davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
SUMMER WORK WITH POULTRY

Hot suns debilitate fowls, increase
the army of lice. cripple egg produce
ton and cause trouble in many other
ways.
You cannot control the sun, but you
can control the power of it, as far as
your poultry is concerned.
Provide shade. Tree shade is the
best, but if there are no trees in the
runs then the next best thing is to
erect canopys of some kind
Have places provided so that the
fowls and chicks cannot only get into
the shade during hot weather, but have
place of refuge during rainy, stormy
days.
Cut down the supply of heat-pro-
ducing grains in the diet and feed lib
orally of green food.
AS they mature separate the cock
erels from the pullets and give the for
mer an extra allowance, as they will
stand more forcing.
| 1t is advisable each week to gather
up all hens that are becoming broody
and put them in separate coop where
no nests are provided. With this
change it will require but week tc
break them from their broody instincts
and they will 80 back to laying again
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27

than in any other and the work has
been carried on quietly and without
ostestation.
The people in Missouri do not spend
much money in this work, either. 1t
is done mainly by simple road drag
and good deal of hard work, fol-
lowing sound principles of drainage.
Wherever the people have made good
dirt roads the farmers and merchants
have quickly been shown that they
have profited immensely. A recent OBJ
ject lessen in the value of good coun-
try roads is so striking that it ought
to be placed before every community
in the United States.
In Vernon county, Missouri the mud
has always been little deeper than
in any other part of the state. Five
years ago D. j. Fields, a farmer who
owns about 500 acres of rich land, de-
termined that the only. way to get his
produce to market during the winter
season was to build road from his
farm to town.
Last year Mr.. Fields raised 5000
tons of hay, and this winter has been
taking it to market every day, while
his neighbors who do not live along
the line of his good road have not
been able to market their hay or any
thing else; consequently MIR. Fields
| has had a very decided edge on the
hay market and has probably had extra
profit sufficient to pay all the extra
expense of the road.
| Mr. Fields uses a traction instead of
/ horses, and hauls five big wagonloads
at one time instead of one. Each wagon
carries something over ton at each
| load and therefore every time Mr.
Fields man made a trip to town he
/ took with him an even carload of hay
| The arrival of this farm trainload
of produce attracts wide attention
among the town people, and the farm
ers of the country are beginning to sit
up and take notice.
] Aside from the unique feature of this
! farmers work it possesses far greater
interest to the people everywhere. The
road commissioners of Missouri coul6
do nothing that would add greater
force to the movement in the state
than the organization Of pilgrimage:
of farmers to journey down into Yer
non county and show them wha
Farmer Field is doing. Fifty thou.
sand photographs of this road, with it,
hay trains, scattered throughout thu
state would do more good than a car
4 load of printed matter
In fact, there is no way in which
the benefits of good road building cas-
be more forcibly impressed upon tn
minds of the people than by picture
showing the actual results of improve
ments The before and after view
are always so striking and so con
vincing that arguments against i'm
provements are futile and farmers ar
more easily won over.
Speed the picture and spread tn
news.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
SAVE THE ROTTEN TREES

When the trunks of cherry trees have
started to decay probably the best
way of checking it is to clean out the
dead wood, paint the wound thoroughly
with whitewash, or, better yet, with
Bordeaux mixture, and then cover the
whole wound with grating wax or
clay, so as to keep the water out.
While this may not result in an entire
healing over of the bad wounds it will
probably stop the decay. and make
the trees last longer than they would
if left without treatment. Don't be
afraid to remove all the rotten wood,
as it adds nothing to the strength of
the tree and has a tendency to pro-
mote rot in the new tissues. 1t is quite
likely that this rot started in the tunnel
of a borer and has gradually spread
until it is serious
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
BIG PIGS IN THE WRONG PLACE

A great many years ago it was
common sight to see pigs that were
big in the middle and spindling at both
ends, and we occasionally see them
yet The pot bellied" pig is the re-
suit of ignorance on the part of his
owner, who does not know how to feed
him and does not care.
A great many farmers, particularly
in the south and east, think 1t waste
of grain to feed it after clover and
grass are big enough to Craze.
Young pigs that are weaned are lett
to rustic for themselves, and they are
compelled to fill up on such grasses
as they can find in the woods, fence
corners and old fields, and the result
is by the time corn comes on in the
fall they are pot bellied" cap hams.
They are victims of Indigestion, and
when feeding time comes they are not
able to properly assimilate corn or
other feeds, and it is impossible to get
them fat and smooth.
Farmers are learning, however, that
a balanced ration must be maintained
if the best pork is produced and UNI
less we provide such ration the
more feed hog must eat to keep alive,
to say nothing of making him fat.
This idea is excellently illustrated IN
the little negroes of the south. In
travelling through that country one sees
thousands of pot bellied,' spindle
shanked children, who will never grow
,, to full size or become perfectly sound
and healthy. They are subject to dis
ease because their digestion is i'm
paired and many of them die long be-
fore their time.
This is just as true of pigs that are
improperly fed When they are weaneo
they must have something to supply
the lack of mothers milk. They should
be fed little oilmeal or wheat mid
dlings made into a thick slop, ant
should be allowed to run on good swee
clover or alfalfa
/ To feed the young pig corn and moth
ing else is great mistake. Corn doe
not contain all the elements necessar
to produce a sound, healthy and ia
hog. Corn alone renders a pig sub
iect to disease. His bones becom
weak and brittle. He frequently break
down in the legs.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
HELPS IN THE FARM HOME

A slate hung in the kitchen is a very
handy thing on which to note things
to be ordered from town.
Put ball-bearing casters on your
sewing machine, bed and all other
heavy furniture and you will be de-
lighted with the ease with which they
can be moved.
Dipping the ends or corners of ar
ticles to be hung on the clothes line in
very strong salt water will prevent the
part from freezing and makes it easy
to put on the clothes pins.
Bacon is fine when baked in the
oven. Pour off the grease frequently
Rusty spots on the oil stove will dis
appear if soaked in kerosene and then
polished with emery paper. Takes
plenty of elbow grease, too.
Kerosene will start a stove fire al
right, but no wise woman will use it
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
POOR OLD COUNTRY BUTTER

An Iowa grower says that he cannot
sell to his customers more than 20
per cent of the butter he took in from
the country. Fifty per cent was sold
to the reslovators. This is not speak
ing well of the care taken in making
large proportion of the butter that
goes to market. A great many do not
take care enough in making butter.
Some of the best butter makers have
private customers and they sell but lit
tie to the grocer. 1t doesn't pay to trade
butter for groceries Make the best
and then get the best price for it.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
TIMELY HINTS ON FARM WORK

The abundant rains have produced
a fine hay crop this season, also large
and vigorous crop of mosquitoes. Ma
ture generally evens things up and
keeps us from becoming too proud.
A case of ingrowing selfishness is
worse than an ingrowing toe nail
We can starve a cow into eating most
any old thing on the place, but, like
the Irishman's horse, whose owner fed
him shavings and put green spectacles
on him to make him believe it was
grass, she is likely to die as soon as
she gets used to it.
Sprayed the trees in May? Very
good. But Mr.. Coddling Moth ought to
have another dose this month.
1t takes courage to keep on raising
sheep or hogs or anything else when
prices show a weak backbone for a
couple of years in succession. But the
business will win in the long run.
Do not make the mistake of filling
the silo with corn that is green 1t
sours quickly and has little feeding
value. Wait till it is ripe.
| The sign of the silo marks progress
sive farmer every time.
| 90 1lucn water wet, muSny
foods will not lay on fat. 1t takes the
concentrated stuff to do that
] We are likely to have good late pas
lures this summer, but that is no rea.
son for neglecting to sow forage crops
next year.
July is just as good a motnh il
which to make new resolutions as Jan.
uary--just so one makes them ant
! sticks to them.
This is the month in which hen'
nest closes up like Hetty Green's char
ity purse unless good shade and extr;
attention is provided.
What has become of the good oil
cider apple butter that mother used t
make? The government experts SHOW
that 80 per cent of the stuff now sol,
for apple butter is SO badly adulterat
led as to make it unfit for food.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
QUICK GROWING WINDBREAKs

If you want a quick-growing wind
break probably there is nothing better
to use than white willow, as it is about
as satisfactory as anything we have
that is of very rapid growth. In set
ting out windbreak one of the chief
points to have in mind is that it may
be a great nuisance if located within
fifty feet of the roads, paths or build
ings by the drifting of snow onto it.
A farm windbreak should be large
enough to include all the land devoted
to farm buildings, garden, barnyard
paddocks, ETC., and it should be at
least several rods wide. But a wind
break of these proportions is not al
ways f-acticable, although as rule il
is pra> .cable on our western prairies
The common mistake of those who
start on prairie farms and wish to put
up windbreaks is that they do not in
close enough land, and in a few years
they have outgrown their Enclosure ane
must start fresh windbreak.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
SOME HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS

. 81
Clear out those bottles of patent
medicine that stand in the cupboard.
If you must have them in the house
put them somewhere by themselves,
SO that no one may get hold of them
and get a dose that may be the last
of them 1t is only day or so ago
that saw a box labeled Poison" right
in the same place with things to eat.
1t made my hair stand up, tell you.
We cannot afford to compel the
cows digestive system to do lot Of
unnecessary work in getting the ele-
ments of nutrition which she needs
in her makeup She must have the
right proportion of feed if she does
her best work in the dairy.
1t looks to me as though the gasoline
runabout for country use had come to
stay. I bought one last spring for
| $500 and it has paid its way many
times Doesn't cost as much as it
does to feed a horse, makes twelve to
| twenty miles an hour on any decent
road and always stands without hitch
| ing.
Come of the cheap autos that are be-
ing advertised are cheap" In every
sense except the price. Many are made
of poor material-iron where the best
/ steel ought to be, cheap engines and
i poor workmanship all over. The only
safe way is to buy on guaranty and
then get somebody you know is hon
/ est to guarantee the firm that makes
the guaranty.
The good dairyman does not seek
low priced help, for he has learned that
. low-co service frequently means
small profits.
The last year was pretty hard on
dairymen, but it begins to look as
> though they will get better prices. 1t
is their own fault if they do not. But
they must get together, as the big
dealers do-only keep on the right side
of the law.
If you join that club to buy stall
lion the only safe plan is to have the
animal husbandry man of your state
! experiment station select the horse.
: would rather take his judgment both
as to quality and price than that Of
any other man. He mas no selfish in
terest and is paid by the government
, to keep the farmers on the right track
: Been troubled with young gifts be-
: coming non breeders? Feed them .
8 less heat producing ration. There IL
4 no feed superior to ground oats fol
developing the organs of maternity in
all young animals, and there would BE-
fewer complaints from that source II
they We're more extensively used as .
feed for all young animals that wert
g being kept for breeding purposes. Give
u plenty of exercise ard forage and d.
Q not overload with fat.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
HOW GOOD LAMBS ARE LOST
Castration Causes
Death of Many Fine Animals
at This Season of Year.
BY A. S. ALEXANDER, v. s.,
Wisconsin Experiment Station.

At this season of the year it is not
uncommon to notice a young wether
lamb going about listlessly, lame.
straddling in gait and loft feed
In such cases no time should be lost
in examining the lambs scrotum, as an
abscess may have resulted from imper-
feet castration methods, leading to
local infection. Is
Where an abscess is present the scro-
tum is found enlarged, hot, tender and
pitting under pressure of the fingers
Treatment consists in opening the
original wounds freely with sharp.
clean knife, evacuating the pus, syring-
| ing the cavity with peroxide Of hydro-
gen, then packing it full Of oakum, sat-
urated in a mixture of one part tur-
pentine and two parts raw linseed oil.
Repeat the treatment once daily and
| in a majority of cases the lamb will
speedily recover.
Where pigs show similar symptoms
following castration it generally will be
found that the severed cords have be-
come attached or adherent to the walls
of the scrotum.
When this occurs it indicates that
the cords We're left too long at castra-
ton time and the incisions in the scro-
tum were made too small.
/ Under such circumstances the
wounds become invaded by a fungous
i known as "botryomyces" and a tumor
results which is known as "scirrhus
cord" or "pompignon." The tumor re-
ferred to grows rapidly, looks angry
red and causes a discharge of bad
smelling pus.
To prevent such tumors always make
very large incisions in the scrotum at
castrating time and then severe the
cord as high as possible. This applies
mainly to the castrating of large pigs
as tumors do not form where the cords
are removed whole.
The only cure for scirrhus cord is tc
remove the tumor by dissection, and
as hogs do not well stand operations
of this sort, but commonly die Of
shock, the Importance of prevention
g becomes evident.
, AS well as making large incisions
I and severing the cords high, great care
h should be taken to use clean instru.
. ments, with clean hands, upon cleansee
!, parts and. then to turn the animal int
! a clean pen or upon green grass wher,
), germs will not be likely to enter tn,
= wounds.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
FEEDING SOFT CORN

have obtained the best results from
soft or chaffy corn by feeding it to cat
lie on the cob. Hogs do not fatten on
t and it cannot be ground to advan-
age. If the ears are large I chop them
IN two. 1t is best not to chop them
in short pieces, as the cattle are more
liable to choke. Cattle do well in this
way. and while it is not as good as
sound corn l deem this the most eco
aomical way of disposing of this light
corn, which we are liable to have when
we have early frosts in the fall of the
Year.--A. A. Arnold, Wisconsin.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
NOTES ON CAP0NlzING

Probably the best season for capon-
izing is the latter part of August OF
the beginning of September.
When it is noticed that the comb
and wattles of the cockerel begins to
spring little, thus proving its sex,
caponizing should be performed.
The best age for the operation de-
ponds upon the size and development
of the young males. This is generally
done between the age of 3 and 6
months.
Prime capons sell in the Boston and
New York markets during the height
of the season at from 20 to % cents
pound, or double the price paid for
regular roasting stock.
Capons become very gentle; they
never quarrel and consequently can
be kept in large flocks.
When well fed and properly cared
for they grow about third larger than
cockerels.
flesh and weight for the food con-
sumed than do either cockerels or pull
lets.
The market season is generally at
the close of the turkey season-Febru-
airy, MdTcn anu ApTll DelnS aCOuSlueTeu
the best months for sales.
McGrew says that it is always desir-
able to contine capons closely and feeC
them properly to give them as plumI
a finish as possible. The meat should
\ be. forced well up on the back ant
about the shoulders; this gives TIN
= full, plump back
Capons fed and fattened to this con
dition, if nicely dressed for the mar
ket, will always bring high prices
When used on the home table they ar
most satisfactory.-Mic K. Boyer
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
FIGHT THE LATE WEEDS

The late weeds in the garden-thoss
that come in August and September
are the ones that produce seed before
the fact is noticed and thus stock the
ground with weeds next year. TIE
garden is often neglected late in the
summer, but it should be kept clear
of weeds until the frost, and the result
will be great saving of labor in the
growing of small fruits and vegeta-
bles, as most of the work required is
due to the weeds and grass which
spring UP at all times.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
TO KEEP FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

A very cheap and convenient store
house for keeping vegetables and fruits
in winter is illustrated by the diagram
herewith. The walls are double-that
is, there are two separate walls with
one foot Of space between them and no
connection between them at any place.
The open space between the walls ad-
mits of the free circulation of air from
the earth, which is warm. The inside
of the roof should be sealed with
seven eighths- inch boards. The rafters
should be 2x6 and the upper sides
should be covered with boards after
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
A GOOD POST FULLER

Ever tried to pull post out Of the
ground?
Tough job, isn't it? Try this: Make
an oak lever three inches in diameter
and seven feet long. To the end of
lever fasten a chain about three feet
Iong. Also fasten a ring. with hook
To lift out the post place the chain
vice around it, near the ground; draw
hat and fasten to the hook. Place an
upright, Axe inches and two feet long
lnder lever about one foot from post
BY pulling down the lever the posi-
IAN easily be pulled out of the ground
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
WEEDS KEEP US HUMPING

Weeds in corn field are witnesses
that no farmer can afford to have
testifying against him. The cultiva-
tors should be started so early that
the weeds and grass will not get a
start, for the chances are if they do
we will not be able to get ahead of
them during the rest of the season, es-
pecially if the season is a wet one,
Killing weeds is not the only reason
why we should stir the soil. Perhaps
weeds were sent to show US how nee
essary it is to keep the soil stirred.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
PINS FAITH TO CLIMATE
Southern Farmer Shows How
Big Crops Can Be Raised
on Small Acreage.
BY H. w. BAYL1ss, ARKANSAS.

After reading the article by G. C.
Bowsfield of Illinois in regard to small
farms, their cost and equipment, 1 will
take the liberty to write a few lines in
regard to starting a small farm in this
part of Arkansas. We are here in the
mountains of northwest Arkansas,
above all malaria, with good air and
water.
A man can grow apples, peaches
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27

the spaces between are filled with light
chaff or dry leaves. Tar paper should
be put on top of the rafters before the
roof is nailed on. Dry sand should
cover the floor and walk three feet
wide should extend all around the sides
and through the center. A small win
dow n each wall is sufficient. The in
side can be arranged for fruits and
vegetables as desired. A thermometer
should be hung in the middle of the
room and this should always register
between 45 and so degrees.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
GIVE PLANTS PLENTY OF WATER

To the Editor: When you water
plants soak them and have done with
it. 1t is the little dabs of water all
the time that do mischief. Out of doors
it doesn't rain every few minutes, but
when it does it soaks and then stops.
Morning is the best time to water
Stand the pots in a tub of water deep
enough to reach almost to the rim OF
the pot. When the soil turns black on
top take them out and drain.-Mrs. A
Chaplin, New Jersey
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27

Dry corn cobs are nearly as good and
great deal safer.
bit of alcohol on soft cloth will
make your glasses shine and save your
eyes.
Invite your neighbor to have dinner
with you occasionally and never fail to
go out when you are invited We all
get tired of home cooking in time and
change is a good thing.
Take the wife and children to the
matinee in town once a month. 1t will
vary life at home and make you all
feel better.
Subscribe to the nearest public Ii
brary. 1t costs nothing and the entire
household can enjoy the best books all
| the time.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
1T PAYS BIG TO FIGHT MUD
Missouri Town Profits by Enter
prise of Farmer and Now
Gives Object Lessons.
BY R. R. RoopHousE.

souri,, where it is said that nobody
takes anything for granted, but in
sists upon ocular proof of the virtue
OF every new proposition presented, is
doing some good work in the line of
building good roads that should serve
as model in other states that claim to
be more progressive.
Missouri has the best dirt roads in
this country. They have been build
ing good roads in that state longer
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
A GOOD SOUTHERN cow

This is an excellent likeness of a
thoroughbred Jersey COW, Regina of
st. Cloud, daughter of Regina of Cedar
Hill. The owner of this COW estab-
lished in Texas many years ago a fine
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
A GOOD TYPE OF HOG HOUSE

The house shown in the picture was
designed at the Michigan agricultural
station. 1t is placed on skids for re-
moval from one place to another. Pro-
fessor Shaw says that when climatic
conditions ara not too rigorous cots
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27
AMMONIA FOR PIONEERING PLANTS

To the Editor: Ammonia is an ex-
cellent fertilizer. Add one tablespoon
FIJI to about three quarts of water and
thoroughly water the plants with this
once a week for a period of about six
weeks. You will notice marked
change il growth and color as well as
in .he bloom.-Jennie Elliot, Nova SEQ
tia.