FOURTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VIII. 553 



ting the plants two feet apart in the row; cultivate through the growing 

 season; cover with straw, leaves or corn stalks when, the ground freezes 

 to protect the plants from alternate freezing and thawing, and you can 

 have all the strawberries you can eat for two or three weeks. 



GOOD ROADS. 



F. G. Hanks, President of Scott County Rural Mail Carriers' Association, 

 before Scott County Farmers' Institute. 



With the establishment of the rural telephone system and the rural 

 free delivery mail service, the people living in the country, and especi- 

 ally those in the isolated districts, have been placed in" daily 

 •communication with the outside world and in close touch with the nearby 

 towns and constant intercoursa with their neighbors, placing within their 

 reach the means whereby they are, in some respects, in advance of those 

 living in towns where there is no telephone and no free delivery service. 



They are reaping the benefits of a progressive country, and its e^"- 

 fects have given an impetus to the advancement and education of the 

 younger class, in placing before them the best literature and the greatest 

 inducements of securing better advancements and success in life by 

 aiming for a higher sphere. 



The farmer has become better educated in his work and better 

 posted in the markets of the country, and even the world, and by glean- 

 ing an idea here and a suggestion there from some one that has had a 

 chance to improve on a point he has virtually became an expert in his 

 line. 



Progression is a vital factor to success. 



While other enterprises and projects of the country and departments 

 of the government are making such strides towards the betterment of 

 their condition, let us take a look at the backward tendency of the coun- 

 try along the line of public highway improvement. 



With the exception of the bridges and some cutting and grading here 

 and there, the average roadway has not been improved to any extent for 

 years. The work that has been put on them with plow and scraper and 

 road grader has had no effect or part towards making them any better. 

 With the present system of farming, a large per cent of the farmer's 

 hauling on the public roads is done during the winter months, and thaL 

 too, at a time when the roads are frozen and rough, or are more or less 

 muddy, and that means '"hub dup" in the spring. 



Then, too, during the winter season there is more light traffic on 

 the roads than in the summer. 



The people have more time to travel and seek pastime and pleasure 

 with neighbors and friends and visiting the cities. 



Who feels the need of good roads more than the progressive farmer? 



There have been many plans for good roads brought before the notice 

 of the public, some good and some poor ones. From among them all let 



