davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-10
BY e. T. DE GRAFT.

After sixteen years experience with
fowls 1 have concluded that Rhode
Island Reds combine more practical
Qualities and fewer undesirable ones
than any of the twenty varieties have
kept
Iheir popularity is due to their rapid
growth. oblong bodies, with wide,
plump breasts and yellow skins.
Besides their early maturity, they
are very hardy and lay large eggs,
especially in winter. AS mothers they
compare favorably with Plymouth
Rocks and Wyandottes.
In raising these birds to table sizes,
the following is my regular practice
In corner of the house cellar is an
asbestos lined incubator room.
when a hatch is made. fifty of the
liVeliest chicks are removed at about
thirty hours old in the afternoon and
placed in a thoroughly Clean lice-proof
panied brooder, each chick having it's
Dill dipped in water to teach 1t to drink
Inc other chicks remain in the incu-
bator until next morning.
The first feed consists of stale bread
soaked in either sweet or sour milk
and squeezed out.
The second day they are given range
OF the brooder scratching floor, upen
which is scattered sand and charcoal
dust, with some litter.
Until they are six weeks old thew
get mostly chick feed in the litter and
charcoal, grit and meat scrap in a
hopper. All utensils arc kept scrupu-
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-10
RAIL FENCE PHILOSOPHY

With needless recklessness some peo-
pie strive to see how near the edge
of a moral precipice they can go with
out tumbling over. This may be brave,
but it's not wisdom.
You cannot drown your troubles.
They succumb only to continued
drought.
The most uncharitable man is the
one who has never tried and failed His
judgment of the mistakes of others is
invariably harsh and unjust
Fortune is said to knock once a.
every mans door, but some men are
just naturally hard of hearing.
Too often, when reproving our chill
dren, we forget how much their parents
are to blame.
The real profits of the farm are more
often made by the foresight of the bust
ness farmer than by hard knocks.
We have known a farmer to make
more money buying, selling and trading
than his neighbor could ever make by
straight farming. But we must re-
member that while all good traders
may be farmers, not all farmers are
GOOD trader 20
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-10
WATER CONTENT OF BUTTER
Moisture in Butter in Excess OF
l6% Makes the Same Liable
to Special Tax.
BY PROFESSOR E. w. HARRINGTON,
University of WISCONSIN

The dairy school of the University of
Wisconsin is constantly receiving in
uuiries similar to the follo,"ing, and
the problem outlined is of su,n general
Interest as to make this question and
reply worthy of publication:
is not the water content of butter
Ind the moisture content the same
Thing? Is it against the law to sell but
ter that has more than 16 per cent of
moisture in it's I have seen in pa
per that some butter makers have
sold butter containing 10 per cent
moisture as extras. / had butter
maker take my place for two weeks,
and when I came home he had made
butter containing II per cent moisture
and the company which bought it sent
1t back, saying that it was against the
law to sell it. What would be the best
way to work this butter so as to make
it salable?"- ]. G., Dane County,
Wisconsin.
The per cent of water and the per
cent Of moisture in butter are the same
thing. Some persons use the first term
and others the second. The present
law states that butter containing over
l6 per cent water must pay a tax of
10 cents per pound, since it is classified
as adulterated. 1t is quite necessary
that utter-makers be absolutely sure
that the butter they are making does
not exceed the 16 per cent limit
know OF no way in which you can
be sure of the water content of the
butter made at your factory unless YOU
test 1T from day to day. The Irish but
ter test has been suggested for this
purpose. I think you need have no fear
OF exceeding the 16 per cent limit if
you will wash the granules Of butter
with cold water at about so degrees
Fahrenheit, allowing the butter to
stand in this water until the granules
become hard and firm. Then after
draining off the water, wash and allow
the butter to stand in the churn some
.ime until 1T drains rather dry. Sprinkle
The salt over this and give it the usual
amount of working. Excessive moist
ure is held in butter that, is soft and
aot thoroughly drained.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-10
lumber.

The trace chains were fastened to
the level and clamp with clevises; the
two stay chains were also fastened to
the lever with clevises, as shown at
A A. When using the device the
clamp was fastened close up to a post
by boiling some over the wire the
lever was then made fast to the next
post with the trace chain, as shown
on left hand side of cut, by working
the lever back and forward and plac-
ing the hooks of the stay chains in the
links of the trace chain, B, the wire
was soon made tight.
The device was found to be more
powerful than the factory stretcher,
and if anything quicker, and when we
finally secured stretcher from Neo-
sho 1t was set to one side and our
home made device used instead.
AS the entire outfit was secured on
the farm the cost of the same was
the time it took to make it, about two
hours, the six half inch bolts for the
clamp were taken out of the hay rack.
j. E. Bridgeman, Lamar, Mo.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-10
IN THE HEN YARD

Professor Rice of the Cornell station
says hopper feeding saves labor. guard
against under feeding and avoid
croWding, which is likely to occur wheI
considerable numbers are fed a we
mash.
If a farmers wife does not hay
success with her incubator 1t Is prett
sure that the fault lies with the oper
ator and not with the machine.
Guineas make excellent broilers an
bring very high prices.
No reason to keep an unprofitabl
hen any more than there is to kee
an Improbable COW.
When you receive fancy eggs from {
distant dealer let them stand twenty
four hours before setting.
A poorly ventilated hen house wi
lessen the egg supply
Kerosene is the best friend the he.
has, provided it is used literally
every inside part of the hen house.
Never feed fowls on the ground. /
clean board or trough is much bette
in every way.
It is downright cruelty to confin
the fowls without providing them wit,
sand and other grit.
A flock of fine birds can be built
by selection, Just as improvements /.
other live stock is made.
Unless a sick fowl is very valuabl
one the best and cheapest cure is tn
ak.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-10
GROWING CAULIFLOWER

have grown cauliflower for a num-
Der of years and have found it a very
profitable crop, as it brings good price
in the market.
Soil that will produce cabbage is
suitable for caulifower, provided it is
enriched with well rotted manure. The
manure should be thoroughly mixed
with the soil and the ground put in the
best possible condition.
When the seeds begin to grow 1 give
the plants sufficient air to keep them
from rotting off. AS soon as the plants
are large enough to handle I take them
up and transplant them two inches
apart each way and keep them we'll
watered. ! expose the plants to the
open air before time to plant outdoors
so as to harden them. / find that few
plants die when treated in this manner.
Several hours before setting out I
give the plants a thorough soaking in
the hot bed. When ready to set the
plants l mark off the ground three
feet each way and set the plants some
what deeper than they grew in the hot
bed and press the earth firmly about
them.
AS cauIif1ower requires cool atmos-
pllclc anu q So''y iiioioI OIL, lliSIS rs
little chance of success unless it is
planted very early in order to come on
before the heat of summer, or it may
be planted late and come in during the
cool weather of fall.
In cultivating / use a one horse tul-
tivator twice week, going both ways
when the plants are small. When they
come to maturity and the flowers ap-
,,,,{
of the plant early. every morning.
have had good success in this manner
of protection.-William H. Underwood
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-10
IMPORTANT BULLETINS FREE

The following bulletins may be OBJ
tanned free of cost by addressing the
director of any state experiment sta
ton where published. In case of gov
eminent bulletins address the Secretary
of Agriculture at Washington, d. c.:
United States Department of Agri-
culture, Washington, d. C.-"Nuts and
Their Uses as Food" by M. e. Jaffa,
M. S. This bulletin treats of nuts as
human food and states that not so
much value is derived from them as a
condfment or supplement to hearty
meal as when used as part of the
regular diet. Nuts are reasonable
sources of protein and energy.
Same station-"Harmful and Benef-
cial Mammals of the Arid Interior" by
Vernon Bailey. Professor Bailey names
and describes the different animals of
the great American desert. with espe-
cial reference to the Carson and Hum
boldt valleys, Nevada giving directions
for capturing or killing the undesirable
ones.
Tennessee Station, Knoxville, Tenn
Home Grown Rations in Economical
Production of Milk and Butter by
James N. Price. This bulletin treats OF
the soy bean and other dairy feeds in
the way of comparison as to .helr
value to dairymen.
Ontario Agricultural College, loren
to, Ontario, Canada.-"The Perennial
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-10
RHODE ISLAND REDS
One Writer'S Argument in Favor of This Cele.
brated Strain of Fowls

lousiY clean; they are boiled once r
week. The chicks are fond of dr.,
wheat bran, which Is always befor,
then. Feed little and often lis the rule
MIX is often given In addition t,
water. All liquids are protected so thu
chicks cannot wet themselves.
l know of no breed that possesse,
more vitality right from the shell. on,
OF the reasons for this is that tn,
chicks feather out rather slowly unit
about two months old
Most of the food goes toward making
flesh. bone and muscle instead OF
feathers
In this respect the Reds are superior
to those breeds that feather out young
When three weeks old the chicks
weigh about eight ounces and wher
they reach the first broiler stage at si3
weeks they weigh about one and one.
fourth pounds, Two weeks later they
weigh about two pounds.
At this age the cockerel is CONNER.
cially more profitable If plump and
matched at the right season than he
ever will be afterward. If feed and care
are considered. In the roasting stage
at three months they will weigh three
pounds and will gain a pound pei
month thereafter until they weigh Ave
pounds.
In this stage they appear awkward
because of their rapid growth and de,
velopment of their second feathers, bui
their well-snaped bodies and long
plump, white breasts e them very
attractive when dressed, lor market
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-10
SOMETHING ABOUT TREES

The Glove is the flower bud of an
evergreen tree. When the flowers are
in full bloom they are of brilliant
red, the little ball at the top of the
Glove being formed of curled-up petals
Glove trees are natives of the Moluccas,
or Spice islsads.
horticultural inspectors in Wash
lngton, Oregon and Idaho report that
there are 100000 growing fruit trees
In those states-5.744.257 of them bore
fruit last year.
yearling tree is preferred by many
to older trees. They are thought to be
safer to transplant than two-year
trees.
When planting never let the roots
get dry by leaving them in the sun or
wind. Keep the trees covered with wet
sacks and uncover one at a time.
An old elm tree was recently cut
down near oldtown, Me- The tree was
four feet and four inches at the butt
and 121 bateau knees were cut from it's
branches and sold for $3.50 Five
more cords of wood from the tree sold
for SIS per cord.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-10
BY F. G. HERMAN.

know that many farmers feel that
they have as many calls upon their
time and energies as they can attend
TO, and as they realize that this indus
Try is an art in itself and requires no
little intelligence and study to con-
duct it in the best ia ashton, they are
apt to be discouraged in adding it to
iheir already overfull duties.
think, however, that there is an
other way to look at this matter In
Utmost every business the person en-
gagged in it will be more successful If
he adds some recreative work. This,
II entirely different from his regular
work, will give restful pleasure and
make life pleasanter. Bookkeeping is
especially desirable in this connection,
rs there are very few kinds of work
that are so full of interest and so gen
orally attractive
Every one growing fruit or any plant
that is intended to yield seed should be
Interested in beekeeping There is a
nurseryman and berry grower who has
farm about two and half miles
from my home apiary, Just little too
Far for the bees to visit, so by mutual
agreement l keep about thirty colo
nies on his farm and run them for ex-
iracted honey. and we are both bene-
hted by the arrangement
Nearly all parts of our country pro-
huce honey in quantities sufficient to
pay for the gathering. The amount
Of honey that goes to waste every year
for want of bees to gather it is yery
large; in fact. too large to estimate.
Every farm has on it fruit trees,
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-10
WHY BE A BEE FARMER !?
Bee Keeping Is Both Profitable and Interesting
Every Farmer Should Have Them.

berry patches, clover or buckwheat
fields. all of which produce nectar
Which, in the absence of bees. is evan
grated by the sun and practically vast
ed. The forests also contain many lin
den and white wood trees, which are
good honey yielders.
The beginner who buys bees in the
spring usually takes a daily interest
IN .hem. He will then have number
less chances to enjoy his bees, and the
daily or weekly visits will not injure
them, especially if their needs are
properly attended; while in the fall
ne would only be injuring them by dis
turbing them often.
Inc reason for advising one not to
puy bees in the fall is that there is
much more risk in transporting them
IN that season than in the spring.
The combs are more likely to break
In transit. Also the bees are probably
all old enough to be acquainted with
the location, and more of them will be
lost when putting them on a new
stand, especially if but little distance
from their former location.
Wintering is probably the most diff
cult part of Bookkeeping and it is hard
~ advisable to buy bees Just before
they have to face the winter, for be-
ginner would scarcely be able to judge
of the strength and wealth of the
colony.
In the fall the breeding has stopped
and it is more difficult to ascertain
whether the bees have a good queen,
and it takes quite a little experience to
be able to know positively that thew
have enough honey
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-10
IN THE BEGINNING

Rye came from Siberia.
Peas are of Egyptian origin
The citron came from Greece.
The onion hailed from Egypt.
The chestnut came from Italy.
Celery originated in Germany.
The sunflower came from Peru.
Tobacco is a native of Virg:nie.
Oats originated in North Africa.
Parsley was first known in Siberia.
Spinach was brought from Arabia.
Cucumbers came from the East In
dies.
The mulberry trees originated in
Persia.
walnuts and peaches came from
Persia.
The horse chestnut is native OF
Tibet.
The radish's home was China and
Japan.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-10
slLAGE FOR FEEDING

The chief difficulty in growing silage
corn in some of the northern states is
in getting a suitable variety and farm
ers are strongly urged to take advan-
tage of such new varieties of silage corn
as may be offered for trial by the ex-
detrimental stations of their respective
states or by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture, and also to select
their own seed in order to improve it.
In sections where potatoes fill the
place of corn in ration .siIage can be
made from Japanese millet or other
crops and succulent winter feed be thus
prnvidAd
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-10

Sow Thistle and Some Other Weed
rests OF 1905" by ]. Eaton Hewitt.
OHIO Station, Columbus-"A Little
Lesson in Studying Sheep" by c. S.
Plumb. This is bulletin of great
interest to boys and girls, especially
When there are sheep on the farm.
Frofessor Plumb tells how some ex-
periments can be performed that will
snow now to find albumens in other
foods than the white of eggs.
New Brunswick, N. J.-"Insecticide
Materials and Their Application, With
Suggestions for Practice" by John B.
Smith, Sc. D.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-10
A HOMEMADE WIRE sTRETCHER

The writer some time ago was COM
PEELED to fence a forty acre farm. He
was in Mcdonald county, Missouri.
and as this county has no stock laws
a factory stretcher. could not be Sc
cured without driving to Neosho, Mo-,
distance of twenty miles.
A homemade device was finally
constructed as shown in the sketch.
A clamp was made as shown at D
with two pieces of 2x4 inch studding,
forty three inches long. The six foot
lever, G, was also made Of 2x4 inch
lumber.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-10
A VINE PROTECTOR

This is for use in growing young
peas, beans, tomatoes or other such
new. tender plants needing some kind
of support. The frame is light and has
hinges for packing away when the
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-10

season is over. 1t IS strung with wire
and is driven into the ground, the ends
of the legs being pointed. Further-
more it is braced by wire and sta
pies at each end
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-10
USING A SQUARE

The drawing shows how to get a
a level by aid of simple square that
every farmer usually has in his tool
no Sc. Saw notch in one end of
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-10
COOLING THE MILK

There is quite an agitation among
the Danish creamery men to encour-
I age the milk producers to have water
tanks made through which the water
used for the stock is pumped in
which the cans of milk are set for cool
Ing.
This old American scheme is no
doubt great Improvement over let
ting the cans take care of themselves
but it would seem that, while one is
about it, it would be as well to secure
one of the many excellent tubular or
other milk coolers whereby the milk
Is cooled virtually instantaneously to
within two or three degrees of the
water used.
Ii the water pump is set going, be it
oy hand or power, when milking is
commenced, a far better result is OBJ
tanned than when the cans are set in
tank, where the cooling is much slow
er, even If the milk is stirred OCCASION
ally or continuously, which is but sell
dom done.
or course it is desirable to have a
tank with cold water in which to place
the cans when cooled, but as the psmp
has to be used anyhow this requires
but little extra work
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-10

The Texas experiment station has
carried on experiments for two wears
to determine the value of certain food
6stuffs. They found both Kaffir corn
and Milo maize to be cheaper than
indian corn and both gave better re-
suits. Molasses protitably replaced
half the Indian corn in a mixed ration
Of molasses, Indian corn, cottonseed
meal and hulls. In supplementing a
Kaffir corn ration with cottonseed huIls
as roughage. cottonseed meal at see
per ton was found more profitable thsn
enttonseed at s12 per ton.
Evening star., 1909-05-23

sage brusher who is camping and needs warning to
extingush all traces of sparks when he breaks camp,
lest the ranger arrest him. Fine and imprisonment
are proportionate to whether actual damage has
been done or whether it was simply the law that
compels the extinction of campfres that was vio-
lated
On the other hand, the smoke that called the
ranger may be that of a small fire which unless
checked in time would develop into confagration.
A hunter, with less sense than an Indian, may have
knocked out his lighted pipe into heap of dry leaves.
starting what is known ground fire which eats
its way catching underbrush and soaring exposed
roots and the trunks of trees until the bark Pees off
and these stand bare and dead. A locomotive
gineer with crouch against old engine knocks
holes through the spark in the stack
increase draft and of the myrads of sparks shot
into the air settles loft1ly in pine inammabe
turpentine, and then there is high fire top
fire, with flames spreading from tree to tree at rate
depending only upon. the speed of the wind.
First Frantic Efforts
In either case, the principle upon which the ranger
works is simply to a wide trail frebreak
across the intended path of the hames SO that when
these reach the interruption there will be no fuel to aid
their advance. II the fire is low one he spade
and mattock and turns up belt of raw earth from
six to ten feet wide If it is top fire he cuts down
a lane of trees from twenty fifty feet wide telling
the trees away from the flames.
But, fTantcally though the ranger may work, fire.
quenty he is defeated in the end Sometimes he
misJudges the speed of the fire, sudden wind
springs up and accelerates this, and, marvelouSly
quick though he may be able to handle his crude
IoOs DeIOre ne can complete MS belt the neat OF the
flames and the smoke drive him back, the fire leapng
across the supposed interruption and devourng
wilder than ever before Then all he do is to
treat to ample distance and begin the fight all
again.
For twelve, for twenty-four hours at stretch the
ranger may wage his fight single handed and alone in
the heart of his wilderness. His nostrils cogged
with SCOT. His lungs, half filled with smoke, heave
convulsivey for a breath of pure air. His muscles
and sinews like overstretched rubber bands His
bones hollow for want of food And still he fights
on, unseen uncheered unsung,-a grim, dismal,
lonely heartbreaking fight which will be mentioned in
twenty five words in his official report, and even
after it has been standing by for hours to
make sure that the red, ferocious tongues do not
again.
Despite this killing work, if forest fires linn
tied to the sort the ranger handle single handed
Evening star., 1909-05-23

he would be satisfied. Often dur
ing the fire months when pro-
tracted droughts have turned the
forest into SO much kindling, or
when dried leaves rustic a foot
deep under the tread of the
hunter, a fire will gain headway
with such swiftness that before
the ranger can get even the
chance to see it at close hand it
has turned into a confagration.
In dry forest ground fire will
spread from the size of a derby
hat over an acre of ground inside
of an hour, and the wider it
grows the faster it spreads. 1t is
during the fire months that the
spark from locomotive stack,
no bigger than a split pea. settles
near the top of pine. and in
less than three minutes a blaze
ten feet high leaps Economically
into the air and with a joyous
roar spreads into the trees of