Typed as spelled and written - Lena Stone Criswell
(Some of the paragraphs on this article are too
damaged to read. I have typed from readable paragrahs-lsc)

THE DAILY DEMOCRAT
Thirty-First Year - Number 25
Marlin, Texas, Saturday, May 30, 1931

AROUND ABOUT MARLIN
AND FALLS COUNTY

Crops in the northern part of the county in the vicinity of Riesel and Otto appeared to be in fair condition.  Wednesday.  Rain is needed.  Corn is small although in some fields it is almost waist high.  The corn generally has a good color and with one or two rains will produce a satisfactory yield.  Cotton is small, some of it just coming up.  Most of the fields have a good stand, however.

Many farmers in the Otto community have adopted a system of crop rotation to conserve the soil.  The use of sweet clover, which is especially prolific on the black prairie land, is receiving attention as a means of bringing new plant food to worn soil.  A marked increase in yield of cotton, corn and oats has been observed following the planting of clover in fields during preceeding years.  The amout of increase depends upon condition of the soil previous to the use of clover and teh number of years the clover was used.

W. M. Gierth has several fields of anual sweet white flowing clover at this time.  He has found this particular clover best for soil in which there may be root-rot.  By planting it early, it can be harvested in June before root-rot takes place.  Mr. Gierth's farm now holds several thousand pounds of seed which he has gotten from (h)is own fields.  He said Wednesday he will cut some of his sweet clover for hay and some will be plowed under for fertilization.

Over at Henry Jund's Falls county's master farmer and one of the ten master farmers of the state, crop rotation, terracing and other farm practices now proven to be effective and productive of the best results are bearing fruit, as they have for Mr. Jund in past years.

Mr. Jund recently terraced part of his land.  While his farm is well drained and free of small ditches, he intends to terrace it all for greater soil conservation.

E. Kuretach who said Wednesday he "had been driving nails for forty
years and in that time had learned how to hit a nail on the head" was at work together with Paul Jund, son of Henry Jund, on one of Mr. Jund's barns.  The building was being leveled and new blocks set in concrete placed under it.  One of the many outstanding features of this farm is the large substantial barns which are kept in excellent repair.

An idea which seems a little out of the ordinary is practiced on Fritz Jund's farm near Otto.  Mr. Jund has a large number of chickens which he does not allow to run around the fields this time of the year, when cotton, corn, grain and gardens are small or just coming up.  He said he is not sure the chickens are particularly destructive, but when they are in the pen he knows they are not.  Terraces have recently been built on this farm, also.
The direction of terraces for the greatest efficiency on a farm depends on the slope of the land the location of draims and ditches.
Sometimes it is necessary to make long and bending terraces.  Otto Puersche admits his problem was a serious one and he now admits his terraces crooked.  But he said the large amount of water which formerly ran through the middle of his farm forming a deep ditch and carrying away much of the soil, has been controlled by terraces.  He is highly pleased with the result of a job which for a time seemed impractical to many.

Rows of cotton which appear to be three-quarters of a mile long lead from the of W. M Hausler to a branch which finally empties in Brushy creek near Otto.  Beyond the branch is another field adjoining the creek.  It is planted in oat, cotton and corn.  Oats had just been cut Wednesday.  Cotton has been chopped but the corn has not.

Mr. Hausler's farm has not been terraced.  He said, however, he planned to terrace part of it this fall.  He also plans to plant a few acres in alfalfa.  Much of the work on this farm is accomplished with a tractor.

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Copyright permission granted to Theresa Carhart and her volunteers for printing by
The Democrat, Marlin, Falls County, Texas.