Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-01-27
Retaining the Peat Marsh.

tRockford Register.l
We have an inquiry as how best
to reclaim a peat marsh. 1t is at best
a somewhat SLOW process. The first
step is thorough drainage. The mex.
best step is to pasture 1t for two or
three years to compact the spougy sur
face and assist the natural process of
,ecay of the iibrous roots. which be-
gins just as soon as the w-ater is re-
moved II took about five years under
this kind of treatment to subdue a
marsh of this sort we once reclaimed.
AT the end OF that time i, wa. possible
to pillow it and get ii into shape for a
crop. flax being the best first crop.
These peat marshes. Notwithstanding
the rich appearance OF the soil are de-
ilcient in nitrogen. and the best results
win be obtained by giving them a
heavy coat OF barnyard manure. In
some places the fibrous turf Is cut as
soon as the marsh is drained and first
dried and then burned, but this method
is too expensive and really wasteful,
as the decomposed turf is worth far
more TO the soil than the ashes. After
few years the soil becomes tanned
and productive and quite frequently
the choicest land on the farm. Corn
will almost always fail on such land
when first reclaimed. and no crops will
do better than potatoes and timothy.
De,orning Calves With caustie.
A dairyman and stock raiser recon-
mends the following method OF dehorn-
ing calves.
VI tN,. Ia fyNy t.x.n
days 10 week old take pair OF shears
and remove the hair from around the
horn Buy stick of caustic potash at
a drug store. which will cost cents.
Care should he taken that this is kept
in weil-corked bottle. Around this
stick wind a piece OF paper so 1t can
be held in the hand. Dip one end in a
litsle water, then rub the horn with the
same until the thin skin Is removed.
Then the work is done. 1t is not. nec-
cssary TO remove the nub OF the horn.
as this will cause bleeding. After this
Is done ii would be well to wipe the
affected part with n soft cloth and APP
ply little lard. This will stop further
eating of the potash. Care should be
taken that none OF the potash gets in
the Calls eye.
Keeping Cows.
While the editor of the Manson DEM
ocrat was a farmer all his life un-
til n little over eleven years ago, he
does not feel that he knows all about
farming. But one thing he does know
and that is that keeping cows always
paid his folks on the farm and are still
paying the people who keep them. A
few mileh COWS will always bring in a
little money at the time when it comes
In the handiest and often when nothing
else on the farm Is bringing in any mon
ey at ALL The only objection to keeping
cows seems to be that 1t takes work.
But those who succeed have to work
and the farmers of Iowa, especially
the farmers OF this part of Iowa. will
have to do more dairying II they make
the money from their farms that
the farms are capable of producing.
Good mich cows can be bought rea
sonably cheap now and will pay for
themselves very quickly next summer.
Great Scheme?
A South Dakota paper tells of j. $.
(IarOtnun, a SuCceSSIul IdIirleT ana StueFN
raiser Of Lone Rock. S. D., who deliv-
cred a bunch OF corn fed cattle to the
Flandreau market Saturday. Moth
ing unusual about this. as he sells
a similar bunch every few months.
But the ingenious device he had ar
ranged for bringing them attracted
attention. He built a strong pen.
about 10 by "a feet in size and five
feet high. This he fastened on sled
runners at each end; the cattle were
led in at n gate. Horses were hitched
10 this moving fence and the cattle
were driven in this manner. The adj
yantages are that they can be trans
ferred with less fatigue and much
more easily than by any other means.
The scheme is wholly original with
Mr.. Garothun and is worthy of imita-
ton by his neighbours.
Domestic Troubles.
II is exceptional to find a family
where there are no domestic ruptures