Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-01-28

+ LOOKER.ON in IOWA !
!. 4


Northwood, Jan. 27.--One must go
away from home to get the news. Re-
Gently the New York Sun had a spec
ial from Des Moines reading as fol-
lows:
give million dollars paid for a lie"
Is the way j. w. Brown, a Des Moines
wholesale produce merchant. describes
the sequel to the story concerning the
cabbage snake.
Seem one started yarn to the effect
that a small worm, or snake, was con-
cealed in many of the cabbages on the
market and as a result cabbages are
rotting in the produce cellars. People
are afraid to buy them.
1t is estimated that there are at least
$4,000 worth of cabbages in Des
Moines which no one will purchase,
while 1t is claimed that the damage
caused by the story thruout the coun-
try will not be less than s5.000.00o.
Trade papers are discussing the mat
ter excitedly, and cabbage raisers de-
clare they will raise a big reward for
the punishment of the cabbage snake
liar If punishment be- possible.
With this cabbage snake story still
going the rounds 1t should be followed
by statement from the snake depart
ment at Ames College, that no snake
Is injurious as food If properly broiled
with a piece of we'll picked Iowa pork
and cabbage. Also that no snake
known can live sixty seconds inside
barrel Of Iowa sauer kraut properly
made fermented and not deodorized.
80
An item published in this column
concerning alfalfa fine cut" as a feed
for cattle, brings to the writer the fol-
lowing: A town dweller owned a Jer-
sey COW, and found it nconvenient and
expensive to secure pasturage. There
fore early in the spring he leased an
adjoining residence lot, 5Ox15O feet
plowed it and sowed it all to alfalfa.
AS soon as 1t was foot in height he
commenced cutting it, just the guam
tity needed for the feed of the Jersey
COW each day. BY the time he had
reached the back end of the lot. the
alfalfa in the front had re-grown so
that his second supply was equal to his
first, and only the coming of winter
prevented this perpetual feed being
continued as a supply, ad libtum ad
inflnitum. Moral, buy a Jersey COW
and lease a lot and sow it to alfal-
ia.
1t is claimed that the records of the
Mutual Insurance Company Of Grundy
county, show that Al per cent of live
stock killed by lightning was when
they were near wire fences. Further
more experts claim that stock are not
killed near wire fences or by contact
with. them during thunder storms, if
such fences have a ground wire on each
post few rods apart 1t is claimed
that iron posts used every rod or two
serve as the same immunity from
lightning. The records of the state
showing each year big losses to our
farmers from this source, it is strange
that the inexpensive ground wire is
not universal. One mutual insurance
company is so thoroughly convinced
that this ground wire system is needed
that they propose to insert in their pol
icies proviso that any member of the
company putting these ground wires
on their fence posts shall be exempt
from assessments for losses on live
stock by lightning. This would re-
sui, IL CdIIleo oul, III tAAC alAll.6i o0AAo
wire men paying all of the losses. or
if the theory will stand scientific dis
cussion, and the plan is generally "a
dopted, in having no losses for the in
sured.
A collector for the harvester COM
bine tells the writer this story, which
illustrates some things. 1t seems that
a we'll to do farmer owing a 16O-farm
free from all membranes, was noti-
fed by said collector that his note of
s42 and interest $2.35 was long past due
and the company wanted the money.
The farmer paid no attention to the
notice that the agent would be at the
Waldorf hotel on such a day. The