'-X^ 



i 



JITCHES 

 ring back 





MR. AND MRS. EARL BATTLES 

 "She keeps a watchiul eye on the Icam. too.' 



just common sense. The terraces hold 

 the water up on the side hills where 

 the growing crops need it. The corn 

 on this piece (hybrid drilled in con- 

 tour rows) is the best since I've been 

 here. The terraces are solving another 

 serious problem, too. Our best piece 

 of bottom ground was being covered 

 up with sand washed down from the 

 top of the hill. That won't happen 

 now." 



Battles builds his own terraces, hitch- 

 ing five horses abreast on a Martin 

 ditcher. This machine has a five foot 

 blade, looks much like a road grader. 

 The blade is reversible. The dirt can 

 be thrown in either direction to the 

 terrace. Earl has built better terraces 

 than many you see around the state 

 made by the soil conservation camps. 

 The terraces put in last May on limed 

 soil were sown to sweet clover which 

 produced an excellent stand. , 



To rearrange the fields according to 

 the erosion control blue prints drawn 

 up by Conservation Engineer Ekovich, 

 fences will have to be moved, terrace 

 outlets completed, and the side hills 

 and draws fertilized with stable manure 

 and green manuring crops. From four 

 to five years or more will be required 

 to rearrange the fields and work out 

 the major and minor rotations of corn, 

 wheat, oats, sweet and red clover, al- 

 falfa, and soybeans. 



Earl believes that crop yields on the 

 poorer fields can be doubled with the 

 new system. The plan ties in closely 

 with the Agriculutral Adjustment pro- 

 gram with its provision for more land 

 in soil improving crops and fewer de- 

 pleting acres. The entire farm has 

 been limed and 25 acres have had a 

 half ton of rock phosphate to the acre. 



"I don't care how much they laugh 

 about me," he confided. "All I want 

 is to see results." And with this Earl 

 no doubt was thinking of the future 



of his family, of Doris May 16 and 

 Donald 14 who are in high school, 

 and of Kenneth 11 and Audrey 9 

 The oldest daughter, Beulah is married 

 and resides at Witt. Rex 19 is taking 

 care of himself working on a dairy 

 farm in Lake county. 



"Bud went up and got a job without 

 much trouble," his father said. "Makes 

 me think a lot of other fellows could 

 get jobs too, if they wanted work." 



Mrs. Battles keeps a watchful eye on 

 the farm while her husband is away at- 

 tending to Farm Bureau affairs. With 

 all her domestic responsibilities, she 

 takes an active interest in Home Bu- 

 reau and accompanies her husband 

 whenever possible to the general meet- 

 ings of the Farm Bureau. A Brown 

 Swiss dairy herd, hogs and poultry, 

 together with the house work, provide 

 plenty of chores for the younger mem- 

 bers of the family. The demonstration 

 of soil improvement and highA crop 

 yields through the use of sound erosion 

 control practices on their home farm 

 will mean much to them in future 

 years. In it lies their hope of some 

 day taking over a productive farm rath- 

 er than a desolate waste where ditches, 

 depletion and decay bear mute testi- 

 mony of a careless and thoughtless 

 generation. 



Buttermilk sales of Producers' Creamery, 

 Champaign, climbed diring the latter part 

 of January especially for the feeding of 

 poultry and fall pigs. Cod liver oil is 

 being supplied in buttermilk on special or- 

 der. The Producers' Creamery is having 

 an increased demand for their new process 

 cottage cheese. Ther new Doering butter 

 printing machine has resulted in a reduc- 

 tion in butter cutting costs. 



Good, cheap clover seed such as is avail- 

 able now can be safely stored for three 

 years in a cool dry place. High priced seed 

 should never be stored as it is too great a 

 financial risk. 



Indianapolis Producers 



Hawp A fiood Year 



The first nine months of 1937 were 

 favorable to live stock producers and 

 the last quarter brought trouble. It 

 was the first three to four months of 

 1938 that spelled trouble and the last 

 nine months have been comparatively 

 stable and satisfactory, Scott Meiks, - 

 manager of the Indianapolis Producers 

 reported at the close of the year. The 

 Producers handled a slightly Isrger vol- 

 ume of livestock than in 1937 but failed 

 to send as much money to the country. 



The Producers sold 29 per cent of 

 market receipts at Indianapolis last year. 

 They handled more than 50 per cent 

 of the sheep, 25 per cent of the hogs, 

 23 per cent of the cattle and approxi- 

 mately 19 per cent of the calves. A 

 total of 99.2 per cent of the business 

 came by truck. 



Completing its 17th year of opera- 

 tion, the company handled 12,121 car- 

 loads of livestock valued at $15,793,- 

 562.63 in 1938. There were 68,391 ac- 

 count sales. Net earnings were $53,- 

 68321. Since the company started op- 

 erating its net earnings total a little 

 more than a million dollars. Dividends 

 sent back to shippers totaled $560,- 

 700.72. 



In its published annual report just 

 out is traced the history of the com- 

 pany and how it was started by the 

 Indiana Farm Bureau and the Illinois 

 Agricultural Association. 



Members of the Ifldianapolis Pro- 

 ducers board of directors from Illinois 

 are O. B. Goble, vice-president, Charles- 

 ton, Coles county, and Marion R. Fin- 

 ley, Hoopeston, Vermilion county. G. 

 E. Middlcton is traffic manager. 



Home Bureau Elects 



State Officers 



Officers elected at the annual meet- 

 ing of the Illinois Home Bureau Fed- 

 eration during Farm and Home Week 

 include Mrs. John Clifton, Milford, 

 president; vice-president, Mrs. Clarence 

 Sunderland, Delhi, Jersey county; secre- 

 tary, Mrs. J. R. Krable, Woodland; 

 treasurer, Mrs. Gayle Lichtenwalter, 

 Shclbpille. 



Directors include Mrs. A. B. Ras- 

 mussen, Kendall county; Mrs. Homer 

 Curtiss, Jo Daviess county; Mrs. A. R. 

 Rolfing, Fulton county; Mrs. Edna 

 Jenkins, Champaign county; Mrs. John 

 Small, Saline county; Mrs. A. E. Con- 

 lee, Macoupin county. 



Fanning merely to grub out a few more 



dollars or to get rich will never bring you 

 or your family maximum satisfaction. 



MARCH. 1939 



25 



