penetrating their borders. 



APPLE CKOP IN MILLS COUNTY. 



"The Gold Mines of Mills County." It is estimated that the total value 

 of the southwest Iowa apple crop will exceed $2,000,000; several thousaud 

 people have been busy picking, packing, and sorting them. One man in 

 Mills county took 10,000 barrels off of 70 acres of apple orchard. An- 

 other Mills county man sold 6,000 boxes of Jonathans from his orchard." 



POTATOES IN FLOYD COUNTY. 



"A farmer near Floyd, Floyd county, has the record in this part of the 

 county for a large potato crop. Fourteen acres were planted and they 

 yielded 4,368 bushels, or 312 bushels to the acre. The crop was sold for 

 50 cents per bushel, or the entire lot brought $2,184.00, equal to $156,00 

 per acre." 



PEARS IN MABION COUNTY. 



"A farmer who lives six miles south of Marion was in the city showing 

 samples of pears which he has grown on his place. They are as large, 

 or larger, than the imported pears. They are of the Keefer variety and he 

 has been able to gather a bushel of the fine fruit to the tree from young 

 trees. He says he has great success with pears and would like to see 

 others reap similar harvests. These pears certainly prove that this is a 

 good pear county and they show what can be done by giving such trees a 

 little attention." 



