davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-08
DO NOT KILL THE ROBIN.

lt d =
William Dutches, chairman Of the
protection committee Of the Ameri-
can Bird union, says the robin Is the
farmers good friend. The stomachs
of $50 robins showed on examination
by an official of the Department of
Agriculture that they contained 43.S7
per cent insect food, 43 per cent wild
fruit and less than per cent cul-
tivated fruit. These examinations
We're made upon birds killed during
every month Of the year Horticultur-
lists are advised to protect their or
chards by growing a few wild fruits,
as the birds prefer them and will not
touch the cultivated kind if the wild
can be had. During the month of
May over SO per cent of the food
of the robin is composed of beetles,
most of which are harmful to vege-
table life. If not altogether destruc-
tive
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-08

1t is very important that all changes
In the food Of the various classes of
farm live stock should be gradual,
as too sudden a change from one kind
of succulent food to another is very
liable to cause indigestion or other
ailments, thus mourning loss of con-
ditfon, flesh, milk, or even life.
A large quantity OF roots, or other
Bucculent foods during cold weather,
especially when given to stock in the
open, is frequent cause of chills
or other disorders, and considerable
waste of carbohydrates is occasioned
In restoring the loss Of heat to the
animal system, caused by the con-
sumption of frost-touched roots,
1t should be well known to farm
srs that the heat of the body is main
tained by the consumption of food, the
carbo- hydrates, or heat producers
acting as fuel, and that any excess of
this constituent in the food supplied
to farm animals, is stored up in: the
form of fat. ~ II
perature to cattle, the heat exist
Is utilized In raising the temperature
" srtAS lN1QA NO Lie OlJiidlsseSst1fp0FHEurG
Of the body, and a demand Is made
upon the fat, to restore the animal
heat thus wasted through injudicious
feeding. The cattle lose condition I'M
der this treatment, instead of adding
TO their live weight, and the cost of
lending them is increased.
One hundred and twelve pounds of
turnips, with a supply of straw, was
formerly in England the usual daily
ration for fattening cattle, and this
amount contained 100 pounds of wat
or, six pounds of heterogeneous matter,
four pounds Of fibre and two pounds
Of mineral matter. Twenty pounds of
turnips is a common daily allowance
tor fattening sheep receiving some
dry food.
The amount of turnips in each case
can be reduced with much advan-
tage, and the addition of some home
grown cereals to the daily ration of
rattle and sheep increases both the
feeding and manurial values Of the
farm and maintains the stock thus
fed in a better state of health than
would otherwise be the case.
When turnips are not plentiful,
green corn. beans or molasses should
be used to give flavor to this straw
ehan.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-08
WONDERFUL IOWA FARM.

AN extraordinary corn husking on
the great Adams ranch in Sac county,
Ia, was recently witnessed by an in
terested visitor.
This great ranch Is devoted exclu-
sively to the raising of corn. Mr..
Adams, who possesses great wealth,
aside from the ranch. lives in Chicago.
He employs farm superintendent,
half dozen foremen, and more than
hundred regular farm laborers.
These men have been engaged in get
ting the great 1906 corn crop into
the crib, and the observer tells OF
what he saw as follows:
There We're eighty teams and
eighty men and wagons in one field,
all in sight at the time, gathering the
golden ears. The unusual scene is one
which is likely to leave lifelong i'm
preston on the observer especially
| one who is accustomed to ordinary
farming in the middle west An I'M
usual feature, which Immediately at
tracted notice, was that not horse
was in the field, except those ridden
]by the Superintendent and his fore
men. The draft teams being made
lup entirely of mules. No horses are
used on the entire ranch except as
saddle aninals.''
The ranch is in itself a great com
munity. Roads are, kept up by the
owner and are said to be models. The
homes of the men are fitted with
every comfort that may be enjoyed on
a farm, those who are married be-
ling provided with separate houses that
are, in fact, homes. A telephone sys-
tenn reaches in all directions and the
several parts of the ranch may be
brought into communication instantly
| by this means
The central home for single labor
ers resembles a great hotel. The men
are we'll cared for. having the best
of everything to eat and. fine clean
beds and well-warmed rooms. The
barns and out-buildings are construct
ed Of the best material and kept in
perfect order. The cribs are much
like great elevators, while blacksmith
ing, machine and carpenter shops are
I'm operation and experts constantly
employed to do all sorts of work re-
CURED in the operation of the ranch.
The man who follows agriculture on
smaller scale might well emulate the
system and methods used in the con-
duct of this great farm.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-08
NERVOUS COWS BEST FOR MILK.
Temperament Must Always Be Con.
sidered in Selecting Animals
for Dairy.

(Prof. T. l.. Hacker, Dairy Husband
ry, Minnesota Experiment Station.)
After q close search for the points
in dairy cows, which have bearing
upon their productive powers and the
cost of production. have been led
to conclude that temperament Is OF
primary Importance. Temperament in
a COW is the pivotal point upon which
her adaptabilty for dairy work de-
pends
Temperament in an animal, as with
the human, has to do with the bal
ance between the forces of the nervous
and vital systems, and is largely a
matter of heredity, modified somewhat
by environment.
|. An animal whose nervous system
dominates the vital system, has the in
herited tendency to convert the nutri-
ment in food into milk. One whose
vital system is dominant, has inherit
led a disposition to convert nutriment
into body tissue, flesh or fat.
One whose motive system is in the
|ascendency, has inherited the dispo-
sition to expend the nutriment in mus
cular activity. like the running or
trotting horse, or the hound.
Every living body has all these tenn
peraments, but in each, one is domi-
nant, and the work for which each IL
adapted is decided by the one which
is the strongest. am lean and will
not get fat, no matter what or how
much L eat
Another man is fat and will not
get lean, no matter how little he NAV
eat. This is caused by our respective
Inherited temperaments, modified or
intensified by occupation, environ
ment, etc.
The points indicating a spare, angu-
lar conformation show that the ner-
yous system or temperament is dom
inant and that there is no disposition
to convert feed into body tissue or
body fat, and also minimizing the
needs for maintenance of body, So
an animal intended for dairy work
must have a strong nervous system,
which is indicated by (1) eye full, ex-
pressiye; (2) face clean, rather long.
nostrils large and open; (3) neck
light, rather long, 'ewe-necked'; (4)
withers sharp; (5) shoulders light,
spare; co spinal column prominent;
Cd Group, high, strong and sharp;
CD hook point and pin bones sharp;
(9)thighs spare and incurving.
These observations are the result
of experiments covering twelve con-
secutive years of herd of cows
which contained all the dairy breeds,
some of the beef breeds and some
natives.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-08
NEWS OF THE FARM.

More than 100000 tons of beet
sugar were produced in, the United
States. In 1905, Michigan making
about one-fourth of the total amount.
The Department OF Agriculture
sends explorers all over the world to
find new and better crops for our
farmers. The Duran wheat was found
in Russia. Date palms from Sahara.
and the Tigris Valley, have been es-
tablished with success In Arizona.
Oats and turnlps from Finland, have
been introduced with success in Alas
ka. Cherries and peaches, from ST.
IBERIA, grow we'll In the far north OF
this country.
Commission dealers of Kansas City,
MISSOURI, are trying to have a law
passed to prevent farmers from selling
their produce from their own wagons
at the public markets, after q certain
hour In the morning.
The offer Of $500 per day made by
the farmers of the Dakotas and Min
nesqta, drew thousands of laborers
from the railroads where construction
was under full Roadway during har-
vest, and in some cases caused an al
most complete stoppage of railroad
building.
The farmers Of Dickinson county.
| Kansas, have organized a County
Fair Association with paid-up capt.
tai of $4,000. They purchased 32
acres of ground adjoining Abiline, on
which they have erected buildings
costing $4,000.
The truckers and farmers of the
eastern shore of Virginia will here
after manufacture their own fertili-
zers' They have organized a COM
pany with a capital of $150,000. The
farmers of this section pay more than
100000 per year to manufacturers
for fertilizers.
| In central Iowa many groves of
timber that We're planted twenty-five
years ago on the bleak prairies, are
now being converted into lumber.
An enterprising farmer has estab-
ltshed rose and shrub farm in the
Yazoo Pass near Lula, Mississippi.
He will devote 1000 acres to this pur-
pose.
Fifty-eight counties in Nebraska
| returned to the State Board of AS
sessment s1,040.s4o as the value of
chickens for 1905. This is equal to the
1 SoeeeA NeAiu0 VI SlleSp lueSS
The total hog crop amounted to s13,-
000,0 900.
Farmers are now rich enough to
buy more land, but they are sensibly
more interested in discovering how
to make what they have more produce
tive than in adding to their acreage.
DR.. H. j. Waters, Dean of the Mis-
souri, Agricultural College, was offered
similar position at salary of $4,000
a year, with the privilege of retiring
at the age of sixty years, or any time
thereafter, on a life pension of $4,000
a year. The management also promised
an appropriation of $1,500,000 for the
equipment of the college, but Doctor
4 Waters declined all of. these tempting
offers and will remain in Missouri.
The state of Minnesota made no alp.
4 preparation for the maintenance of the
agricultural college at Crookston ant
the business men of that city had tC
raise $4,000 to keep 1T going this year
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-08
CARE OF EWES AND LAMBS.

4 i
At lambing time ewes need feed of
corn and oats and some chopped roots.
If farmers would raise more ruta-
bagas for feeding to their sheep, they
would be repaid many times for the
trouble which, by the way, is not
great Ewes should have plenty of
clover, timothy or alfalfa hay. Small
pens, are preferable for the reason
that the ewes sometimes will not care
for their lambs at first If allowed to
run with the flock. but in small pen
will soon let the lamb suck. It is
highly necessary to separate lambing
ewes from the flock, nor should the
ewes be turned upon the young grass
without continuing some grain feed.
If this is done, they will fall away in
milk, and their coats will become
stringy and loose. There is but little
nourishment In the first grass that
lnomes In the early spring.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-08
VALUE OF CHAFFY CORN.

In spite Of the general good corn
crop, there is great deal OF light, OF
what some people call "cl1affy'' corn
in Indiana, and how to feed this sort
of stuff to the best advantage is quite
problem. On my place in the low
spots, much of the corn is loose and
shrunken on the cob Last year had
much of the same kind Of corn. 1t
was too good to throw away. and not
good enough to feed alone. I fed mine
with good corn, but some OF my neigh
bors sorted out this light stuff and fed
it to young cattle and colts. 1t did not
pay and the young stock suffered.
This light corn does not seem to
have much oil or fattening qualities
in it. and I am certain there is not
great deal Of protein in it. To fatten
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-08
WHY BUY STOCK FEED7
The Good Farmer Can Grow Nearly
All He Wants.

(By the editor American Farm World.
Chicago)
BY chatting straw and other fodder,
End mixing the chaff with pulped
roots, gentle fermentation is pro-
duced which adds greatly to the feed
ms values Of these homegrown stock
foods. 1t is customary to allow the
heap OF mixed straw and roots to fer
ment for twenty-four hours, and dried
grains, cake or homegrown cereals
Rre added to the heap to increase it's
feeding and manurial values. as we'll
rs Its flavor and nutriment.
Bean meal is largely used, and gives
The best results, when added to the
boiled or fermented food, instead of
being given in the dry state yellow
turnips are capable of producing a
larger quantity OF milk than any other
vegetable food, when used with suit
able foods and given Immediately af-
ter milking.
Cabbages are very valuable for cat
tie on pasture during dry fall, when
the supply Of grass is short and of in
ferior feeding value, as they keep the
stock in good condition. improve the
land, and act as suitable change of
food between grass and turnips.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-08
sILAGE ALL RIGHT FOR SHEEP

Some farmers condemn the use of
silage for sheep, claiming that it has
tendency to produce heated con
dition of the system that is not de-
sirable, particularly in breeding ewes.
Others are enthusiastic over the value
Of silage, and say it always produces
the best results.
This difference of opinion probably
is to be found in the fact that farmers
who have not found it desirable have
fed too much or to have fed silage
that was not sweet and entirely sound.
1t may not be well to feed corn
silage to breeding flock, or il fed at
all In moderate quantities. They will
do better on clover hay or alfalfa with
a moderate amount Of corn or oats.
Silage should never be allowed to
freeze before allowing the sheep to
eat it. because it is sure to produce
irritation of the intestines and cause
various troubles.
From two to four pounds per head
per day is enough silage to feed, al
though some farmers say they feed
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-08
PROFIT IN 500 LAND?
Not If Corn is the Principal Crop, Says
An Illinois Man.


Ira Nixon, we'll known Illinois
farmer, recently wrote to Wallace's
Farmer that he raised corn at a profit
on 5 100 land. o. Il. Gustus. another big
farmer of Illinois, cannot do it and his
analysis Of Mr.. Nixon's figures are in
teresting.
Mr.. Nixon has his blowing done with
gang pillow and four horses. eighty
acres for S2S.25, or about 35 1-3 cents
per acre. Then he harrows once, eighty
acres for IS. "A man with four horses
can harrow forty acres per day. Thus
he pays man with four horses and
harrow, presumably boarding himself
and horses SO for one days labor.
While this is not very good wages it
is nevertheless better than $3.50 per
day for the man that puts his four
horses on his own gang plow and turns
up nearly eight acres per day for Mr..
Nixon. Then he pays $40 to have the
ground Dulverized twice. A man and
four horses (the man always boarding
himself and horses9 can pulverize at
best only twenty acres per day.
This leaves him SIS for one days
work with four horses and pulverizer.
One forty he rolled and pulverized. all
for IS. Then he puts in forty days at
corn blowing at $3.50 per day. Next to
the planting this is the best wages
paid, while his men pillow on an aver
age of eight acres per day from be-
ginning to end.
Then he has his corn husked for 2
1-2 cents per bushel. This Is cheap.
In the community where the writer
lives 2 3-4 to 3 cents per bushel has
been paid, and board and team fur
nished besides.
Now then, presuming that Mr.. Nix
on has only hired his men, It is fair
question to ask where he gets his
horses or how much money has he
invested in. them and the implements ?
What is the deterioration in value
of each per. year, and how much per
bushel Of corn per year does it cost
him to keep them the seven or eight
months they are not working his corn
1t he is the owner, he pays perhaps a
cent per bushel (561-4) taxes for
each acre.
Then he feeds SO much stock that
he produces 1000 loads of manure per
year. With this he increases the fer
tility Of the soil and has averaged
sc Id bushels per acre for five years
Now, how much money has he invested
in live stock and the labor to feed
enough stock to produce 1000 loads
| of manure on the land?
Again, if he is owner he has build
ings and fences to keep constantly in
repair, all of which propositions ado
to the cost of producing one bushel OF
| corn. 1t is poor business trying tic
raise corn at profit on high priced
lands and most farmers have discover
ed that fact long ago.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-08
Mares.

ably three-ffths or three-fourths as
much nutriment as the same weight
of oats. In using gluten feed remem-
Der that it is considerable higher in
protein in oats and almost or quite az
rich as carbohydrates
In the trial way reduce the oat al
lowance one-third and substitute a
mixture of bran and gluten feed, equal
parts by weight.
Remember too, that corn can al
ways be fed to horses with ssatisfac-
ton. There is a limit, however, to it's
use, and In such cases as these the
supply should not be large For one
feed each day allow couple OF
pounds of corn in substitution for the
same of oats.
The corn will furnish more energy
than the same weight of oats. Re-
member that corn causes horses to
sweat easily, If fed4in large quantities,
! 1t is a better winter, than summer
food, though some may be fed in thu
summer.
Corn is a strong, hearty food, and
is much appreciated by hard-worked
horses because it does furnish 50
much eneF 81 M &,
n; In the southern part OF the corn
Ebelt horses live almost wholly upou
Lcorn. f'r - ;.
Farther north, where oats are the
main crop. they subsist almost entire.
ny on the latter grain. A combination
of the two will usually prove moro
economical and better than to feed
either 80 exclusively as Is customarN
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-08
MIR. NATHAN sTRAUs ON IMPURE
MILK.

Ihere is no one man who has done
more for the babies and little children
of this country than Mr.. Nathan
Stratus of New York City. Years ago
Mr.. Straus realized that impure milk
was killing off the babies of the large
cities by thousands, and being a man
of action, he set to work to do all in
his power to remedy the evil, and
for some years has devoted his time
money and energy to this matter,
At recent meeting of those interest
ed In clean milk for New York city,
held in the academy of medicine, Mr..
Straus said: zone child out of every
three dies before it reaches the age of
five. claim that the majority of these
deaths are preventable. Thousands
of infant lives could be saved If the
milk given them We're sterilized. /
can conceive of no work that should
appeal more strongly to people or
to government than the saving of
infant lives, and the greatest menace
to little children is consumption, well
named the great white plague" It
is now universally admitted that no.
vine tuberculosis is transmittable ia
human beings and that this transmit
ted consumption is more dangerous
than that caused by human baciln. q,
Il have found that one of the great
est dairy farms in this state was COM
PEELED to kill 100 of its finest cows
last year because they were dying OF
consumption. The milk from that farm
was used in some of the best homes In
the city.
Not long ago, rich man in this
Icity whose name you all know, wrote
me that to prevent his infant son get
ting any impure milk he had estab-
lished stable of his own at his coun-
try place. One of the finely bred
COWS he bought took sick shortly af-
terward, and test later showed that
five out OF the seven remaining cows
had tuberculosis.
After years of study am compelled
to conclude that only by pasteurizing
can one be sure of getting undiseased
milk, and / believe that the time will
come when the entire milk supply of
the large cities will be pasteurized to
prevent the transmission Of the great
white plague
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-08

Mangels are of considerable value,
as also sugar beets if kept till early
spring, when succulent food is scarce.
An acre yielding thirteen tons of
mixed red clover and rye grass silage
in two cuts, would contain about the
same amount of digestible feeding mat
ter as is contained in forty-five tons OF
mangels The expense Of growing
seeds" is small to that of growing
heavy crop Of mangels, and the
ground is left in high manurial con-
aition in both cases.
Rape is a useful catch crop on a
stock farm, as it produces suitable
food for the eve flock before the clip
ping and excellent food for lambs or
tattening sheep in early summer or
fall. Carrots are valuable on all
farms having suitable soils.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-08
ICE WATER NOT FOR COWS.

1t is poor policy to let cows drink
ice water. T. takes lot of feed to
warm up an animal that has filled
herself with ice water on a cold day.
1t is much cheaper to have a small
heater--a kettle on three stones will
|answer-to warm the water. A kettle
of boiling water will take the chill off
water sufficient for a dozen cows, and
it will cost less thar the grain neces-
sary to bring their blood back to
normal heat. If spring water can be
obtained it is the best by all odds.
Even if the expense seems large it
generally pays to bring 1t within
reach. It's temperature during the
coolest weather is right.