Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-05-18
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT is TO BE
Used FOR IOWA eRAIN--IMPLE.
MERT TRADE BEGINS TO LivEN
PRICES SAME AS BEFORE
Quotations Generally on Farm Equip
mont Remains at Same Figure, Deal
ers Presumably Being Afraid to
Quote Higher Figures.

Los MONIES, May ID Between W.
100000 and $2,500,0o0 worth of bind
or Irvine has been ordered to harvest
the grain crop in Iowa In 1907. This
represents between 2O.O00,O00. and 23,-
100000 pounds, Gil 800, 000,0 900 feet or
81, 10000 miles Of twlne.
Much Of this has already been ship
ped to the retail dealers In various
parts Of the state and the remainder
will he within the next sixty days.
This is, OF course, estimating that
there will be the usual crop Of grain
Irvine is always ordered several
months before harvesting time.
The price is practically the same as
year ago, twelve cents per pound
retail. The wholesale price Is about
two and one-half cents per pound less,
but the retailers have to pay the
freight from Chicago or some other
distributing point. 1t Is claimed that
there is very. little profit in handling
twdne, there always being danger OF
lesses, ETC.
Not Much Manila Used.
Practically all Of the twine used
now Is either Sisal or standard Some
years ago Manila was the principal
grade used. However. 1t has become
scarce and the price has advanced SO
much that only lew cars Will be
used this season, where millions of
pounds were used In days gone by.
Formery Standard was made by mix
ing Sisal with Manila and the price
was about midway between Manila
aud Sisal. Now there Is practically
no Manila in Standard and the price
is about the same as Sisal. Sisal
hemp Is secured in Mexico.
A new grade of twine is being In
troduced In Iowa this year. 1t was
used to some extent last year In Min
nesota. II is made from flax. 1t Is
claimed to be very satisfactory. The
price Is about 2 cents per pound less
than Sisai or Standard. The Interna-
tional Harvester company Is expert
menting with flax as substitute for
sisal hemp IN the manufacture OF
Irvine and has converted the former
plant of the Minneapolis Harvester
company at Minneapolis into fac
tory. After absorbing the company,
the manufacture Of the harvester was
discontinued. Only small quality Of
/ the flax Irvine will be available In this
state this year.
Machinery Prices Same
There has been no change in the
| prices Of haryesters, movers, rakes,
etc. This is due, it Is stated, to the
fear Of the international Harvester
4 company. the implement trust which
practically controls the harvesting
machinery trade. that such an action
would arouse moro antagonism to it.
Evere since the Deerin, Mccormick
and several other manufacturing con-
Germs were merged into the trust, the
combine has been severely attacked.
At present the government is probing
| its methods with view Of attacking
it under the Sherman antitrust law.
It is claimed that the increased
prices Of steel and iron and labor
make the actual cost of the produc'
ton of harvester today between
| $40 and 500 more than 1t was six or
seven years ago Yet the price is the
| same as 1t was then. 1t is claimed
! that the International Harvester com
pany makes up for this difference in
| the cost of production by an extra
profit Of new farm machinery inYen.
tons which they are putting on the
market and on repairs; that is, the
different castings that break from
! time to time on tie various machines,
In this way there are no prices that
can be easily compared to show any
Increase Every farmer knows the
prices Of harvesters md movers for
the rast eight or ten years, but few
/ can recall the prices charged for
repairs.