Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 218, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 September 1914 — Spent the Morning in Most Delightful Company [ARTICLE]

Spent the Morning in Most Delightful Company

The Republican editor accepted an invitation this morning to take a drive into the country with Joseph E. Wing, the alfalfa expert,. Winfred Pullin, also an expert in alfalfa, and with two willing county Superintendant Lamson and. Chas. W. Postill. The trip was made in the latter’s car and the invitation to make the trip came from him. We used to speak of Charley Postill as “Rev.” and that is still appropriate at times, but this trip was made with him as a farmer and not as a preacher and the handle- is left off. We went north to the Donnelly corner, west to John Nowell’s farm, north to the Charley Porter farm, west past Mr. Postill’s farm and north to Parr, then east past Amos Alter’s farm in the Pierson comer or a short distance past where we saw a fine field of alfalfa. We then visited the Turfler onion farm nnd then the Pullin’s farm where we procured samples of eadh of the three cuttings which had made five tons of alfalfa to the acre for Mr. Pullin and where there is now a luxuriant fourth growth, which will not be cut but will be left to give protection to the roots during the winter. . We then came to town, stopped for a few minutes to look at Charley Postill’s chickens, Black Minorcas, White Orpingtons and White Leghorns, and to give Mr. Wing an opportunity to rest for a few minutes. He had just returned from the Battle- Creek sanitarium and is not strong. There were only about 100 people in the Chautauqua, but they were the student farmers of the country, men who" know that to get the most happiness and the best returns from the farm it is necessary to kbow what the farm needs and how to supply it. There were men present who are interested in this great money making alfalfa and who want to know how to prepare the soil for it, how to mature and harvest it and they were given a rare treat for Mr. Wing’s lecture proved a narrative of many delights aside from the instruction it contaned and there was a modesty and wholesomeness about his talk that captivated all the listeners, men and women alike. Mr. Wing offered to send to all who would leave their addresses with him a circular treating the alfalfa subject and it is very certain that he “sowed alfalfa seed” that will groW vast acres of this important crop in future years. It is a crop of such good food value that no farmer can afford not to have it and now that it has been demonstrated that it will grow here on almost any land it is only a question of time until every farmer will raise it. Many acres willl be planted the coming spring. We have been promised more articles on the subject of alfalfa soon by “Karp Diem,” whose interesting discussions in the Republican last spring are responsible for much of the present interest in alfalfa. Jasper county was honored by the visit of Joseph E. Wing. It is a pity that a thousand were not present to have heard every word he said. V