Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-01-07
Open Winter a Godsend tt
Sections OF State Where
Crops Are Short
STOCK STILL ON PAsTURAeE
No Grain Except That Left in Corn
fields Fed as Yet-Good Breeding in
Poultry Coming to Be Recognized az
a Necessity to Secure Best Prices
Wilson's Rural Observations.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Rockwell, Jan. Whatever cause
for disappointment and regret the
northern Iowa farmer has had because
of reverses sustained during the past
season, he has no words OF complaint
to offer because of the quality of win.
ter weather that has been furnished
him thus far. In some places not
enough grain was raised to winter the
horses. cattle and hogs necessary to
keep the farms stocked, leaving out OF
the question any feeding of stock for
/ the market, yet in these same localities
all classes of farm animals are in un-
usually fine condition, the open WIN
ter having permitted them to get their
entire subsistence from cornhelds and
meadows, eating what would usually in
large measure have been wasted. Some
farmers have not yet fed particle OF
hay or grain to their horses or milcl
COWS, tho both have remained in excel
lent condition. and the saving thus eff
fected is hard to overestiinate Those
living in the level portions OF the state.
where for several years past there has
existed at nearly all times q surplus
of moisture, eXult over the fact that
at the close OF the thing season bitches
We're dug to depth of three or four
feet in low places, and only dry dirt
wasethroWn out, condition, they say.
thass has not before existed at any time
within the memory of the Oldest in
habitants More fall blowing was done
last year than for long time, and the
season was especially favorable for
those preparations for winter that are
early and unexpected period Of stormy
weather
The remarkable development In re-
cent years of the poultry industry in
this country has been exploited so Of
ten that comparisons with lumber
production, wheat crops, mine outputs
and other great sources of wealth, In
which the hen invariably energies tri-
umphant, no longer excites any sur
prise. Something rather new In this
line, however. occurred the other day.
when a firm dealing in poultry refused
to pay market price for a consignment
of chickens because their breeding
was not up to the average, the man
ager of the concern declaring that the
locality from which they came was
notorious for "scrub" chickens and
needed g. good lesson in that direction.
He insisted that there is as much diff
ference in high and low bred poultry
as there is in cattle or hogs, and that
the time has arrived when prices paid
for chickens and other species of poul
try will be governed largely by the
quality of the offerings, as well as
age, size and other considerations.
About twenty years ago farmers
co. operative association was organized
at this place. The venture was sue
cess from the first and while other
similar organizations were effected in
various localities, flourishing for a
time and then disintegratng the in
at Rockwell has steadily
grown in strength and favor until 1t
is perhaps the most famous organiza-
ton of its kind in the country. The
effect Of it's existence on the commun-
ity is a matter for controversy. OPP
ponents OF the idea complain that the
handling of certain lines of merchan-