Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 21, Number 91, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 August 1900 — FORTUNE IN EARLY CROPS. [ARTICLE]

FORTUNE IN EARLY CROPS.

It is early to estimate the Gifford farm crops for the year. It is thought the oats will thresh out an average of thirty-five bushels, which at 20 cents; would run $45,000. Cbm, at sixty bushels an acre, marketed at 33 cents, would run $160,000. In addition to this is the great onion crop raised on the muck land, that last year amounted to 125 car-loads, and gave the Gifford Railway the name of “the Onion Route.” Many acres are in meadow, potatoes, vegetables and cereals. Last year the corn crop amounted to 250,000 bushels, the oats to 150,000 bushels, other kinds of grain 25,000 bushels, onions, 150,000 bushels and potatoes 50,000 bushels, While Mr. Gifford lives in Kankakee, 111, the manual labor of plowing, sowing, and harvesting on the farm is done by the occupants of the 160 good, two-, story tenement houses that cover the tillable portion of his farm. Every acre has been made to return a revenue. Gifford takes a third of the crop and in return furnishes land, fuel, houses and barns. The farmer furnishes all equipment, seed and labor, The leases are made for but one year. Mr. Gifford, through his foremen, inspects all seed, directs the rotation of crops, indicates when the! plowing Shall begin, the depth of

the furrow and the manner of cultivation. Nothing is haphazard. BUSINESS MAN AS A. FARMER. Though Mr. Gifford does his farming through an office force, he is withal the best and greatest farmer of them all. His long handling of muck and swamp lands has given him an insight as to just what crops will do the best year after year, just how the soil should be prepared and how tended and fertilized. The result is, he always has big crops. He manages his railroad in the same manner and moves all his own crops. All crops are measured by weight—and his one-third is set aside and put in his great division barns. The farmers who feed their stock from the growing crops must deduct that grain from the crop. > > The fairness of the contracts is shown in that Mr. Gifford expects no extra labor for nothing. He pays $1 an acre for all new land that is broken, besides making the usual crop allowances. Two years ago when crops in one section of his farm were ruined, he allowed the tenants the entire crop. His tenement houses are comfortable, roomy, new two-story structures, placed in the little groves that mark the islands in the old swamps Eight graded schools are provided for the children; there are five towns and three pustoffices on the farm and stores are easy of access. He has realized the importance of good roads, and has constructed as good throughfares as can be found in Jasper County. Windmills supply water to houses and farms.