1176 
TF/nt RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
October 12, 1918 
Iowa Seen By a New Englander 
SiZB AM) Poriii-ATioN.—lowM is one 
of the so-called great corn belt Statea. 
The State haa an area of r)r»,02I> Hqiiare 
miles, or, in other words, is nearly as 
large as all of New England, which haa 
an area of B<niare miles. 'J'he pop- 
(ilation of Iowa at the last census waa 
2,224,771, as against about (5,500,(KK) for 
New England and 5,0(X>,00() for New 
York (!ity alone. One may well judge 
that when so small a jiopulation is spread 
out over such a great area the peoi)le 
must be largely producers. Huch is the 
ease in Iowa. Des Moines, with a popu¬ 
lation of l()r),000, is Iowa’s large.st city. 
'J'here is not another city of even .50,0(M) 
population in the whole State. Wlnm it 
is considered (hat the lirst white j)eople 
really settled in Iowa 70 to 75 years ago 
it can be apjireciated tb.'.t this country is 
relatively young. This is shown iiarticu- 
larly in the make-up of the villages and 
cities and in the nature of the soil. 
'I'liK ViJ.i.AdK AND ('ITY. —'I'hero is a cer¬ 
tain newness to the buildings and streets 
of the cities. 'I'he absence of sky-scraja rs 
is very noticeable to the New Englander. 
Thei'c is plenty of room, so they build out 
ami not up. Most of tbe buildings are 
two and three-story, which gives the town, 
particularly when the surrounding <'oun- 
try is level, a i)eculiar, flat ai)i)earance. 
With the exception of a few of the older 
cities (hev all have this appearance and 
look exactly alike. Thrc-e other things 
common to the Iowa city are the brick 
paveunents on the? main str(!ets, the live- 
light chand<‘lier lighting system, and the 
straight streets, laid out in blocks, Jiist 
as they are in tin; upper part of New 
York (lily. Dubmiue is the old<‘st city in 
Iowa, and there are a few others that are 
old enough so the trees are large and 
ov<‘rhang tbe streets. ’I'o the New Eng¬ 
lander who has just migratc-d to (his coun¬ 
try the.se cities with their big (reiis are a 
most welcoim* sight. Iowa bas a imt- 
work of railroads, and it is principally at 
junction points that the larger towns and 
cities have sprung uj). ’I'lu* cities are up- 
to-date and have good stores. 'I'liey are 
trading centers for a larg(> t<“rritory, and 
Saturday night is a big'night, all the 
farmers in tlie surrounding country (‘om- 
ing in for their supplies. 
Tmc (loiiNTUY.—'I'lie topography of the 
country in Iowa is a thing that surprises 
the New Englander. Our friend.s who 
come East from Iowa are prone to picture, 
it as a broad rolling prairie with corn- 
(ields as far os the eye can reach, and 
with but very few trees. It is true that 
the country is rolling and in some si'ct.ions 
much more rolling than we ar(( led to be 
lieve. The facts of the case are that on 
an auto trip of say 100 miles one Vill 
drive through stretches that are very 
level and sections that are <juit(‘ Iiilly. 
'I’here are few steep hills, but at the same 
lime there are some good grades. 'J'liese 
sections look exactly like the more fertile 
sections of New lOngland. It is this va¬ 
riation in the landscape (hat makes it so 
attractive. There are trees everywbeie. 
Instead of growing in vast forests, as tbeyj 
do in New England, you lind tluun growl¬ 
ing in grov<‘S left standing by tlu' fanners 
wbo have cleared the land. The writer in 
traveling over most of I''ast,ern anti ('(‘ii- 
tral Iowa bas not come to a itlace where 
he could not look ofT and set* these groves 
of trees dotting tbe landscai)e. 'I'here 
art* f(!W places in tbe country wh(*j'(‘ Iht* 
trt'cs art* plentiful nlttng t.bt* ro.'ulsitlt*. 
Mt)st of tbe natural grttwUi is red oak, 
ctdtfuiwot)il and stift maple. ’I’lie gootl 
old whitt* jiint* is conspicuous by its ab- 
senct*. 'I'be lanil is, of course, very Irett 
from stones. When a piect* of land is 
cleared tbe fannt'r lintls stuut* lt)t)se rtteks;— 
‘‘nigger-heads,” they call them—anti while 
they are stion occasionally along tlu* roatl- 
siiit*, thttre wert* never entuigli tif them 
St) that the farmers ever wastetl any of 
their time buibling stone walls. ]‘'ences 
are all wire anti art* in gtttxl conililion. 
‘I'lit* st)il of Iowa is for the mt)st i>art a 
black clay loam. Tbert* is an occasituial 
oulbrt*ak of sand anil gravel. 'I’liiH black 
soil is very fertile, anil goes down to a 
depth of three or four feet. 'I'bis is un- 
derlaiil with yellow clay, then blue clay 
anti then liiiit* rock, (’ompiwetl to New 
England this soil is very young, but it is 
also more fertile than New Euglanil soil 
has been in a number of years at lt*asl. 
and its fertility, with the treatment it 
gels, seems almost inexhaustible. Wbili* 
Iowa has many small lakes and rivers, 
water is not nearly as jili'iitifiil as it is 
in Nt*w England. Most of tin* wells are 
tiriven ami juost of the farms make use 
of a windmill. Wells are tlrilli*tl in many 
of the jiastures and wimlmills are used to 
pump water for the stock. 
ItOADH.— 'rill* roads are of jiarticular in¬ 
terest to me, anil 1 have hail enough ex¬ 
perience driving my car over them to 
write a separate volume, were thi* things 
I coulil say about them lit to jirint. 'I'o 
say the best that can be said for them, 
lirst, there are ti few stretches of gravel. 
No sto/ie or macaiiam roails in the coun¬ 
try, anil gravel is too scarce to warn*nt its 
use without considerable transportalion 
expense, 'riiere are just jilain ilirt mails 
of blai.’k soil, the same as thi* lields 
through which they jiass. Eor Hit! mosi 
part the farmers kt>ep them well tlrag- 
geil, anil they are well crowneil. In tlry 
weather thi*se mails pack ilown haril, and 
except for tin* clouds of ilust it is a pleas 
lire to ride ovi*r them. 'I’bi* thing that no 
one can readily understand until he riiles 
over these roads is what happens to them 
when it rains. Even a hart! shower 
causes the surface layer two or three 
inches thick to soften nj), so the road is 
so slip|it‘ry as ti) make it almost, impas- 
sahlt* in an untomohile. 'Fhi* writer lias 
had his experience in going siileways anil 
every other way, making from live to 
ten miles an hour, and then actually hav¬ 
ing to leave his car 50 miles from home 
and go home on the train. There has 
been so much rain in Iowa the past month 
that the roads have been a ipiagmire most 
of the time. A few hours of sun and a 
road drag put them in fine condition in a 
short time. That is the thing that is so 
hard to get used to; the fact that they 
can he so good one minute and practically 
impassahle the minute it rains. There is 
absolutely nothing in New England for 
roads that can compare with these when 
they are wet. The farms being laid out 
in Hipiurcs it is natural that the roads 
run ill straight Hues, cast and west, and 
north and south. When iiKpiiring the 
dirmlion to a certain place the farmer 
tells yon to go so many miles south, then 
east a mile, instead of telling you to turn 
right or left. The corners an* poorly 
Iiostod, and all a stranger can do is to 
b)llow the most beaten path. 
Land ‘VAi.tiK.s. —Iowa land has con¬ 
stantly increased in price, and is still on 
the increase, which is a good sign that it 
makes money fur the investors. Land is 
now priced from .$125 to $225 per acre, 
and rents at from $7 to $10 an acre. 
Most of the farms are ipiarter sections, or 
1(50 acres. The larger w'heat farms we 
have read about are not found in Iowa. 
Termed in acre,s, tbe farms an* not as 
large as many of tbose in New England, 
but practically every acre on these farms 
is tillable or excellent luistiiri*. 
'I'liK rKoi'i.K.—'I'lu* men in town seem 
to be bustlers, and are doing a good busi¬ 
ness. Many of tbe farmers are of for¬ 
eign descent., anil all are extremely hard 
workers. Many of them rent their farms. 
is the common thing to find banks in 
small towns with $1,(KK),(XK) or more of 
farmers’ money in them. Practically all 
of tliem have automobiles. Many of the 
farmers ligure on making money enough 
to sjiend their last days in a home in 
town, and much of the city pojiulation 
consists of retired farmers. When oa the 
farm the farmer works very hard, as does 
his entire family, and there an* many 
gooil-si'/.cil families, too. 'Fo see them at 
work one would think there was little 
enjoyment in life for them, but the Inst 
for cash that will some day allow them 
to retire ai»parenfly buoys them uj). 
_ It. r. J UDK1N8. 
Pasture Fertilization Demonstration 
f). W. Atkinson, Agriculturist for Del¬ 
aware Coiinly, I’ennsylvania, is getting 
some interesting iTstilts from a pasture 
fertilization demonstration which he is 
ooiulnctiiig on the farm of .lames P. (lol- 
liiis, near Marple. 'Fhis ilomoiistration 
was started in May, lltl7, ami is intend¬ 
ed to .show the most practical method of 
renewing wornoiit pastures which arc too 
hilly or rough to be jilowed. 'Flu* six 
plots included in the experiment an* laid 
out lengthwise of the hill, and an* each 
one-fifth acre in size. According to a 
report of the imiject recently issued by 
Mr. Atkinson, all fertilizers were applied 
the same day, except manure, which was 
applied a week after the plots wen* limed. 
Applications were uniform for all jilots, 
null were made at the following rate jut 
acre, viz.: Manure, 10 tons; lime, one 
ton; acid phosphate, 250 pounds; seed, 
‘20 pounds. 'Fhe seed mijituri* wois ns 
follows: Kentucky blue grass, 7 lbs.; Or¬ 
chard gra.ss, 7 lbs.; Ilcd-toj), 2 lbs.; 'Fim- 
othy, .‘5 lbs. ; Iteil clover, -1 Ib.s. 'Frent- 
ments were given the plots as follows; 
No. 1. Manure, lime ami seed.. 
No. 2. Manure, acid phosphate ami seed. 
No. 2. (Mii'ck (iiiipcr half .seed, lower 
half nothing). 
No. 4. Maeiire, acid phosiihate, liim' nml 
secil. 
No. 5. Manure. 
No. C. Acid phosphate and seed. 
It was inteniled to apply nitrate of 
floila to Plot (5 at the rate of 150 iiounds 
per acre, hut none could he purchased in 
1017 in time for apiilication. All plotji 
were harrowed with spring-tooth harrow 
set to 'mi'diiirn depth, upper half of jilots 
twice and lower half only once. The 
seeding in 1017 was rather late, and wan 
followed by a [teriod of dry weather. A 
second seeding, therefore, was made March 
20, IJtlS. No other treatment has been 
given this year. 
'Fhe results are interesting. The test 
is being conducted under actual farm 
conditions, and the field is being pas¬ 
tured continuously. The pasture i.s so 
short that little difference can be seen 
from a distance, but close examination 
shows marked differences and result.s. 
For instaiici*, on Plot No. 2, Plot No, (> 
and all of (he surrounding pasture then* 
is a variety of weeds, with practically no 
clover nml very little grass of economic 
value. Plot No. 5, which received ma¬ 
nure, but no seed, is somewhat better 
than the check plot. Plot No. 4, which 
received miiiiuri*, acid phosphate, lime 
ami seed, is iindouhtcilly best, with Plot 
No. 1 in a close second. Manure jinil 
acid phosphate in inoilerati* amounts, anil 
a liher.'il application of lime, seem to 
h.'ive givi'ii the best net let urns. 'Fhe 
experiment clearly demonstrates that re¬ 
seeding will not pay without fertilization. 
White clover is I'oming in rapidly. 
C. M. A. 
SiritAl*.M:i, shrieked all about. l?Oml)a 
dropped from the sky, and every so often 
a big (Jerman sbell burst overlicail. Sud¬ 
denly one Yank burst into a fit of 
langbter. “’S’ matter, PndilyV’ his mate 
iiskeil, fearing that be bad smlilenly gone 
insane. ‘‘I was jn.st tbinkin’. Pill,” re¬ 
plied (lie other between <*huekii*H, ‘‘of the 
Tiint tliat held me up one night in Mem¬ 
phis with a .22 ealihre revolver.”—N. Y. 
'J'rihune. 
'That they make money is certain, since it 
Bread 
looms. 
SUCRENE 
^AIRy'fEE^ 
«0BM, lU. „ 
1650 
’]Ve can no longer afford to feed our high-priced grains to 
dairy cows. We must feed them the by-products. It is not 
right to feed grains which are good human food to animals that 
can do just as well on feeds not fit for human consumption. ** 
—Prof. Pearson, University of Illinois, before Chicago Milk Commission. 
Cows Can Not Make Milk on Unbalanced Corn Rations 
Profs. Henry and Morrison. Wisconsin Ex¬ 
periment Station, in “Feeds and Feeding”: “With 
the high prices now ruling for feed and labor, 
on many farms, even where good dairy cows aro 
kept, milk is being produced at little or no profit. 
Yet, by a wise selection of feeds other dairy¬ 
men secure goodly profits from cows no better.” 
The poor results obtained when corn is not properly 
balanced was demonstrated at Illinois Experimental 
Station, where cows fed on correctly balanced rations 
gave 47% more milk and 39% more fat than cows fed 
on unbalanced corn rations. “This shows,” says 
Prof. Henry, “tbe folly of expecting profitable pro¬ 
duction from such uitbalancea combinations of feed.” 
Sucrene Dairy Feed — Scientifically Correct Combination 
of High-Quality Milk Nutrients 
Oollon Si'oil Meut. . . 
CiTiii Oil Mcnl . . . . 
Cum lliiil. I)ri<Hl (iriiiiiu 
Ground and Holtod Griiiii BerounInKB 10.R 
(/'oi'oiiiiut Mind.au.!) 
I’uru Cnnu Muluimoii. 
Vtit Cu'bohyilraloM 
:i.O Gl.l 
8.1 V,.H 
Oll.l) 
rrot.lu Knt Carbohyilraloa 
K'i.ll 11.0 21.0 
21 II lO.H 4(;.0 
. 211.2 11.4 89.4 
The above IiikIi nualily fcrdinK nuIr'iRnta in Sucrene Dniry Feed aro combined with iu»t cnouKh clipped ont 
by-product to obsorly liie molanae* anti to supply tlie li...k wliicli every KuocI cow t<-cd must linvc. 4 liey are mixed in 
exact proportions for milk production and body niuintenaiicc. Suptll pcrccntutfcs of calcium cnibonalo and salt 
arc added for necessary mineral matter. 
SUCRENE ALWAYS INCREASES MILK FLOW. All cows relish and llirivc on Sucrene l>ecauso of its 
variety, hiKlr rlcKrro of palatability and diKestibilily. l licy need no otlier concentrates. Sucrene alone, witlt tiro 
usual rouKnaKo, keeps them in better hcallli, liirKcr milk flow all year, at a substantial snvintr in food cost. 
iJettcr order a ton from your dealer to avoid transportation drfays. If lie can not supply ynu write us. Tlie 
cx>upon or u post curd brinKa you literature on cure and fcodinK of bvo Block wtiich you wifi find of ({rent value. 
American Milling Company, Dept. 5, Peoria, fillinois 
tSucrene Feeds for /III Live Slocl{ and Poultry — / 8 Years the Standard) 
Composed of feedintr materials universally recOKnized oa 
hiKh in milk - making and body - maintaining nutrition i 
Pleoso send me illustrated literature 
on feeds chocked below; (5| 
Sucrene Dairy Feed 
Sucrene Calf Meal 
Sucrene Mog Meal 
Sucrone^PoultryMash with Duttermilll 
Arnc.o Fat Maker (for steers) 
Amco Dairy I' oed (25% l^rotein) 
My Dealer’s Name.. 
P.O... 
My Name............... 
P.O.... 
-State.. 
_State_ 
