THE I. A. A. RECORD 



Page Eleven 



ILLINOIS farmers who have not trav- 

 eled westward over the extensive 

 prairies and plains between here and the 

 Rockies have no conception of the tre- 

 mendous competition they are receiving 

 in the production of staple crops from 

 their western neighbors. 



The writer recently completed a 

 4,200-mile drive through the states of 

 Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyo- 

 ming, Montana, North Dakota and 

 Minnesota. One of the most impres- 

 sive revelations to us was the apparent 

 monumental error of our federal gov- 

 ernment during past decades in under- 

 mining corn belt agriculture first by 

 its extensive reclamation projects like 

 that of the great Shoshone Dam near 

 Cody, Wyoming, which waters more 

 than a quarter of a million acres of 

 arid lands to the east; secondly, by its 

 free-land and homesteading policy as a 

 result of which literally millions of 

 acres of splendid semi-arid grazing 

 lands where buffalo, cattle and sheep 

 once ranged, have been brought under 

 the plow by settlers who barely eke 

 out an existence producing wheat, bar- 

 ley, flax, oats and corn. 



Many of these western dry-landers 

 live in one-room shacks, log cabins or 

 sod houses. Their land cost them little 

 or nothing, frequently it produces little 

 or nothing, but enough grain, flax and 

 other produce are sold one year with 

 another to finance a low standard of 

 living and continue the precarious ex- 

 istence common to the area. 



It is true that hundreds of these 

 homesteaders in western South Dakota, 

 Wyoming and Montana have abandoned 

 their dry, rocky, poor-yielding quarter 

 sections, but thousands of others en- 

 dowed with greater tenacity and re- 

 sourcefulness, or perhaps able to take 

 more punishment, have held on. Most 

 of these dry landers we learned from 

 careful inquiry accumulate little to pay 

 them for their unremitting toil, but 

 they do produce enough to create a sur- 

 plus and spoil the business of farming 

 for Illinois, Iowa and other cornbelt 

 farmers. : — .. > 



The opening of the Assiniboine In- 

 dian Reservation in north central Mon- 

 tana to homesteaders back in 1909 is 

 a typical example of the western de- 

 velopment sponsored by our govern- 

 ment, which now is attempting to solve 

 the problem it was instrumental in cre- 

 ating. Settlers from the east and 



middle west flocked in, built shacks on 

 nearly every quarter section, plowed up 

 the native grasses, and started "farm- 

 ing." Many learned that they coiJdn't 

 succeed in making a living with only 

 10 to 12 inches of rainfall annually, let 

 alone accumulate a competence for the 

 future. And so the plains are dotted 

 with abandoned huts, although others 

 more fortunately situated, or hardier, 

 continue to carry on waiting for the 

 unusual year, which seldom comes, 

 when nature will yield abundantly. 



This description of agriculture on the 

 great western plains does not reflect 

 conditions in all sections. There are 

 localities like the Judith Basin around 

 I.ewistown, and the sweeping areas 

 south and east of Great Falls, Montana, 

 where excellent low cost wheat is pro- 

 duced in great quantities on dry land 

 farms. Here one crop every two years 

 is the rule. Yields run as high as 50 

 to 60 bushels of wheat per acre in fa- 

 vorable years and even this year, a dry 

 one throughout the west, 20 to 30 

 bushel yields are being reported. 



Crop acreage reduction for Middle 

 West wheat growers advocated by the 

 government might strike a more sym- 

 pathetic chord if accompanied by a 

 statement from Washington that all 

 land reclamation, irrigation and new 

 development projects had been discon- 

 tinued indefinitely, and that some con- 

 structive effort was being made to re- 

 move part of our great areas of mar- 

 ginal lands from production. 



— E. G. T. 



Earl C. Smith at Home 



EARL C. SMITH, president of the 

 Illinois Agricultural Association, 

 who had a serious operation for the re- 

 moval of his tonsils and other sources 

 of infection the latter part of July in 

 Chicago, is recuperating and gaining 

 strength at his home in Pike county. 



During the operation an unexpected 

 source of infection was discovered deep 

 down in the throat close to a large 

 blood vessel. The operation was fol- 

 lowed by severe hemorrhages which ne- 

 cessitated a prompt blood transfusion to 

 mitigate the danger from heavy losses 

 of blood. For several weeks he re- 

 mained at the Beaumont Nursing Home 

 on North Michigan Blvd., Chicago, in 

 care of a trained nurse. Mrs. Smith was 

 with him before the operation and 

 during the period of convalescence. 



A. R. Wright of Varna, vice-presi- 

 dent of the association, in the mean- 

 time kept an eye on the many develop- 

 ments in the varioxis projects of the 

 organization at the I. A. A. offices. 



Scores of letters, telegrams, telephone 



KEEPING WELL 



By Dr. John A. Boland 



AS children we recall, with rather 

 painful memories, the ever recur- 

 ring toothache. No home was complete 

 without the "toothache drops." With 

 the first indication of toothache, we 

 were dosed with the ever-present drops. 

 Finally, after several toothaches and the 

 toothache medicine failed to relieve the 

 symptoms, we were taken to the dentist 

 and as a rule extraction of the offend- 

 ing member was necessary. 



Contrast the foregoing procedure 

 with the ideal program. The child 

 should visit the dentist as soon as his 

 baby teeth are erupted. That is a short 

 time after his second birthday. Only 

 in exceptional cases will he require ac- 

 tual dental work. 



The first visit is to allow the child 

 to become acquainted with the dentist 

 and dental surroundings. Do not wait 

 until the child has a toothache to take 

 him to the dentist. His first visit 

 should never be associated with pain. 

 Our early impressions are usually life- 

 long. An analysis of fears of adults 

 shows in many cases that fears have 

 their origin in painful experiences in 

 early life. Thus in later life teeth have 

 been neglected and lost through fear 

 of the dentist, acquired in early child- 

 hood. 



The first visit gives the dentist an 

 opportunity to gain the confidence and 

 educate the parent regarding tooth 

 problems. He can point out certain 

 things that are happening in the child's 

 mouth and suggest their correction. 

 The child should visit the office at regu- 

 lar intervals as suggested by the den- 

 tist. At these visits the dentist may 

 polish the teeth and detect and fill 

 early cavities. 



Cavities, when detected early, can be 

 filled with little or no pain. Thus the 

 child's mouth is kept in a healthy and 

 comfortable condition during the years 

 when more than at any other time good 

 teeth are essential to growth and proper 

 development. 



Prevention of serious dental and con- 

 stitutional disease, as well as prevention 

 of dental fears, is entirely dependent on 

 early and regular visits to the dentist. 



inquiries and. callers soliciting informa- 

 tion about Mr. Smith's welfare from 

 distant points were received. 



"I can't adequately express my grate- 

 ful appreciation for the many kind- 

 nesses, flowers and good wishes I have 

 received from so many during the past 

 two weeks," he said before departing 

 for home. 



