Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 February 1917 — Page 3

Waste Land and Wasted Land on Farms

Every non-producing acre of tillable land that profitably can be made productive is a loafer acre and should either be put to work or sold

ON THE average American farm there are certain waste areas of iiiuil. Some of these can be brought under the plow by using proper methods and a sufficient outlay of capital, but otlters cannot be made tillable by any reasonable expenditure of effort orjnoney. Of the latter, certain areas may be made productive by pasturing or giving them over 4o the production of timber, Many waste areas, however, Qwing to natural conditions, can never be profitably reclaimed, no matter how efficiently the land may be managed. Certain other ureas, found on almost all farms, may be termed wasted areas. That is, they are misused in such fashion that they produce* nothing that adds to the farm income. These two classes of waste and wasted land, not being productive of income, may be classed as nonproductive farm land. An important question to one who is considering leasing or buying a farm is, what- proportion ofthe land is nonproductive? And this question is almost equally Important to the man who o wns ..or operates a farm—ln the latter case the question might better take this form: What per cent of my land is adding nothing to my income? On farms where land is cheap this is not a vital consideration, as the inter; est on the capital invested in the nonproductive portion of the farm land is not great; but as lands become higher in price it becomes more necessary to study efficiency in the use of farm land In order to avoid the loss entailed by having much capital invested in nonproductive land. Every acre of nonproducing tillable land should be put to work or sold. Many farmers would make more money if their business were larger, but the size of a farm, from a financial standpoint, is measured not by the number of acres embraced in it but by the number that are producing crops, pasturing animals economically, or supporting a growth of marketable forest products. Nonproductive acres are loafer acres, and the money tied up in them is dead capital. On every farm, hpivever, there are certain areas necessarily devoted to nonproductive purposes. Fences, ditches, lanes, nnd building lots produce nothing themselves, but they are frequently essential to production on the rest of the farm. Nevertheless, they may occupy in the aggregate a considerable percentage of the available

land. It is a part of efficient farm management to see to it that this percentage is nd higher than necessary. In this connection, some interesting figures are given. It takes, for instance, only 209 rods of untrimmed hedge and only 214 rods of zigzag rail or worm fence to waste an acre of what might be productive land. For the same expenditure of land one can run 459 "rods of woven wire and 473 rods of barbed wire. Other considerations, of course, may make It desirable to use the hedge of the worm fence, but the waste Involved is a factor that should not be overlooked. ' Similarly, farm lanes often may be eliminated by a simple rearrangement of fields; headlands, or turning spaces at the edges of fields, avoided ; and the farmstead itself, the groups of farm buildings with their lots and yards, the garden and the orchard, made compact. In the case of the farmstead, however, considerations of health and attractiveness may well justify a slight sacrifice of economy. While a little planning often will re-

TAKEN FROM EXCHANGES

. Colombia is rapidly becoming an important platlmlm-producing country. Some idea of the great number of different races in Europe may be obtained from the fact that in that geographical division'ther|e are nearly 600 different languages spoken. The frigate bird is capable of getting up a speed of 96 miles in hour with hardly a movement of its wings. The greater part of lt,s life It spent In the

-suluin the saying of much land now devoted to these unproductive uses, a more difficult problem is presented by waste land —land that is rendered tintillable by swamps, ravines, rocks, slopes, etc., woodland that produces nothing salable, and pastures that are too poor to be profitable. Some areas are, of course, hopeless, and in that case they should be left out -of the reckoning altogether. Before this is done, however, it will pay to look into the possibilities of profitable reclamation. Many notifiable fields, for example, mav be turned into_ productive pastures, or if they will not grow enough grass to make this economical they can be used for the production of timber. On tlie other hand, it frequently happens that woodlots which yield nothing but a little firewood for home consumption are permitted to occupy valuable land. In deciding whether such lots should be cleared and tilled, the cost of clearing, the increased value of the cleared land, the interest on the investment, the salable value of the timber products, and the added expense for firewood which will follow the disappearance of the “tTm-~ ber must all fie taken into account. With unwooded areas, the advisability of bringing them under the plow may be determined by comparing the prob: able cost with the market price of good arable land In the neighborhood.

Obviously, the higher the price of land rises the more Incentive there is for the farmer to avoid waste in the utilization of it. It is significant, however, that investigations of the departmentof agriculture have shown that, irrespective of the price, tenants put a greater part of their land to productive use than owners. The tenant pays rent for each acre and he canqot afford to have any of them idle. On the other hand, the man who has no rent to pay may be able to get along on the produce of a part only of

the farm, and he is, therefore, more likely to overlook the potential value -of the part he wastes. By so doing he is, of course, throwing away opportunities to make money, but this is not always appreciated by those who have not grasped the important fact that the average'farm is too sinill for maximum efficiency and that in the majority of cases to increase the size of the farm business is to increase the profits from it. Those owners, however, who realizing this, are operating leased land in addition to their own, are, like tenants, careful to see that they pay for no loafer acres. • To anyone who is buying or leasing land, then, the important question is not “How much am I paying an acre for this tract ?" but “How much am I paying for the acres that are going to, work for me?" It Is calculated that a farm of 100 acres selling at SIOO an acre .will cost the purchaser actually slll.OO an acre if 90 per cent of it is productive and S2OO an acre if only 50 per cent of it is. As a matter of fact, the percentage of improved land in

"Two bridges in a city in India are supported upon large metal tanks, which float upon the water and accommodate themselves to its'rise and fall. Not far from Vnlterjn in Tuscany are hot springs which comprise a -supply of boric acid and the necessary heat and power to prepare the material for market < A group of French scientists who have been investigating have decided that smaller insects, tn proportion to theirj size, are stronger than larger ones.'- r

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

by James S. Ball

farms east of the Mississippi is only 59.5 and .west of that river only 5-8. Improved land, however, it should be noted, is not always the same as productive land. A good timber lot, for example,-is not improved, but it may be highly productive; rmd-farm buildings and fences stand on land that is improved but produces nothing. In the final analysis, it is the amount of productive land that determines the earning capacity of a farm and that -should: therefore, xtetermlna its .pricein many cases land is given, over to use as pasture which will not sup* port sufficient - rtock td make any reasonable return on the investment. Such land properly belongs in the category of nonproductive land, in that it makes no return commensurate with the interest on the money invested. It should be borne in mind that the quality of th? pasturage in relation to the land value is an important consideration in . choosing a farm. For instance, what is economical pasture on liind that is worth $lO an acre might, on land valued at SIOO an acre be decldeffty; uneconomical. This relation should be carefully studied in buying a farm with much pasture land. To determine whether pasture land . i_s economical or not, practical data should be secured as to the-number of acres necessary to support one head of stock and the interest on the value of the land in question compared with the current charge per head of the same kind of stock.for a season’s pasturage. Or the estimated value of the return in increased value of the stock or its products may be used for comparison. By this means the relative economy of pastures may be detei\ mined.

A Gold Mine in a Cushion.

Though smuggling has long been a fine art, it has never been more of a science than it is at the present time. Rubber is ingeniously inserted in cardboard boxes, coffins are -full of copper, cotton conceals bombs or rifles Indiscriminately. You are in short apt to find that the most . unlikely bales of goods are filled with munitions. But all Is not gun running in spite of the war. A remarkable story was told by -an Inspector of the Bombay police who gave evidence recently regarding alleged gold-running between South Africa and India. • The inspector related how some Indians in South Africa consigned gold to India in boxes purporting to contain cushions, the bars of gold being glued into false bottoms fitted to the cases. The trick was only discovered owing to a quarrel which arose between two partners in one of these deals. The police are doing their utmost to put a stop to this traffic, which. of course, involves a big loss annually to the Rand.

Costly Warfare in Air.

Surprising conclusions are arrived at T by an aviation expert, who has been examining the airplane losses on the western front in- the last six months. “If we allow 20 machines wrecked to each one enemy destroyed,”*' he says, “we see at what a huge cost this war in the air is being conducted. The average cost of an airplane Is roughly about £I,OOO, so that at this rate the British loss in material has been approximately Over 4,000 machines months, costing £4,000,000; the French very nearly the same, while the Germans must have lost 13,320 machines. with a total value of about £13,320,000. It may be that the German loss is not quite so great as we have made out, because there appears to be less actual flying done by German pilots in proportion to their strength,"

—A new piece of gymnasium apparatus is a weighted ring to be worn on the head while exercising, for the purpose of developing the neck. Assessed- valuation of real and personal property in New Jersey for 1916 is $3,696,314,000, an increase of $112,360,405 over 1915. New munition plants figured in the increase. A Montana forestry official hah devised a light and compact telephone instrument whjcb is portable and will bepart of the equipment of all government rangers in the future.

TWO-YEAR-OLD RACERS

Barring of Youngsters Until April 1 Creates Comment.

Arguments Pro and Con Are Advanced and Its Expediency Will Be Tested —Opinion of Judge Nel- , son of Canada. ■*■ . . T—“ * The barring of two-year-old racers until April 1 has created quite a lot of comment. The thoroughbred association tnijde a protest to the Kentucky racing commission, but their protest came too late. The rule was under consideration for many months and uo -one came forward-to offer a word of protest. It remained for J/)e Murphy to inake the protest, and then he only did so when he found out that it was necessary for two-year-old races at his winter track. In rapid succession the other winter tracks announced racing for two-year-olds, and races for horses of this age are now being held.

Judge Francis Nelson of Canada believes the rule should have a fair trial, and says so in the following words: “As the age of a thoroughbred horse is calculated from January 1 in the year in which he is foaled, all of the 1916 yearlings are now ranked as two-year-olds, and the opportunity arrives for racing by those that are not intended to be kept for engagements in the territories governed by the Canadian Racing Kentucky, racing commission regulations. Il is in these regions that the most valuable purses are offered and the best horses seen in action. “Some owners will undoubtedly accept tile penalty of exclusion from these regions for a season for their youngsters, but we may be sure the risk will not be taken with those they think most of; So long as the rule refusing the entry during their two-year-‘old year of horses that have raced prior to April 1 is on the books it will be pretty generally observed. “No sound reason could be advanced for the early racing of two-year-olds; in fact, so far as its effect on the animal is concerned, none but a negative reason has ever been offered. Breeders and owners seeking increased prices and early returns for their investments naturally are' not pleased with the application of the first practical and presumably effective regulation on the subject. Program makers at winter meetings who would have one event taken away from their material every day, and race-course managers who would find much of their stabling taken up by horses not meant to race till spring, likewise find the •regulation irksome, but horsemen are coming to not only accept but to express the view that the measure Is entitled to a fair trial, In view of its promise for the general good of breeding.’’

KAHANAMOKU HIRES AS DIVER

World's Champion Swimmer Is in Employ of Public Works Department of Honolulu. Duke Kahanamoku, the world’s champion swimmer and diver, is iri the employ of the public works department

of Honolulu. Every day he puts on the diver s armor and disappears in the ocean. There is no chance for swimming stunts so long as he has the uniform on, but there is a good, substantial income, which is the appealing factor. According to the superintendent of the department, Duke Kahanamoku applied for a job and was given a chance. He_made good from the start, and his duties consist of inspecting pier cylinders 40 feet under water.

ATHLETIC WORK FOR PUPILS

Freshmen of Bowdoin College Given Choice of Footbait, Baseball, Tennis or GymnasiiHT. Bowdoin college freshmen, beginning next fall, will be required to take some form of athletic work thtee hours a week from the second Monday of the collegiate year until the middle of the following March. They will he given their choice of football, baseball, track, tennis or gymnasium york. rlfc*. I

Duke Kahanamoku.

MISKE IS FIGHTER OF “EARLY DAY” KIND

BILLY MISKE IS REAL LOVER OF BOXING GAME.

In Billy Miske of St. Paul, conqueror of Charley Weinert and Jack Dillon within four days, the ring has a man who compares favorably with tin* boxers of an earlier day in that he* is a real fighter ami is in the game because he likes it rather than because of the gold to be derived from it. Being perfectly sane, he of course demands a fair wage for hi* work, and tn return he furnishes the best brand of fisticuffs of which he is capable on every occasion that he appears in the ring. It is this trait which singles him out from the ordinary run of pres-ent-day boxers and places him in a class with the old-timers. It was while working in the shops of

CALLED EVERS AND GLEASON

Russell Blackburne Makes Two Queer Plays in One Inning—Called by Manager and Umpire. They are telling a good story oh Russell Blackburne. the former Chicago White Sox infielder, who last year

Russell Blackburne.

held down third base for the Toronto club of the International league. This team was managed by Joe Birmingham, formerly of Cleveland, == In one game Blackburne fumbled a grounder with a man on third base and failed to throw the ball home. “You remind me of Johnny Evers,” said Birmingham, recalling the famous incident of the world series between the Braves and Athletics when Evers'® failure to throw home after making a fumble enabled Eddie Murphy to score from second base. On the next play Blackburne tried to put oiit a runner. He held the ball between the base bag and the runner s foot and- appealed to Umpire Kitty Bransfield for an out. “Not out,” said Bransfield. “You are pulling a Kid Gleason by pulling a runner’s foot, off the bag,” “That’s pretty good,” replied Blackburne* “to be called an Evers and a Gleason in the same inning.”

HARD LIFE OF PROFESSIONAL

Outdoors All Day in Summer and During Winter They Are Forced to L«ave Snowdrifts Behind. Golf professionals lead the hardest life we know. In the summer they are outdoors all day in the open country. And in the winter they are forced to leave the snowdrifts and the smashing winds for such places. as Palm Beach. Bellaire, Pinehurst. Augusta. St Augustine. Ormond and Aiken, says New York Tribune. Yet we have never heard of a golf pros.’ strike. Showing again that the Scot comes from a hardy race. * '

the Great Northern railroad in St.* Paul with Mike and Tom gibbons that Miske first conceived the idea of becoming a fighter. Miske says of himself: “I was naturally a strong kid, my work as a mechanic and as a lineman for the telephone company having developed iny muscles, and I could lick most of the fellows of my weight in our neighborhood. Then when Mike Gibbons became famous I decided I’d like to be a fighter, too. So I Joined the Dreamland Athletic ctub in St. Paul and used to put on the gloves with the professionals who trained there and 1 soon picked up a slight knowledge of the game.”

LITTLE PICK-UPS OF SPORT

Joe Tinker’s transfer to Columbus ought to help the Cubs. Some of the athletic dubs that get into the si>otllght are transparent. • « » Darcy is not an undertaker, but dozens of people are dying to meet him, • • • Young Zulu Kid is probably convinced that Jimmie Wilde is wild enough. ♦ ♦ • __ Jess Willard denies that he had to exhibit in the elephant tent while on the road last summer. • « • The average pitcher has no more use for a bat than a bricklayer has for a band leader’s baton. • • * Merlon cricket club, Haverford, within a few miles of Philadelphia, has 40 grass tennis courts. • • • The Giants are going in for violet uniforms again next /ear, with sweater Jackets of royal purple. * « • Suggestion —Why not time boxers in their race around a ring and give a prize to the best sprinter? L—i Lt aL. The Cubs will be in the race next season. It takes eight teams to fill out the schedule arrangement.

♦ ♦ ♦ Joe Tinker says luck counts In playis lucky If he doesn’t get killed. i • » * The Big Nine western conference track and field meet Is to be held at Chicago on Stagg field June 2 next. The United States Football association, the governing body of the soccer game, has 5,000 players enrolled on teams. Did you ever notice the similarity between submarines and some players? They take a dive at the slightest provocation. Cincinnati and Milwaukee didn’t do very well In baseball last year, but they are there with the bells on In the Skat league. » • * • The baseball scout, each year goes our, to see what he can see. He picks up hicks, from out the sticks, the fields of ivory.

Bob Fol well wants Pennsylvania to play the "all-American” football team. Well, Bill Clymer challenged the Bed Sox for Louisville. • • • The Cubs changed from Tampa to Pasadena for training grounds, but Tampa must Se*given credit for standing a lot of punishment. • ' e * The Springfield (Mass.) Y. M. C. A. gymnastic squad will take port, la meets, the largest schedule ever mapped out for a squad of that college. • • • ' Pitcher Jean Dubuc of the Detroit Tigers is trying to buy a minor league franchise with the expectation of becoming a regular gaseball magnate. » . Oregon Aggies may take up English style Rugby football and play Intramural games, as well as a contest with Stanford next fjj|l, in San Francisco. .