davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15
How to Select Poultry.

In selecting poultry, the age of the
bird is the most important question
In selecting turkey, remember that
young bird has smoothly shiny black
legs, while those Of an old bird are
rough and reddish. If the bird has
been freshly killed, the eyes are full
and bright and the feet moist.
The combs and legs Of chicken
are smooth in young fowl and rough
In an old one.
When selecting geese, see that the
bills and feet are yellow and have few
hairs on them. If freshly killed, the
feet should be pliable, for after they
have been killed some time they are
dry and smooth.
Ducks are chosen by their feet
which should be supple. Wild ducks
have reddish feet, while those Of the
tame duck are yellow. A fresh duck
should have a plump. hard breast
Tame pigeons are larger than wild
ones, and the feet show the age of the
bird. They are supple if the bird is
young, and stiff if it is old. Pigeons
are only good to eat when they are
fresh. When they have been kept too
long they become fabby and discolor-
ed about the under part. e;
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15
BREEDING FOR MARKET.

Tho nlarmist who would make us
believe that the horse, on account OF
modern developments and coming in
rentions, including the popularization
of automobiles, will soon be RELOCATED
TO secondary use, can find little basis
IN fact for alarm, or even for the nee
essity of serious consideration. The
demand today for good, serviceable
horses is greater than ever before, and
Will continue to be during the years
In which present and several coming
generations may be interested. This
statement is warranted by two dis
tinct conditions.
/ The large annual increase in popula-
Zion and the resultant growth of
traffic is one, while the many lines of
industry in which the use Of horses Is
absolutely necessary, is another. The
present great expense of heavy power
trucks and the fact that they can be
depended upon but little, will, for a
long time. prevent business men from
giving up the horse and replacing him
with motor-driven vehicles.
Heavy draft animals and those suit
able for quick conveyance have never
been in greater demand nor brought
higher prices in comparison with the
cost of breeding, than today. The man
VINO can raise not only heavy, but me-
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15
GROW PLENTY OF sOILING
CROPS.
Make Your Plans Now to Provide
Feed for LATE Summer.

The drought which prevailed over
large area of the middle west and
| IN some sections of the east during the
last weeks of summer emphasized, as
nothing else could, the need of some
thing to take the place of parched and
bare pastures. Dairymen, who had
not provided soiling crops, found their
milk supply woefully snort, and those
farmers who are bringing young cattle
up, the point of heavy fall feeding
Will find these animals have lost
ground very rapidly for lack of some
thing green and succulent.
Corn in July will, even in dry sea-
sons, supply great deal of green
Fodder before early planted corn is
cut, and In that respect will prove q
big money-saver. Rye, rape, sorghum
kafhr corn, cow-peas, rutabagas anG
other roots furnish a great amount o.
the most valuable feed at a critica!
time, and the wonder is that any pru-
dent farmer will ever neglect to SOW
those things in time every year.
r. Too many farmers trust to luck to
provide their animals with good feed
the year round, and when the drought
comes and the pastures dry up, they
sit hopelessly and watch their COWS.
horses, sheep and hogs worry along
the best way they can, hungry half the
time, losing flesh and vigor, and there
fore lily prepared to go into heavy
feeding on the natural crops in the
fall.
The losses from putting farm ami
mails on heavy feed after long, dry
summer are enormous every year.
They gorge themselves on corn and
corn stalks, and soon get in bad con-
dition. If not actually diseased.
1t is not necessary at this time to go
into the details of the crops to be used
for soiling purposes, but If the farmer
who has not tried them, will next year
lay his plans so that he can feed green
rye in May and follow this with clover,
loats, alfalfa, sorghum. cow-peas or
beans, he will bring his animals into
the fall feeding period in fine shape,
drought or no drought.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15
WINTER CARE OF PLANTS.

Just at this time Of the year, when
the good housewife has transferred
her Towering and foliage plants to the
house for the winter, they should be
attended with care until the acclimat-
ing process is completed. It is pos
sible. however, to overdo in this re-
spect to the detriment of the plants.
No fertilizing should be done, unless
a vigorous growth has commenced.
Dormant plants do not require food,
and 1t is injurious to give 1t to them.
Nourishment is only necessary after
growth commences, and then 1t should
be administered In only small amounts.
The use Of too much fertilizer will
cause a forced but unhealthy de-
velopment.
The plants should be carefully
watched as they grow, and when they
appear strong and vigorous, you can
tell they are being given enough fer
tflizer. Experimenting in this way is,
in fact. the only method by which the
right amount can be determined.
Liquid manure and bone meal are the
best plant fertilizers. The former is
made by soaking cow manure in water
until it becomes the color of weak tea
Bone meal can be prepared by the use
of simple machine known to most
farmers, or best, perhaps, can be pur-
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15
HINTS ON THE ORCHARD.

Crude petroleum will not kill San
Jose scale, but If applied to tender
peach trees, will kill them.
Better put wooden srappers on
young trees as soon as set out They
will keep the rabbits away, head off
the borers and save the trees from the
single.
Give the trees room--plenty of It.
The barrel as a package for apples,
has had It's day, and the bushel box
has come to stay.
Look over the apples in the cellar
frequently. Once they start to rot
ting, they will go quickly.
Cut down the weeds around the
trees and rake them away. They
make fine nests for mice
If you plant your new orchard on a
slope where tho sun gets clean line
on it every day, you will have sun
scald, and more trees are killed by
sun scald than freezing. Did YOU
know that?
rode twenty miles through south
western Missouri last fall and saw
thousands Of apple trees covered with
web. that looked like tents at dis.
lance. / asked one farmer If he ever
tried spraying, and he replied: Nope,
too much trouble. The derned bug
will get the apples anyhow."--L. M.
Johnston.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15

asa--wei ght, clean linn bed active ind
intelligent horses can get top prices at
any of the large markets.
The hard pavements in the large
cities soon render animals unfit for
use on them, and the express COM
panies, the teaming contractors, the
large business houses. must constantly
be purchasing in order to keep their
teams up to the necessary standard.
These animals range in usefulness 50
far as city service is concerned, from
three to six years, when they may be
brought into condition again by sea-
son or two on the farm. A second
brief period of use on the streets gen
orally prevents any further.
The farmer who seeks the best re-
suits can generally secure nearby the
services of a trim built Norman or
Clyde stallion and thus save himself
the necessity Of expensive purchase,
though if he has sufficient capital
enough mares can be secured each
breeding season to make the necessary
outlay a profitable one in addition to
having constant service from a stall
lion in his own yard. Splendid colts
can be produced from good, intelli-
GEM ma say nIteen TO sixteen hands
nigh. or even a clean cut, healthy work
mare. There is constant call for just
such horses as can thus be secured In
the city, both for draft and cab serv-
ice.
Mares which are tricky or of surly
disposition should never be bred, for
these vices are almost sure to be re-
produced in the offspring. Faults OF
this kind will sooner or later crop out
in the colts. Care, for similar reasons,
should be taken that no physical dis
ease exists in the mare. Too MANY
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15

them. On the other hand, such feed
as corn in the ear, or as silage, or
corn slower, with the various rough
nays. almost entirely flesh makers and
deficient in fat-proGucing qualities.
The thing to know is how to mix
the feed we raise to pest produce the
results we desire. 1t is an error to
feed milk cows all corn or sorghum, or
silage, or timothy, or millet, because
they will not make the elements we
want to produce-milk and butter.
Ii we have a big crop of corn. but
are short on alfalfa or clover, we
should sell corn and buy the things
we need: and add bran or linseed
meal or cotton-seed meal This ration
also applies to young stock that is
making flesh and muscle, or to breed
ing mules.
For breeding sows a moderate
amount of corn. with cow-peas or bar
ley. With the latter wheat goes we'll,
and the sows will thrive upon it. They
should always have some clean clover
nay, but never cotton-seed meal. If
we are feeding hogs for fat, then there
is nothing that will lay it on as fast
as good, sound corn with some bran,
oats, roots, and little gluten meal.
IT we are fattening cattle for mar
ket, good, sweet silage, corn with
clover hay, oil-neal and gluten, fed
In proper proportions will prove salts
factory. Corn and cob meal and all
falfa will also put on fat at very
satisfactory rate.
Many farmers make the mistake
of feeding horses the same thing all
the year round. A horse standing idle
in the stable is losing muscle, not
making it, and the tendency is to
make fat. He needs only such feed
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15
DO NOT WASTE THE FEED.
In Years of Plenty Practice Good
Methods as in Lean Years.

In Years of Plenty Practice Good
Methods as in Lean Years.
There is so much good feed on hand
this year that there may be ten
dency among farmers to pay less at
tention to economy in feeding than
they would in times of scarcity. This
is not the right way to make money,
and more attention to the rules of
good feeding without waste should be
given every year, in good times and
bad
1t Is not to be expected that the
strict rules Of balanced rations, as
laid down by experts. always will be
followed by the average farmer, and
in fact there is good deal of nom
sense in some Of these tightly scien-
tffic injunctions as to hair-splitting
weighing of feed that the man of
good sense would ignore. But every
farmer who raises iced to use on his
own farm should have a general
knowledge of right feeding. He should
know the difference between the fat
forming feed and those that make for
solid flesh and growth.
If we feed cow-peas, alfalfa, corn
meal, bran, hay, gluten meal, linseed
and oats exclusively, we will give the
animals more fat-making material
than they need or that is good for
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15
chased at low price in prepared

chased at low price in a prepared
form from your dealer.
Among the evils with which window
gardeners have to contend, the princi-
pal one is insect pests. These are
brought into the house with the plants
and, unless exterminated before they
become secreted in the soil, much DIFF
ficulty may be experienced in getting
rid of them. A very good insectide may
be made in the following way: shave
up small cake Of soap, and after
pouring water over it, set on the
kitchen range to dissolve. After it
reaches the liquid stage, pour into a
pail Of water and either dip the plants
into the pail or spray the liquid over
the foliage. Any good soap, such as
is used for bath purposes, may be
used.
A good sprayer is almost indispens-
ible to plant growers and on account OF
the fact that it can. be used for a
number of other purposes, on the
lawn and as a window and buggy
washer. its price can soon be saved
many times. In purchasing, it Is adj
visable to secure good one that can
be converted from q sprinkler or
sprayer into pump which will throw
a stream a considerable distance.
Many plant growers make the mis-
take of furnishing too much water and
not enough air to keep the plants in
healthy condition. All the moisture
that is needed is q sufficient amount to
supply the moderate demands of a
plant. The soil about the root should
not be kept wet. In watering it is we'll
to supply plenty Of moisture and then
wait until the soil is almost dry be-
fore furnishing another bath.
The bulbs stored away to make roots
for next spring should be Inspected oc-
casionally, and If the earth in which
they are planted appears dry, 1t should
be moistened very little-not enough
to make it wet. The cellar Is the prop
er place to keep hydrangeas fuchsias
and other plants that do not bloom
during the winter, as the space they
would occupy In a window can be put
to much better use. If any Of the
bulbs in the cellar show signs Of decay,
they should be Immediately thrown
away, or others may become infected.
ALICE M. CAMPBELL.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15
GIVE THE FARM BOY A CHANCE
Educate Him Along Lines That Will
Help Him In His Work.
BY Clinton M. SHUT.

Il A
Somebody, who declares that he has
made an honest canvass, reports that
"a per cent of the leading citizens OF
twenty-four of the largest cities east
of Chicago We're born and raised on
the farm. BY leading citizens, this
investigator means men who are en-
titled to recognition by the success
they have achieved in business and
the professions
A poll of the commercial and pro-
fesslonal representative men of Chi
cago showed that 20 per cent
We're raised in the country and rural
villages. Seventeen of our twenty
three presidents came from the farm,
The census Of students of four col
ieges and seminaries showed that the
rural districts and villages are fur
nishing So per cent of our col
| lege students.
The brain and nerve centers are not
more dependent upon the soundness
OF the surrounding tissue than the city
upon the rural districts The leaders
are quickly succeeded by men from the
country. They always have been, they
always will be. For this there are at
least two reasons:
one is that the country air. food and
exercise are essential to q healthy
brain, and another that the habit of
work is almost invariably acquired
early In life by the farmer boy. But
another, and more serious reason is
that the farm boy has been steadily
and surely and ignorantly educated
away from the farm.
The country schools have taught him
nothing of his fathers business They
have taught him nothing of the soil
of plant breeding, nothing of the
things that go to make the business of
farming profitable
On the contrary, he has been so
taught. or mfstaught, that when he was
through with the home school, he must
needs go to the country town and con-
tlnue his studies, and from the coun-
try town to the college or commercial
school where he could fit himself for
life in the city.
He has been forced to go to the
city and make his way in the world
because, through the blindness and ig-
norance Of our educators, he has been
unable to learn at home those things
which he must know to make him a
successful farmer.
Happily. the past five years have
brought some change in the conditions
governing the education Of the farm
boy and practical, common sense agri-
culture Is now in many places an i'm
portant feature of the school course.
But the movement in this direction
Is pitlfully slow and needs the stimu-
lus OF great awakening to the vital
Importance of elevating the aim and
ambition of the farm boy and of guild
ing him into life that leads away
from the city and not towards it.
Not all farm boys can be leaders
in the city, and the number who go
there with high hopes, only to fall
into life of narrow and doubtful
usefulness, is appalling. The great
city of today is for leaders and doors
Of things on the farm and the farm
boys education must be along differ
ent lines than Of the past,
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15

dirty hands and then let the milk set
around the stable while they attend to
other Chores and they do not keep
the milk utensils scalded and clean.
They do not realize that the public has
become aroused to the dangers lurking
in unclean milk and will have none OF
it hereafter. OF course some farmers
will continue in the same old way
until they learn that ut pays" to have
such surroundings and such milk as
will pass inspection" when the latter
is ordered and bring them the high
price now commanded by pure milk
in the large cities, but, on the other
hand, we believe that the farmer is
willing and ready to reform when he
thoroughly realizes the harm his care
lessness may cause.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15
IN THIS LAND OF PLENTY.

The pear crop Of Texas is the finest
in years. Large numbers Of orchards
report yield of 500 to 600 bushels.
The railroads were taxed to move
the pineapple crop Of Florida, which
began to move In the latter part Of
August. Train loads Of from twenty
five to fifty cars were shipped daily.
G. W. Parsons, near Harper, Kas..
reports q yield Of los bushels OF oats
per acre. This crop was grown on
ground that had formerly been In all
falfa.
The farmers Of Kaufman county,
Georgia, raised nearly 1000 acres Of
peanuts this year. They find a ready
market at Is cents bushel. Some
farmers report an average profit Of
$4,000 per acre.
Tennessee planters report profits Of
from $50 to $3.50 per acre from their
crops Of canteloupes.
There will be q big brandy and
whiskey crop. owing to the immense
fruit yields. Brandy Is made Of apples,
peaches, grapes, pears, apricots and
pineapples.
Davis and Weber counties, Utah,
produced 100000 cases of tomatoes.
each case containing two dozen cans.
Missouri farmers raised about a
million pounds Of tobacco, which, at
present prices, will be worth about
$4,000. Corn, alfalfa, or potatoes
would pay better.
The Georgia peach crop broke all
records, amounting to $500 car loads
1000 more than last year.
The vegetable crop of Missouri last
year amounted to about $S,000,000.
The apple crop Of western New York
is as large as last year and OF fine
quality. The Baldwins are especially
good.
The fruit raisers OF oswego county,
New York, received from $40 to $40
per ton for their pears
Oklahoma produced a large crop
of fine grapes.
The mint crop, which is grown ex-
clusively in southern Michigan, north
ern Indiana, and a single county in
New York, is fairly good. The first
peppermint grown in this country was
planted by an Englishman at Constan-
tine, Mich, fifty-five years ago.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15
Clean Milk.

II every one who owns and milks
cows would only realize how many lives
LOT innocent babies and children may be
sacrificed through his care1essness.
clean milk might be the rule, instead
Of the exception.
The trouble is, SO many farmers
stick to the old way Of doing things.
They allow their. stables to become
filthy and remain SO. They take no
measures to protect the milk from dust
and hairs as it falls into the pail; they
do not keep their cows udders clean
nor the COW grooned: they milk with
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15

The stockman needs even more
skill in reading character than the
professional man. The latter has
words for guide; the former must
read the thoughts and motives OF his
subjects with only looks and actions
as indices. No two animals can be
best handled in just the same way,
patience and persistence are neces-
stiles in the management Of farm
stock-and they are more often sue
cessful than the rod. Study the dis
position of each. animal if you would
easily control it.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15

as will replace the wasted muscle, and
should therefore have more timothy
and straw than corn. When he is
working hard, plenty of oats. with
clover hay and little oil-meal occa-
sionally for his coat, will keep him up
to the mark.
1t is safe rule to remember that
OF all the grains that can be fed reg
ularly, and which cattle. hogs and
horses will eat all the time. corn is
the greatest fat producer that is grown
on the farm.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15

That feeble growing and unhealthy
trees are, as a rule, the result of STAR
walton, bad soil or unfavorable con-
ditions of the atmosphere, climatic or
otherwise. When tree dies from old
age. the signs are plain enough, and
very little can be done to help it, ex-
cept taking care of the scant foliage
that puts forth every year, and en-
couraging young growth as means to
sustain the Pickering vitality.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15

Tho Philadelphia banker who wore
sanctimonious looking whiskers and
declared he had no raith in any man
who used tobacco, shot his brains out
after he had robbed the poor deposit
ors and had some shady transactions
With a woman. But that is no reason
why we should jump to the conclu-
sion that every man who chews plug
phacco or smokes q pipe, will do to
y to.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15

II the >ensilage gives your butter an
on flavor do not condemn the silo.
Perhaps your barn is not properly
ventilated Try milking before feed
ing the ensilage; then the doors dis
seminated during the feeding will not
be absorbed by the milk.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15

That the usefulness of a horse may
be pretty fully determined by the time
at which he is first handled. Sulky
and vicious dispositioned horses grow
worse as the animals grow older, and
these faults may often be avoided by
proper training while quite young.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15
GIVE COWS GOOD CARE.

The Best and Cheapest Way to Get
Good Results.
Progressive dairymen now realize
the Importance Of good shelter for
their stock, but many stock owners
who know the Importance of feeding
seem to overlook the question OF shel-
ter. II the COWS are not provided
With shelter and warmth, but left to
run on pastures exposed to the cold
wind their physical endurance is 50
taxed that 1t Is impossible to produce
the full quantity Of milk. Treat the
cows right and the results will be en-
tirely satisfactory.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15

farmers neglect the care which is just
as necessary in the selection of the
dam as of the sire. Both parents
should be of good quality if the colt
is to be depended upon.-L v. Higbee.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15

Homemade self-feeder for chick
ems. This feeder can be made by any
handy farmer or boy at small expense.
The feed is placed in the box at
the back and just enough comes down
into the feeder trough to prevent
waste, while the birds can reach it at
all times.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15

1t is folly to waste time specializing
about what might have been. Yester-
day Is as dead as mackerel.