The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1886-09-23


Horsehair builded, hung in air:
Golden robins, TO aud fro, flash On vivid wing:
From the nest the young birds call.
Oak leaf shadows, soft aud email,
Like the moments footsteps fall:
To and fro, TO and fro.
Swift they come and 60.
Lillian u. Thompson. ia Good Honsekfeeing
WINTER SHELTER.
The mortality in cattle in the great grazing
regions OF the West and the prospect Of scar-
city Of forage this winter should prompt every
person to provide shelter. especially something
to break the wind. The destruction Of live
stock last winter on the range lie acknowledged
to be due more to the barriers wire fenccs).
which cattle could not pass, than from any other
cause. II cattle could have drifted with the
wind they would have done so independently until
the etock could have reached shelter ~ the
storm had spcnt itself. How much better would
1t have been il shelter had been provided that
cattle could have reached before piling mp to
die against . wire fence.
The question OF shelter lie simple, and II must
indeed be .'hard country where ordinary
intelligence may not impTovisc something to
keep of the wind. Even an earth embankment
may do this. A better one would be q combina-
ton OF earth and timber; poles and straw, hay,
Poles may be fastened to the tops OF posts set in
| the ground and extended eight feet above. This
| may be banked mp with earth II the protec-
tion lie to be against rain as well, some kind OF
material that viii fairly turn wster must be
added. II certainly wilp to attempt some
| thing Of that AiLd. The losses last year on the
| ranges OF the West would have twice or thrice
paid the cost.
Great az were the losses on the plains, ii is
not clear that greater loeses were not sustained
Il Ia. HATE 1nA tS al,An
death OF cattle, but in loss OF flesh in winter
that requires half the summer to restore.
There lie no possible excuse for all this except
carelesness. There are plenty OF poles and
| rough hay and straw where lumber cannot be
had. Two feet Of atraw will fairly shed rain
during one winter IL fairly rounded of on sheds
| not more than sixteen feet wide. 1t would be
| better, however, to build these sheds thirty to
fhrty-ive feet by 100 feet. closed on two sides.
II on each Of the side Of these sheds large racks
arc made through which the stock can reach,
hay may be Kept therein and the cattle can
help themselves. These may be OF snch size az
to hold hay enough for two days, II necessary
Ii properly constructed there will be little waste
and the cate will b comparatively comfortable.
| A shed OF the size named will accommodate
1 from fifty 10 sixty steers. From these rough
frontier structures to those more elaborate one
may 60 step by step until he reaches the meane
used in the thicky-Sc:tled districts where the
profits on stock will amply repay more elaborate
| structures.
ROTATION or CROPS.
great deal may be said upon the subject Of
the rotation OF crops, as 1t is one Of considera-
BILE importance to the planter who desires to
keep his lands always in a productive state. It
| il, however, not necessary to make any very
extended remarks herc-a few brief hints or
suggestions will suffice. The rotation for the
Southern States must necessarily be different
from that OF the Northern States, or the States
where cotton does not grow. II the coil be en-
,irely new, J., e., inst cleared Of the forest, let
| the first crop be corn: the second may be pota-
toes or cotton; the third, wheat, oats, rye. or
barley: the fourth, stock peas or clover; the
| fifth. rest: then corn again, etc.
II the soil be old, worn land. then begin with
| stock peas, sown broadcast, oats and clover
| sown together, or rye sown very thick. In
either case. turn under the crop, or permit
| it to die down on the surface. The second
| year, plant cotton, using commercial fertilizers
upon 1t. The third year sow oats. followed
soon after these are harvested with stock peas.
| The fourth year, plant corn, followed in Sep
| TENDER Of the same year with oats and clover.
| The fifth year let it rest in the clover, and
| continue II in clover ~ long as the growth and
siand IL good, beginning again with corn. Tee
| stable, or lot manure. Ia every casc where It
can be conviently obtained. For more Eorthcr-
| ~ sections, where cotton and stock or southern
| field peas will not mature, commence on new
| ground With corn, followed the next season
with oats or some small grain. Next, COW
| down with clover or grass, or both mixed, and
let remain as long as the growth is luxuriant.
| Follow them with potatoes and on, giving a
years rest now and thcn-From .'Hor 10
plant"
SEPTEMBER REPORT.
The September report OF the Department Of
Agriculture shows better yield OF spring wheat
than was expected q month ago. The improve.
ment lie In Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Dakota
In Nebraska there has been decline. The
general average is 81, an increase Of four points
The average yield Of tie crop exceeds clever
bushels and NAV reach eleven and q half pei
| acre. The threshiug of white wheat In the
Ohio Valley gives better return than was expect
ed at the harvest, and there ia some improve
ment in Missouri and Kansas. In the south ths
harvest was disappointing. The returns indi
cate an average yield OF about twelve and |
duct will exceed that OF the previous year BY
$1,000, COB to $4,000. 900 bushels.
| Corn has declined from 81 in August to Il
In Illinois, Missouri. Kansas, Nebraska, IN,
| Iowa there is decrease. In the South Allan
tic States there has been improvement; on th,
gulf coast eight Improvement, except in Tex
Ne, where drouth has reduced conditions. Thu
present crop prospect, with no further decline
is 10 per cent worse than last year, and indicate
over twenty-one bushels to the acre, or ncarl
Got, OOO, 600 bushels.
The rcanlts or threshing make the condition
Of oats at harvest 81, small reduction from
earlier expectation.
The average Of barley is 90, indicating an Az
crage crop.
The condition OF tobacco averages 81.
The number OF fattening hogs APPARENT
less by abont 9 per cent, with some ieductio
| In average WEIGHT.
TO DESTROY RATS.
!. An attempt to catch rats by traps or by pc
soning them suddenly will fail. Old rats kno,
. too much, and can only be caught by Kindness
To destroy them give them q good meal ever
day. Do not put any poison in the food, b,
. simply prepare dieh for them daily, 20 q fre
. lunch, composed Of corn meal moistened wi,
milk, into which an egg and little salt ito Sc
eon)has been beaten. At fret they may not touc
it, but keep IL before them, making IL fref
daily. They will soon try little, and il NJ
| injurious their suspicious will be aayed. In
, week or ten days they will expect IL, and ever
: rat the place will be at the appointed sp
{ for the treat. Give plenty Of 1t 50 as 10 indn,
: all the rats in the neighborhood To join in i
l not be in hurry to poison them. II they e.
: all the food, give them larger quantity ne,
time. Az soon as they have thrown of all ~
picion 60 to your druggist, get some phospho
ue paste or other rat poison, mix in with u
r food. and be cure you give them enough on
! something to spare, so Ms to induce all to ca
They will either be killed Or become 20 rusp
ciOuS OF oil other food az TO leave, and not 4 +,
will remain. Hence tn destroy rats, take Pile
). ~ OF time. gain their confidence, and ini,
: them when they least expect it.-Fdrm, Fie
and SOckHadn.
PERcHERoS HORSES.