USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. I > Part 4
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TRACTOR AT WORK ON ADAMS COUNTY FARMI
ninth General Assembly and formulated the bill which chartered the. Illinois Farmers' Institute by an act of the General Assembly. This bill was placed in the hands of Col. Charles F. Mills to look after its passage. Colonel Mills placed the bill in charge of Hon. George W. Dean, then a member of the General Assembly, with instructions to use all honorable means in his power to have it become a law. The bill was passed. It provided for a Farmers' Institute to be held in each county, not less than two days in each year. The next General Assembly appropriated $50 to every county in the state that held an institute and holds one or more institutes each year. In every state in the Union the farmers' institute is protected by law.
"The farmers employ the best available talent at their institutes, which makes it expensive, costing from $30 to $250 each. Considering this, the Forty-second General Assembly increased the appropriation
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to $75 for each county. The institute works under rules and regu- lations adopted by the Board of Directors, and there is a rule that not more than one-third of the appropriation shall be paid to foreign in- structors. That means that we can get two speakers from the Agri- cultural College who instruct us on two different agricultural topics each. They cost the institute nothing but expenses, as they are sal- aried instructors."
Too much credit cannot be given to both the state and the county institutes for the drive made by the farmers and the rural communi- ties all along the line in this part of Illinois for the application of scientific methods to the practice of their calling and the improvement of their home and living conditions. The splendid work of the Adams County Farmers' Institute was made continuous and constant through the organization of the Adams County Farm Improvement Asso- ciation and the appointment of a permanent official known as the county adviser.
THE COUNTY'S FARM ADVISER
The idea of having a farm adviser for Adams County originated with J. E. Meatheringham, of Camp Point. He was president of the Adams County Farmers' Institute at the session held at that place in January, 1914, and at that time brought the advisability of having such an officer before the body named. The institute members were so favorably impressed that some of them were willing, then and there, to contribute $100 annually toward its realization. The dis- cussion resulted in the organization of a Soil Improvement Associa- tion, which should arrange to employ an adviser. A temporary organ- ization was effected; but at the mass meeting held in the Quincy Chamber of Commerce on June 3, 1914, the following officers were chosen : H. F. Chittenden, president; J. B. Thomas, vice president : L. G. Hoke, secretary; A. B. Leeper, treasurer. Sixty members were secured and directors appointed for each township of the county, who were to endeavor to extend the membership. On the 8th of August the directors held a meeting at the rooms of the Quincy Chamber of Commerce, and their reports were so encouraging that in the follow- ing month a permanent organization was effected at the City Hall. A constitution was adopted and from a list of sixteen applicants for the position of farm adviser was selected the name of E. W. Rusk. Since April, 1915, the organization has been known under the name of the Adams County Farm Improvement Association.
The reasons for the general sentiment in favor of the movement were well stated by Mr. Meatheringham-"to avoid losses by mis- application of scientific methods; to render assistance in buying and selling ; to avoid undue margins of profits often exacted by middlemen ; often locating buyers for what the farmer may have for sale; organi- zation for efficiency; making the county practically the unit instead of the individual farm; a means of expressing the mind of the farmer
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. on all matters in which the farmer is concerned, and which he has no other means of expressing effectively ; in other words, mutual help- fulness and mutual protection effected by cooperation through or- ganization,"
WORK OF THE COUNTY FARMI IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION
Generally speaking, since April 1, 1915, by which time the work of the association uuder Mr. Rusk was fairly under way, the follow- ing have been the main features of the activities superintended by the county adviser: Early in 1915 arrangements were made with the State University for hastening the work of making a soil survey of Adams County. This has since been completed and an original copy of soil maps of the townships has been provided for the special
DEMONSTRATION MEETING OF COUNTY FARM IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION
use of the Association. The bulletin for distribution will be published as soon as possible by the university.
The principles of soil fertility and permanent agriculture have been explained in farm visits, office calls and in meetings, to every member who availed himself of the opportunity.
Some members have been assisted in rearranging farm plans, so as to put into practice the established principles of soil fertility. Approximately, 1,007 tons of rock phosphate have been purchased through the association, at a saving of from 25 to 50 cents per ton. The difference at present (spring of 1918) between association con- traet price and price to non-members is $1.00 Approximately 1,652 tons of ground lime have been purchased through the association, the bulk of this at a slight saving.
Definite campaigns have been conducted along the following lines : Alfalfa prodnetion, soybean production, picking seed corn, seed corn
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QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY
testing, treatment for oat smut, spraying fruit trees and hog pro- duction.
Demonstrations have been conducted along the following lines : Variety tests of oats; variety tests of wheat; relative fly resistance of difference varieties of wheat ; control of San Jose scale and Codling moth by spraying; use of limestone, rock phosphate and bonemeal; variety tests of soybeans; soybeans in corn and alone; testing seed corn; various methods of feeding different classes of live stock.
The following automobile tours have been made: In 1916, thirty- six people made the trip to the University of Illinois, Frank Mann's farm in Iroquois County and other farms in Livingstone, MeLean and Tazewell counties. This tour gave the participants a splendid opportunity to study the results of the experiment stations and various methods used by practical progressive farmers in the sections visited. Also, the alfalfa tour within the county; the hog tour in the fall of 1917 and the dairy tour during the same season, as well as local tours made by members in different localities.
The Adams County Farm Improvement Association stands for co-operation and has participated in various co-operative affairs throughout the county, including County Farmers' Institutes and the Fall Round-up held in Quincy in 1916.
The Association assisted in the organization of the Adams County Home Improvement Association, which in February, 1918, employed a woman adviser, whose duties with that organization correspond quite closely with those which attach to Mr. Rusk in connection with the Farm Improvement Association. The woman adviser is Miss Helen Comstock, and her responsibilities are especially heavy in these times of war foods and conservations; for, although the Government issues a prodigious quantity of literature from Washington along these lines, there are comparatively few women, either among the city or the country people, who are able to digest them and apply the in- structions practically to their households.
The Adams County Farm Improvement Association is a member of the Illinois Agricultural Association and co-operates with the United States Department of Agriculture, thus linking the local members through the local organizations with the state and national agricul- tural organizations.
Its scope and purposes are thus defined :
It is the only county-wide organization of farmers.
It is associated with other farm bureaus in an effective organiza- tion through which the will of the farmers of the state is being made known.
It employs a farm adviser who occupies all of his time working in the interest of the agriculture of the county. He is a man of scientific training as well as of practical experience, who is at the service of the members to assist in solving their problems.
It arranges for co-operative purchase of pure seeds, phosphate, limestone, tankage, etc., in large quantities at reduced prices.
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It determines the canses for high and low yields of grains and grasses and for good and poor results with live stock, and furnishes such information to its members.
It brings the members into elose touch with the reliable informa- tion regarding soils, erops, stock and farm management which has been collected by state and national experiments and investigations and helps to apply such information to local conditions.
It holds demonstration meetings on the farms of its members and conducts tours to the state experiment station and elsewhere so that the members may see the results of various methods of farm practice.
It holds meetings where the members come together and discuss important subjects.
It assists the individual members to study the business side of their farming operations and enables some to improve their methods.
It is managed by officers who are practical, wide-awake farmers who are studying to make the business of farming more profitable.
It publishes a weekly exchange list of live stock, seeds, and other farm prodnets for sale by its members, free of charge.
It sends frequent letters to its members giving results of investiga- tional work within the county and calling attention to timely informa- tion on various agricultural subjects.
Membership in a Farm Improvement Association identifies a man with a progressive farmers' organization.
PRESENT AND FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE
The first three-year period of the Adams County Farm Improve- ment Association ended April 1, 1918, at which time its membership was abont 400. The star townships were Melrose, Houston, Gilmer. Camp Point, Clayton and Burton. Especially during the present stressful period the work of the Association is of vital importance, as it is a rallying organization through which the united patriotism of the agricultural element may assist in pushing Democracy on to victory. As noted by Farm Adviser Rusk in his report for the year ending December 1, 1917: "Our Government realizes the importance of organization and is strongly urging the farmers to organize through- out the country. They are backing their advice by offering financial aid to assist in the work. It is very evident that the most efficient work in the support of our Government in increasing the agricultural prodnetion of the farm can and will be done through these farm organizations. This is surely a time for loyal farmers to work shoulder to shoulder in the army behind the lines."
In the same paper Mr. Rusk sets forth numerous subjeets of such practical interest and value, tending to give not only a clear idea of the work of the Association but of the present and future of agrien]- ture in Adams County, that liberal extracts are taken from it.
"Adams County, " he says, "is truly diversified in its agriculture. Along the river on the west side of the county orcharding and gar-
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QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY
dening are specialties covering quite a territory. In the neighborhood of Quincy and in other small sections dairying has been developed, although it is not yet an important type of farming so far as numbers are concerned. A few of our farmers are strictly grain farmers, but for the most part, aside from the gardeners and orchard specialists, our farmers are doing a general farming business, many of them specializing in live stock, especially hog production and feeding.
"We have within the county fifteen distinctly different types of soil, with the brown silt loam and yellow gray silt loam predomi- nating. Along the western side of the county there is quite an area of yellow gray fine sandy loam and some brown fine sandy loam. Right next to the river both north and south of Quincy there is quite an area of bottom soil, some creck bottom, but mostly regular river bottom formation. With the exception of some of this bottom soil and a relatively small area of black clay loam in the northcastern
AUTOMATIC ALFALFA FEEDER FOR HOGS
part of the county, practically all of the soil in Adams County is becoming low in organic matter and is also in need of limestone and phosphorus.
"The worst handicap to the development of the permanent system of agriculture in Adams County is the lack of railroad facilities in a large portion of the southeastern part of the county. Practically all of the land in this section of the county is badly in need of lime- stone and phosphorus, and many of the farmers would be inter- ested in applying these materials to their land if the hauling dis- tance was not so great. A considerable territory is so situated in this regard as to make the application of these heavy materials al- most prohibitive. Local mining and crushing of limestone has been practiced to some extent in these localities, but as yet those who have operated the crushers have not been able to do the work reason- ably enough to create a very great interest in the matter. Through the northern half of the county and along the entire western side
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these conditions do not hold true, and the bulk of our rock phos- phate and limestone is being used in these sections of the county.
"From the very beginning of the Farm Improvement Association work of Adams County the importance of making practical appli- cation of the Illinois doctrine of permanent agriculture has been emphasized. During the past year I have been able to see the results of previous work along this line. It has not been necessary to do as much pioneer work of this sort in the past year, and it has made it possible to pay more attention to the working out of erop- ping systems and utilization of the erops and the improvement of live stock conditions.
"We had our first dairy tour this year, and also our first hog tour; and this work has been the opening wedge to further special work along live stock lines. We have continued the work started a year ago last spring in our alfalfa campaign. This fall the first annual premiums in a three-year alfalfa contest were distributed.
"Twenty-five demonstration meetings have been held, covering several different phases of work. Included among these have been soybean, sweet elover, alfalfa, dairy, swine, rock phosphate, and limestone demonstrations. During the year just past we have not held our regular Farmers' Institute owing to the fact that the 1916-17 Institute was held early in the fall. Early in the spring of this year several special committees were appointed, and through these some definite group work has been done. especially in planning for other work. The Dairy Committee, for instance, had charge of the dairy tour, and the Live Stock Committee had charge of the hog tour, and is now planning for the organization of the live stock men of the county.
"As stated, the principal needs of Adams County soils are organie matter, limestone and phosphorus. We have had a number of ex- cellent demonstrations to show the extreme need of limestone in order that legume erops may be grown to better advantage, and thus build up nitrogen and organic content of the soil. A considerable area of land in Adams County is also badly in need of drainage. Owing to the fact that our soils are underlaid with a fairly tight subsoil, the practice of tile draining the land has not become general. In fact. only a very few have installed adequate drainage systems. While it is a fact, of course, that tile does not work so well where the soil is tight as where there is a poorer subsoil, yet we have some very good demonstrations of the value of tile drainage on some of our medium tight subsoils.
"The practice of growing sweet elover is increasing in favor, partly due to the drainage effect resulting from the deep growing elover roots. Interest in drainage is inereasing.
"As a matter of course, a considerable amount of work has been done in connection with the growing of general and special crops. I have given considerable publicity to the subject of seed corn selec- tion, especially this fall. I am endeavoring to locate a sufficient quantity of good seed for our own use and believe we will also have
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seed to spare. It will not be perhaps first class, but by very careful selection and testing we may be able to supply a considerable amount of seed. The work along this line is only well begun. Further in- vestigation of possible supplies of seed and testing out of same will be one of our specialties.
"This spring through the Association the Iowa 103 oats were in- troduced on a number of farms in the county. Fairly accurate rec- ords have been kept of the relative yields of this variety in com- parison with other varieties common to this section, with the result that without exception the Iowa 103 has outyielded the other varie- ties several bushels per acre, the average being somewhere in the neighborhood of ten bushels. Already the seed is being contracted for spring seeding.
"The work of testing out varieties of wheat has been continned, and in addition to trying to get at the relative yielding powers of the different varieties for this section, we are also co-operating with the State Entomologist in determining the relative fly resistance of several different varieties. The work has this year given us some very interesting results.
"The interest in the growing of alfalfa is increasing rather slowly in Adams County, dne to the fact that the seasons have been un- favorable. Difficulty in its production has resulted from winter- killing and too much moisture, both dne in some instances to the tight subsoil giving poor drainage. Some of the best results have thus far been obtained where sweet clover has been grown previous to the seeding of alfalfa. This fact, coupled with the fact that such good results have been obtained from sweet elover as a forage and pasture crop, has stimulated increased interest in the production of sweet clover. The aereage of this crop would be increased rapidly, indeed, if it were not for the fact that its snecessful culture demands the use of limestone.
"As has been the ease generally throughout organized connties, the interest in the growing of soybeans has increased considerably during this past year. The growing of soybeans has been advised in Adams County from the beginning of the organization, and the interest in the growing of the erop has increased gradually. This year over 100 farmers are growing soybeans, perhaps twice as many as were growing them last year; and three years ago there were only four or five people in the county who grew soybeans. Perhaps the best argument in favor of the growing of this erop in the county is that every man who plants soybeans once continues to grow them. Pas- ture mixtures made up mainly of legumes have been tried out this season with considerable success.
"A year ago this fall some demonstration work in the control of San Jose scale was put on in two orchards in co-operation with the State Entomologist. This demonstration work was completed this spring, when a count of the scale infestation in the various plots was made. The results of the work showed that practically complete
QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY
control of scale in a badly infested orchard could be accomplished in a year's time by a thorough spraying. The various standard sprays controlled the seale about equally well.
"Considerable live stock work of various kinds has been done in the county this year. Breeding animals, especially pure bred sires, as well as stocker stuff, have been located, and the people have been assisted in the purchase and sale of same in various ways. In our dairy tour a group of fifteen live dairymen visited nine dairy herds in an adjoining county. In the hog tour three herds of pure bred hogs were inspected. This tour resulted directly in the purchase of several pure bred animals by members of the association. During the year just past. at least three members of the association have started pure bred herds of big type Poland-Chinas. Considerable information has been given members of the association with regard
PURE BRED SHORTHORNS
to methods of feeding and care of all classes of live stock. Some work has been done in connection with the control of hog cholera, including a little help in vaccination. A considerable amount of tankage has been ordered for members of the association through the office.
"A series of meetings was held in February, at which time as- sistance was given members in balancing and starting their Farm Account books. During the past two years a total of 117 men in the association have taken Farm Account books. All of them have re- ceived instruction by mail and the majority have had personal as- sistanee.
"Considerable time has been given to the matter of explaining the working of the draft law and assisting farmers all over the county, whether members or not, to a proper understanding of their obliga- tions in this matter. I have also assisted personally in the solicitation for the sale of Liberty Bonds, and, in every way possible, doing all I can to aid in the carrying out of the wishes of our Government
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with respect to the work of the Food Administration and Council of Defense.
"In the spring I gave some time to the work of interesting the boys and girls of the city of Quincy in home gardens. This was done mainly through talks made to the boys and girls in the schools, Young Men's Christian Association and club meetings. During the past three weeks I have conducted thirteen public meetings for the special purpose of increasing the interest in hog production. This work will be continued until practically every section of the county has been touched.
"I have done considerable work recently in assisting the ladies of the county in launching their Home Improvement organization. The Adams County Home Improvement Association is now organized. The two associations will co-operate to the fullest extent."
CHAPTER III
PREDECESSORS OF THE WHITES
PREHISTORIC MOUNDS IN THE "AMERICAN BOTTOM"-ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMAINS IN ADAMS COUNTY-THE ILLINOIS INDIAN CONFEDERACY- "POOR OLD KICKAPOO ME."
Primitive man, whether he be known as mound builder, Indian or white, has followed one general rule of life; he has elung, as elosely as possible, to the waterways of his world. Until his kind has so mul- tiplied that he could construct and keep safe the overland and shorter routes, he has pitched his tent or constructed his shelter of trees and earth, formed his family eirele and lighted his altar fires, within sight of the refreshing and sustaining streams and lakes of the land. In the United States, the archaeologist has discovered the most nul- merous and impressive remains of the civilization which was extinet when the red man was first known to history in the great basins em- braeed by the Mississippi system, especially in the valleys of the Ohio and its tributaries and along the banks of the parent river.
The Ohio River system embraces the richest fields of investigation for the archaeologist, although the Upper Mississippi presents much of interest. The mounds are seattered over many distriets of Iowa, especially east of the Des Moines River, along the Iowa River, near Fort Madison and in the northeastern part of the state. The Iowa remains are quite similar to those found on the eastern side of the Mississippi along the strip of the river bottom lands.
PREHISTORIC MOUNDS IN THE "AMERICAN BOTTOM"
The most famous collections of prehistorie mounds in Illinois are probably those in the Galena lead distriet in the extreme north- western part of the present state and those at and near Cahokia, in the far southwestern portion. Mr. Breckenridge, who examined the antiquities of the West in 1817, says of the mounds in the American Bottom: "The great number and extremely large size of some of them may be regarded as furnishing, with other eireumstanees, evi- denees of their antiquity. I have sometimes been indneed to think that at the period when they were construeted there was a popula- tion here as numerous as that which once animated the borders of the Nile or Euphrates, or of Mexico. The most numerous, as well as con- siderable, of these remains are found in precisely those parts of the
:1
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country where the traces of a numerous population might be looked for-namely, from the mouth of the Ohio, on the east side of the Mississippi River to the Illinois River, and on the west, from the St. Francis to the Missouri. I am perfectly satisfied that cities sim- ilar to those of ancient Mexico, of several hundred thousand souls, have existed in this country."
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