davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-02-05

OF OUR SEAL HERD
RADICAL ACTION PROPOSED BY
THE HOUSE.
UNLESS ENGLAND YIELDS
Modus Vivendi Must Be Conceded
Appropriation Made for New Asri.
cultural 6uiIdins-Sill introduced
TO Pension all Veterans-News OF
Congress.

Washington, Feb. S.-NeSterday the
house passed about 40 bills under
suspension of the rules. The most
important was one to authorize the re
sumption of negotiations with Great
Britain for the preservation of the
Alaska fur seals and to give the sec
rotary of the treasury authority, If the
modus vivendi is not conceded prior
to the opening of the pelagic sealing
season this year to eXterminate the
seal herd on the PribylOf islands, eN-
cept 10000 females and 1000 males,
The senate bill appropriating $780,
600 for a new department of agricul-
ture building was passed. Among
the other bills were a number to re-
store to their former rank in the army
or navy and then retire, officers who
resigned years ago. One bill ao-
vanced Brigadier General II. c. Mer-
riam, retired, to the grade of major
general on the retired list,
Representative Hemmenway UndO,
introduced in the house a bill to pen
SlOu all SOluASlS dhu SdllOlS WIN
served at least 90 days in the civil
war at the rate of Sl2 per month ana
all widows of such soldiers and sailors
who were married prior to june 81
1890.
Army Bill Goes Over.
The senate had the army appropri
alton bill! under consideration. 1t was
about to be passed when Mr.. Pettus
(Ala) requested it to go over for the
day to permit some amendments to be
offered. During the reading on the
bill Mr.. Hale and Mr.. COckrell got in
to a discussion over the general stan
provision, the former COntending tha
it was general legislation and had NJ
plac Elm the bill Mr., COCkrell insist
ed otherwise. Mr., Quay, during The
discussion, interjected the remarl
that the provision was properly in The
bill. Mr.. Berry Citicized as remark
able the defense made several days
ago by Nh Proctor of Vermont, o
Captain Brownell said to have beer
connected with the death of Fathe
Augustin in the Philippines.
The ste ehood bill was up for ;
short time and Messrs. Bard ant
Quarles spoke in opposition to it
After a brief executive session tn,
senate adjourned.
The Western news., 1903-08-19

door at each end of the house OPEN
ing into the alleyway, which is three
and half feet wide and extends the
entire length of the building on it's
north side. This passageway is sepa-
rated from the pens by matched
board partition. The pens are 12 feet
square, with two windows in the
front or south side of each. pen. A
door opens from the alleyway into
each pen, and there is a door in each
partition between the pens.
Ventilation without direct draughts
is provided by means of an opening
two feet square cut through the cell
ing to the loft above. Fresh air is
supplied to the loft through cupola
ventilators in the roof and by win
dows at the gable ends. These ven-
tilators are constructed so that they
can be closed at any degree necessary
and give complete control of the air
supply.
The roosting platform, with
perches above and nests beneath, is
placed on the north side of each pen.
The Western news., 1903-08-19
SMALL GERMAN FARMS.
Owner of a Quarter Section Is Con-
sidered n Wealthy Person i'm
the Old Country,

G. w. Grimmer. a farmer and feed
er at Greeley. Kan. who is native of
Germany, in commenting on the visit
of the German student Of agriculture
TO this country at this time said to
Drovers' Telegram representative:
''lf a German farmer; that is. the av-
erage countryman, has ten or Is
acre tract of land, he is considered
somebody. Many farmers own only
five acres. but they plant so many diff
ferent kinds of grains. vegetables and
the like and till and fertiize the
ground SO well that the five acres is
ample to support generous-sized
family throughout the year. A quar-
ter section of land is a moderate sized
farm in America, but in Germany the
owner of such a tract of land would
be considered very wealthy person.
Another thing in which American and
German farm life is different is that
the Germans farm is rarely in one
body. The land there is SO valuable
and it is divided into such small tracts
that farmer often finds himself own
ing couple Of acres in a body. an acre
or two half mile away and four or
five acres in another direction. The
farms are thus nothing more than
good-sized gardens. Many western
Kansas farm has larger garden and
family orchard than the average Ger
man farm. a farm in the old country
costs from 5000 an acre up"
The Western news., 1903-08-19
THE AGE OF A HORSE,
An Old New York HOrseman's Advice
as How Not to Make a Mis-
take About 1t.

The groom that came to Chester
with Old Abdallah, the sire of Ham
bletnninn. So years ago" said vet
eran Orange county horseman to a
New York Sun reporter, "told me
how to tell the age of horse, and
it has run in my head ever since
This is the way it ram" and he re-
neated the following rhyme:
TO tell the age Of any horse,
inspect the lower jaw, of course.
fEe six front teeth the tale will teli
And every doubt and fear dispel
The middle "n!ppers" you behold
Before the colt is two weeks old
Before eight weeks two more will come:
Eight months, the corners" cut the gum.
The outside grooves will disappear
from middle two in just one year:
n two years from the second pair:
In three the corners" too. are bare.
At two. the middle "nippers" drop;
At three. the second pair can't stop;
When four years old the third pair goes
AT five. full new set he shows.
The deep black spots will pass from view.
At six years from the middle two
The second pair at seven years.
AT eight the spot each corner" clears.
From middle ''nippers" upper Jaw,
AZ nine the black spots will withdraw,
Inc second pair at ten are white;
Eleven finds the corners light.
As time goes on the horsemen know
lhe oval teeth three-sided grow:
Ihey longer get, project before
A'li twenty. when We know no more.
The Western news., 1903-08-19
THE SQUAD INDUSTRY.
It II q Nice Business and One That
Can he Made Remunerative at
All Times.

With 500 Homer and Antwerp pi-
geons, Fred Sndow, a clerk in a gro
Gerry store, is doing a nice business in
raising squads. He writes: My plant
consists of a house $50 feet long, 16
feet deep and 10 feet high, divided into
1S rooms, and II feet high wire runs to
the south of house, all one run. The
wire is put 2 feet in the ground; no
boards are used. The construction of
my nests and nest room for pair of
birds differs from anyone else's have
seen. l give each pair of birds nest
room of 20 inches deep (2X10-inch
board shelves), 2 feet long, 10 inches
, high; In this compartment ! place a
removable box, just to the nest sx1o
inches, open top and one side, which
gives a chance to clean very readily
with small hoe enabling one man to
clean the whole 250-foot house in four
hours. Pigeons look for a dark place
to hatch, and having this one separate
compartment there is no interference
from other breeders. We all know so
well when making love we look for a
secluded spot; pigeons are a great
deal OF the same nature.
A thorough cleaning is done every
week; the nests from which squads
were taken that week are removed
and whitewashed again, this keeping
the house perfectly whitewashed at all
times without further disturbance to
the birds. Never remain over Is min
utes in one room. Two cups of kero-
sene oil is mixed to bucketful of
whitewash. Kerosene is a great lice
and lice egg destroyer. The droppings
are taken from the floor with a large
shovel The house is made rat and
mice proof with mice proof wire net
ting under the floor. The manure is
also scraped in the run from the
ground and horse and hand cultiva-
tor used to refresh the soil. never al
lowing it to get green.-Farm and
Home.
The Western news., 1903-08-19
LARGE POULTRY HOUSE.
in Accordance with Latest Scien-
tifc Principles.

Reliable Poultry Journal gives an
illustrated account of the continuous
poultry house erected by the White
Leghorn poultry yards at Waterville,
N. Y. The interior view is here pro-
duced. The house is $50 feet long
by 16 feet wide. The floor is of
matched one-inch boards. The out
side walls are boarded, then covered
with sheathing paper and claphoard-
ed, with inside walls of matched tim
Der. making an air space Of four
inches between the walls. The CELL
ings are of matched boards laid at
the level of the plates. There is a
The Western news., 1903-08-19
COMMON SENSE HINTS.

! Swap your dogs for pigs.
Sharp tools make work easy.
Study, experiment, weigh results.
Thin sugar beet fields early. 1t
pays.
Don't think you know it all. Your
neighbor may have an idea worth two
of yours.
Many of the little unpleasant things
which veX one so much may be over
come by using a little common sense.
The extension of the electric car line
is destined o enlarge the limits Of the
city and TO increase the number of one,
two, five and tenacre farms at the ex-
pense of fats and tenement houses,
The suburban home will bring light
and hope to millions of children.-W.
j. Bryan.
An advisory board. to be appointed
by farmers institutes, and to be COM
posed Of men of widest experience, to
whom could be referred difficult prob
lens connected with the business man
agement of the farm. would prove a
GoGsend to inefficient, inexperienced d
and youthful tillers of the soil.-J. II.
Watson, in Farm and Home.
The Western news., 1903-08-19
POULTRY PARAGRAPHS.

The hens ought to have a dry place
to scratch and loaf in during rainy
weather.
The work of the poultry yards is an
everyday business, though not an
arduous task.
Thes mailer the focks the better the
chance for each hen and the more eggs
to be expected.
Give the chicks fine grit with their
first food. They must get their first
teeth early in life.
Breeding fowls especially should be
kept in a good condition, neither too
fat nor too lean.
The principal cause of ducks dying
in the she'll is too rapid evaporation
during incubation.
Give regular attention to the poul-
try as to any other stock on the farm
and it will pay you.
If the poultry is yarded see that they
have more shade than afforded BY .
wire netting fence.
Don't sell your poultry. It ia too VAL
uable to dispose of now. right in the
midst of the egg season.
Cooked turnips are good feed for
chickens, and they do we'll ON tho
mangle wurtzle, fed raw.
Many little chick dies from Whist 10
supposed to be some mysterious ail-
ment, when the trouble is simply lice.
Commercial Poultry.
The Western news., 1903-08-19
TREATMENT OF SCOURS.
ny Taking Timely Precautions Com
siderable Loss Among the Pigs
Can be Avoided.

When little pigs get the scours, give
heaped teaspoortul OF coYperas to
the sow in her swiil and feed a little
After the first day. if il is not cured,
give second dose the following nj orn-
ing. l have never seen this fail where
given when pigs begin to sccur. but
let the scours run on from three days
10 week and they will likely be be-
yond control. AS. the pigs get older
Provlde place where they can get all
the shelled corn or ear corn they want,
clean out al they leave every morning
and give to older hogs. Give piggy
fresh corn Sprinkle the floor where
little pigs eat with air-slacked lime oc-
casionally. AS the pigs get a little
older and want swil mix the swill of
clean shorts. a little oil meal. with
sweet milk and water, and add a tea
spoonful of limewater for each pig.
which should he increased to a table,
spoonful as the pigs get older. Feed
this when they get their corn. Be
sure their trouchs are kept clean. If
they are accessible to the old SOW they
will not leave enough to sour. Con-
tinue limewater until the pigs are five
or six months old. Feed nothing sour.
If milk should be the least BIT sour or
tainted even. throw it away if YOU have
no fattening hogs to feed ii to. The
pigs will easily get along without milk
for one feed, while the dose of sour
milk might set the pig back for
month or two. As to the limewater. it
is easily made by putting piece of un-
Stacked lime in an cart hen jar or
wooden pail. Put chunk about the
size of a quart cup in two-gallon Jar
and fill it with water. When lime is
all Stacked AID water gets clear. dip
off water and throw first away. refill
and when this is clear dip off he scum
when limewater will be ready. Don't
use any tin or iron vessel for lmewa-
ter. You can keep filling and using out
OF this month before you need to add
any lime. Don't rile it or stir; only
use the clear water.
The Western news., 1903-08-19

Heavy work season of the farm al
ways occasions CALLED or sore shoul-
ders on work horses. Here is a sim
pie and cheap way to prevent this:
Take an ordinary sweat pad and
cover the surface next to the shoul
der with white soft oilcloth. BE very
careful TO have it put on very smooth,
without any wrinkles or Jumps on
its surface. The cover is put on by
neatly sewing it with strong thread.
SO that it will not become displaced.
The trouble with the horses shout
ders III this respect is caused by
sweating, and as the oilcloth pre-
sents cool. dry surface and does
not hold the dampness as leather
or cloth does, it prevents the shoul-
ders from becoming sore in almost
every Observation-Disclosures Farmer.
The Western news., 1903-08-19
HANDLE COLTS GENTLY.
First Thing to Teach Young Horse
Is the Meaning Of the Two
Words Go and Whom.

breaking colts to harness and
work, care and patience are needed,
especially with those Of nervous
temperament. BY all means avoid
overloading them or working until
very tired, as these conditions have
more to do in making balky horses
than any other one thing. When
overloaded, or worked almost to the
limit of endurance, and colt once
stops OF its own free will, it is liza
BILE to do so again. This usually en-
RACES the driver and he often uses
the whip or other severe means be-
fore the animal is rested, and trou-
bic is the result.
The very first thing to teach
young horse is the meaning of the
two words go and whoa. The word
whoa should be taught first. as most
colts will go without much urging
To have colt stop instantly at the
word is of the greatest Importance
Don't use two or three words. such
as stop or stop Tony. or whoa boy.
Speak out plainly and distinctly the
word whoa. In after years these
combination words can be used, or
even quick jerk on the lines can
be taught as the signal to stop. or
even go, as you desire. With colts
use only safe and strong harness.
Do not allow them to get away from
you when harnessed. or even when
tied. 1t is a trick they do not soon
forget and many try it again.-Or-
ange Judd Framer.
The Western news., 1903-08-19
Attention to Land PAYS.

The poor field is always the most
neglected, because it will not pro-
duce as much as one that is more
fertile, the farmer preferring to
place his manure on land from which
he can secure more direct and re-
munerative results. the consequence
being that one portion of the farm
becomes capable of producing all
kinds of crops, while the other por.
tion in time is abandoned as unprofit-
able. If such q condition of affairs
compelled the farmer to concentrate
his efforts on a small area he would
be protited by the change, but the
cultivation of less land is intended
to improve the whole instead of only
a portion. No piece of land on a farm
should be allowed to deteriorate in
fertility, no matter what the system
of cultivation may be, for the con-
centration Of the labor and the fer
tilizers on one portion does not pre-.
vent the other portion from being
improved. .s. ..xs.x,<-
The Western news., 1903-08-19
CLEANING THE EGGS.
No Other Little job That Can he Done
Around the Farm Yields Better
Cash Results.

1t is remarkable how many soiled
eggs may be seen in the country
stores and elsewhere. Many make
no attempt to clean them and many
more do not know how to do it prop
erly when they make the attempt
Stained and smeary eggs hurt the
sale to a marked degree. as it is not
only matter of tastefulness, but it
gives the eggs a stale look.
Eggs all of one color and perfect
ly clean make an attractive appear
ance and will readily bring several
cents more per dozen than a dirty
lot. particularly when quality goes
with appearance and the one is gen
orally an indication of the other. An
egg is improperly cleaned when it
is wet too much and not rubbed dry
with dry cloth. Some. when they
see spots of dirt on eggs put them
in pan of water and wash them
like potatoes. There is, on the fresh
ly laid egg, mucilaginous covering
which gives it velvety appearance
peculiar to new eggs. Water re-
moves this, making the egg have an
older appearance and destroying its
keeping qualities, as this covering
makes the shell impervious to air.
An egg, then, if it is not much soiled,
should merely be moistened where
necessary and rubbed dry. If the
blemish is in the nature of a stain, a
little powdered securing brick will
help, and If this is not effective vine-
gar may be used in addition. In this
way any stains may be removed from
an egg. Sometimes they have to be
put in water, but do not do it unless
it is necessary, and then rub dry
afterwards. If this is not done they
will look soiled and dingy. Eggs
should be collected twice or more
times day.-G. Davis, in Ohio
Farmer.
The Western news., 1903-08-19
DUMPING PLATFORM. "

platform (B), six by nine feet, nailed
to four by six-inch piece turned
at the ends and pivoted at A. in
blocks nail to the plank (C). A
rope is fastened to each end of the
platform, SO that it can be tipped
to either side, as desired. Planks
can be laid across each bent and
sockets fastened to each one, so that
the dumping platform and its at
tached roller can be easily moved.
In order to be effective the bay must
drop every time near the center of
the platform. On a wooden track
this can be effected by boring hole
in the track and putting an iron
pin through it. On an iron track
the same end can be secured by q
clamp screwed on. " ~.
The Western news., 1903-08-19
Doxs That Need Shoot,,c

The greatest enemy of the shep-
herd il the good for nothing. low
down, measly. yaller dog, belonging
to a no count, shiftless. goad-sor-
nothing neighbor. For various rea-
sons, political and otherwise, strin.
gent laws regulating the sheep-kill-
ing dog are difficult of enactment
The remedy is simple: Shoot the
dog and buy more sheep. Most sheer
men dislike neighborly ructions and
rather than fight it out with the
mo accounts" they give up the busi-
ness. and that's one reason why the
sheep business has fallen in this
country. What isn't worth FIGHTING
for isn't worth having. = Rural
World.
The Western news., 1903-08-19
Flavor Depend. on Fooa

The food animals consume modi.
tes the character of their flesh. Tur.
nps yield a peculiar flavor to NUT
ton. The flavor of mutton from
sheep that have lived upon the high
land is different from that of sheep
which have obtained their food chief
~ from the lowands. The garlic of
the meadows and some fragrant
herbs modify the flavor of the meat
Oily food tends to make the fat
soft. Hens partly fed on scraps of
decayed meat yield eggs that are at
once unpleasant to the taste and I'M
healthy. Feeding the animals for
human food is then of great impor
tanre and demands experience. It is
not enough that food makes fat
it should also impart an agreeable
flavor
The Western news., 1903-08-19

free circulation of air. Therefore
] cut doors through, as shown. These
doors are on both sides and on back.
They are hung on hinges and can
be opened and shut when needed.
The sweet corn should be spread in
layers. therefore we use racks made
of lX3 inch Stats, placed 90 inches to
two feet apart. one above the ether.
If the corn is green and milky when
husked it should be put on the racks
very thin, not more than two or
three ears in depth. and turned fire.
quently; but if it is more matured
and the kernels are glazed. it may
be put on thicker. / can dry 800 or
600 bushels in this building.-D. L.
Perkins, in Ohio Farmer.
The Western news., 1903-08-19

There are two classes of farmers,
says recent writer: First, the man
who is bigger every way than his
farm. To such a man it doesn't make
much difference how many acres he
has. he runs the farm ON close prac-
teal business principles and makes
a profit. Second, the man whose
farm is bigger than he is. No matter
how many or how few acres he has.
he doesn't run the farm. The farm
runs him. E. r. Snyder gives an ac-
count in the Ohio Farmer of dairy
man living near Toledo, who keeps
IS Jersey cows on 100 acres of land
and has made them earn the past
year 81 400 gross. from which he has
a profit of $4,000. He makes butter
and sells it in Tol.do ut Is cents in
summer and 30 cents in winter. His
cows, counting butter. skim-milk and
everything. earned him over $les
apiece. 'This u IN Extraordinary
herd ~ - ~--s~.<sss.se.r.
The Western news., 1903-08-19
The Modern Potato Planter.

The pototo planter of to-day woulc
make . farmer of a generation ag,
sit up and rub his eyes. 1t requirr.
that the potatoes be supplied, brt
will do all the rest Of its own init :
ative. 1t picks the potato up al
looks it over-or seems to-cuts j
into halves, quarters or any desir,
number of parts, separates the ev-.s
and removes the seed ends. It plan
whole potatoes or parts thereof,
desired, as near together or as f.
apart as the judgment of the farf
ON the driving seat suggests. Hat
dropped the seed it covers it, fer
ICES It, tucks it in like q child
to bed. and PAGES OF the next
with mathematical accuracy.-Fr
ers' Voice.
The Western news., 1903-08-19

7N>AMD D@Gaa IS
21D53B)IEiSS =
MOVABLE NEST BOXES.
They Are Easily Taken Down for
Cleaning and the Hens Seem
to Like Them.

Various arrangements for nesting
boxes in the henhouse have been
suggested, but the best is, for all gen
eral purposes, the plain box hung on
two nails SO that it can be taken
down easily. The groceryman's box
pile will furnish an abundance of ma
terial to select from. as the boxes
do not need to he uniform in size
About 12 inches square and five
inches deep is what is wanted. Nail
two cleats to the back, allowing them
to project six inches above the box
Through these bore holes by which
the box is hung on two tenpenny
nails driven in the walls of the build
ing.
Ihe merit of these nests lies in
The Western news., 1903-08-19
The merit of these nests lies in

the ease with which they can be
taken down for cleaning, etc. About
once a month they are taken to some
convenient place to receive an appli-
cation of insecticide and new filling.
One part of crude carbolic acid and
two parts Of kerosene make an ex-
cellent mixture for disinfecting. and
for repelling vermin. Where boxes
are stationary they are inconvenient
to take care of, and contents are apt
to become foul and the breeding
place of lice.
These movable boxes are just the
thing where hens are used for incu-
baton. When hen becomes broody
eggs are given to her, and at night
the box, hen and all, is carried to an
apartment of the brooder house,
where she can serve out her time un-
molested. and at the same time get
off to take food and exercise.
The boxes should be all made uni
form as to distance apart of the
holes by which they are suspended,
so that box may be removed from
one pair of nails to another pair any
where else.
l have torn down the long nest
rows and the patent 'hide away
boxes" which are said to tempt the
hen to lay few extra eggs. and now
use the movable boxes, excepting a
few trap nests in the breeding pen,
where it is serviceable to know the
hest layers.-E. Grant Davis, in N. Y.
Tribune-Farmer.
The Western news., 1903-08-19
|FARMIsz5:nM|aO MIs5
:::::.:: .:.:.r:z.:,- AID :. "
(@I.z=.lg(gg|zzlgzzlAERIDEM .g(gzz
CORN DRYING HOUSE
Description of One That Has Been
Used Successfully in Ohio for
Several Seasons.

Some time ago an inquiry was
made about sweet corn drying
house. l have for several years been
raising sweet corn, under contract,
and the accompanying illustration
will convey some idea of my drying
house. 1t is also my granary, the
upper floor containing grain bins on
one side. The lower floor and south
side of upper floor are arranged for
sweet corn. The most essential part
of drying sweet corn is to have