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Three years ago the Farm Bureau was organized in Cedar County at the call of the federal department of agriculture, to help put across the campaign for more and cheaper food with which to win the war. At that time 200 men were secured to help pay the office expenses while the government paid the county agent.
Tuesday night, October 12, this past year, there were 1300 farmers giving $5.00 a year to support the farm bureau in the county, and most of them giving an additional $5.00 to support the state organization of the county farm bureaus. The county now pays $3000.00 per year toward furthering the agricultural interests that they appropriated$900.00 toward three years ago.
Leslie M. Carl, the first county agent faced the task of organizing the county for war work. He succeeded so well that in six months time he had township chairmen and school district co-operators in every section of the county. He and Mr. Fawcett, who succeeded him when the army called him, were directly responsible for the success of the wheat and seed corn campaigns that meant so much to the county and the nation. Our wheat acreage was increased six times in one year, and our corn crop assured by the careful selection and testing of seed corn when poor seed was far more plentiful than good.
It is useless to try to enumerate the things that have been accomplished by the farm bureau in the three years of its’ existence. Stabilizing of corn husking prices, opening of the stock yards to night use, organization of the Pure Bred Livestock Association, Cooperative Shipping Associations, establishing of a free labor bureau, instituting a farm products exchange, and educational work in horticulture, poultry, and farm crops are among the leading projects.
In co-operation with the Pure Bred Association, a Pure Bred Heifer Club was organized and conducted during the spring and summer of 1920. Forty-three boys and girls fed and cared for heifers drawn by lot from the calves purchased for the club. These were shown and sold at the county fair in September and easily proved the main attraction of the fair. Plans are being made and calves bought for the club next year.
A Pure Bred Gilt Club was organized and the gilts shown at the county fair. Due to so many wanting to keep their gilts no sale was held, but the few gilts to be sold were disposed of privately. A Sow and Litter Club is being organized to take the place of the gilt club next year.
One limiting factor of the work, the three changes in county agents during the first two years, has worked toward the detriment of the organization. Mr. Obye, the present agent has been on the job a little better than a year and has been hired for another year. It takes a new man six months or better to become acquainted with the mainstays of the organization, and every change sets the work back about that far.
Every township in the county now has its farm bureau organization meeting monthly or oftener. The policies of the county, state, and national organizations are outlined and discussed at these meetings and sent to the county meetings for action. Every member has a direct voice in the discussion. Never before have the farmers as a class or as individuals, had the chance to make their wants known and get things done.
The Farm Bureau realizes it cannot stand alone, so welcomes cooperation with all other organizations in the county, whether of business or farmers, and actively supports all activities that tend to the betterment of the community. Its program of work covers not only the business aspects, but the social and educational as well. It believes that the farmer’s interest concerns not only him, but all the people of the community, and that its work must all be planned to give “a square deal to all”.
The main work of the county agent is to increase production and better marketing methods. This is a part of the Farm Bureau work also, but their activities carried on thru the local officers and co-operators goes much farther. Seventeen alfalfa plots have been started in the past two years in cooperation with the farm bureau. Of the seventeen, twelve have been very successful, the season cuttings averaging four big loads per acre. Several new seedings are being planned and prepared now.
In getting alfalfa started, better than fifty cars of ground limestone have been applied to the soil. In many cases two or more men have ordered together to lighten the unloading job and cut down the hauling time. The beneficial results of the first year’s applications are becoming apparent now and actual demonstrations of the value of lime shown. Sweet clover enthusiasts are strong boosters for the limestone work.
Soy beans have made a wonderful advance in the county the past three years. From a few experimental acres on a very few farms has come county-wide plantings, often of entire corn acreage. Ernest Eilers of Tipton, an ardent soy bean grower, has his entire corn acreage with beans and clover in every acre of small grain. “The beans are not only a corn saver when hogged, but actually improve my soil and increase my yields the following years,” said Mr. Eilers in a recent interview. “I’ve used them four years and they will always be found in all my corn from now on. My crops and stock have never been better since I began growing and feeding beans.” Kortum and Son of Stanwood, pioneers in the use of limestone and soy beans, are also registered in the permanent membership of the Soy Bean Growers Club. This season, 1921, over 2000 acres of corn were planted with beans too, in spite of high prices of seeds and shortage of cash.
Spraying of fruit trees has spread rapidly throughout the county and is proving one of the best paying jobs the farmers have taken up in an organized way. Herrick and Lapp of Ames, with their Dual Orchard and Poultry demonstrations get the credit for starting the spread of the work in the county. The fruit growers around Durant solved the problem of lost time and getting the work done. A dozen or so of the farmers pledged their share of the money to buy a good power outfit capable of handling at least a thousand trees. The late frosts of this spring have cut down the yield, but careful spraying this season will help insure a good set of fruit next season. Unsprayed trees have suffered severely from canker worms, in many cases losing half or more of their leaves. Very few fruit buds will be formed on these for another year. Beside the Durant ring several other communities and many other individuals in the county are doing careful spraying this season. Practically every store in the county handling spray supplies report increased sales.
Spraying has spread to the potato and garden crops as well. Lead arsenate has almost displaced Paris Green in this work. Experience has shown it stays on for better and does not burn the foliage as Paris Green will. Because of this property it has become a universal bug food on cabbage, tomatoes, currants, gooseberries and all other plants attacked by chewing insects. Demonstrations and publicity, largely on part of the farm bureaus, has accomplished this result.
The woman’s department has not been neglected in this work. Though no woman’s department or home demonstration agent is present, the program includes work especially for their interests. The poultry work was largely conducted and attended by women. Over 6000 birds were examined for laying qualities and a third of them consigned to the butcher, beside the diseased birds that were destroyed. Many tubercular hens were found and in practically all cases these were the old hens. These flocks today are practically free of this disease. This line of work alone paid the expenses of the farm bureau in dollars saved the poultry raisers. Hundreds who attended these culling demonstrations went home and culled their own flocks and will do it again this year and years to follow.
Cedar County is proud of her agricultural advancement. She is leading in the production of good livestock and raises practically all the food they consume, except the protein concentrates that she has found necessary in putting top stuff on the markets. The livestock business has built her fine school system, now comprising seven consolidated schools, including the largest in Iowa. It has made possible the college education secured by hundreds of young men and women of the county. Has built and is supporting the many find churches, parks, and civic improvements. It has made Cedar the second richest county in Iowa.
Progress is the keynote of Cedar County agriculture. This means better methods, better seed and varieties, higher yields, cleaner fields, cheaper production costs and better marketing systems. Progress is being made through careful, intelligent co-operation of the entire farming body working with the other business interests of the county.
