davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-05-08
BEAUTIFUL FLOWER BORDERS

The arrangement of the flowers on
the home grounds counts for as much
las the kind and number of flowers
themselves A yard may be full of
flowers and yet not be beautiful.
There may be a. few flowers in the
same yard, and still it may be very
beautiful. The way the flowers are
arranged makes the difference.
Where shall the flowers be planted?
is a question with many. The answer
is. plant them where they will show
beauty in themselves and at the same
time enhance the general beauty of the
dwelling and grounds.
To accomplish this they must not be
planted in a haphazard way--a clump
here, bed there and a struggling mass
some place else. Also never plant so
that one plant or mass hides another.
Plant with the design of unity and
harmony.
The best place for flowers is in bor-
ders along the side of the yard or
around and close to the base of the
dwelling house. In this way they are
more out of the way, are as easily cul-
tivated as otherwise, and they help to
frame and unity the setting.
A border of flowers along the base
of the house is in easy reach for care
and cultivation. and 1t enhances the
appearance of the structure, broadening
it's base and harmonizing it with sur
rounding natural objects.
The outer border along the side fence
or between the front and back yard
should be filled with the larger and
more snowy decorative plants. 1t
should be planted with the larger ones
next to the fence and the smaller ones
In front of them, so that none are
hidden from view.
The flower border may be straight
or curved. according to the place it
occupies, but the best effect is pro-
duced by making the margins irregu-
larly curved, since natural lines of
| planting are that way.
A single border may be of one kind
of plants or of many kinds Where
different kinds of plants are used
avoid placing What will produce dis
cord of colors when the plants come
into bloom.
The mixed border is very interesting
and may be made beautiful If proper
! skill is used in grouping the plants.
Many plants are effective in individual
| borders, among Wnlcn are aSterS, sal
Was, calladiums, hollyhocks, irises, can
mas, hydrangeas and the hardy peren-
nial phlox.
The lawn is the principal part Of the
home grounds and no planting, whether
of flowers, shrubs or trees. should mar
its unity or scope.
| BY massing the other plants in bor-
ders the lawn is unobstructed for use
and has full chance of an abundance
of direct sunlight and air, without
which it will not thrive nor will the
soil it occupies be a healthful place
for human living.
Let the lawn be one unbroken mass
of grass plants, and mass all other
/ paintings in borders where they will
not interfere with it, but will be just
as beautiful in themselves.-H. H
! Shepard
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-05-08

Shake the bedding UP In each per
daily and toss out the dampest of 1t.
Never allow dust to accumulate on
the partitions and pens used for feed.
1t is always injurious to the hogs
health. II you are in the habit OF
feeding hogs corn scattered in the mud
or dust of dry yard, build a small
feeding floor and use it.
Go into any herd that is fed in the
dust from thrown-down corn and you
will hear much wheeling and cough
ing. This is bad on all hogs and espe-
cially those kept for breeding pr
poses.
Set your feeding floor off the ground
four to six inches and build it solidly
of good timber. Around the whole edge
nail 2x4, as shown in the illustration.
This prevents lots of shelled or car
corn being pushed off into the dirt and
dust.
Sweep off the floor before feeding.
Never overlook this, A floor OF this
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-05-08

tood and the result is to dwarf the
plant and reduce the yield of corn.
Z If the seed bed has been put into
Hrst-class condition the first cultivation
can be moderately deep, because the
roots will not have attained a growth
sufficient to be much damaged, but as
the season advances cultivation should
become shallower and toward the close
of the growing period a dust mulch
can be maintained by cultivation of an
inch in depth.
The dust mulch, by the way, is really
the right way for the conservation of
moisture II corn can be cultivated
lightly Immediately after each rain,
weeds will not only be kept down but
moisture will be retained much longer
than If cultivation is put off two or
three days.
AS the plant takes it's food in sol1-
ton, it is evident that the ground must
be kept moist all the time if possible,
Deep blowing, therefore, not only de-
stroys the roots, but is positive draw
back in keeping moisture in the ground.
1t is a good plan to harrow the
ground lightly between the time of
planting and the appearance of the
corn.
Many farmers believe that corn should
not be cultivated more than two or
three times during the season. but we
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-05-08
ABOUT THE DAIRY

Every dairyman should raise the
heifer calves of his best COWS and not
depend on anybody's offerings to re-
plenish his herd. 1t is absurd to sup
pose that he can buy cows as reasona-
bly, as he can raise them.
If the mixers hands and clothes are
filthy germs are sure to get into the
milk pals.
AS the calf is so is the COW. Poor
care in calfhood means a poor COW
when she comes to maturity
The real butter maker Of our coun-
try is the farm COW whose milk never
goes to the creamery.
The Iowa state dairy law forbids
selling milk from cows within two
weeks Of calving and five days after.
We believe that every dairy COW
should have at least one months va
cation during the year.
The COW is doing her best for Won
and you can afford to pamper her
whims. They are usually pretty good
ones.
Some of the worlds most noted milk
ers gave a small quantity of milk with
their first calves. Don't pass iude-
naent on the heifer.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-05-08

any infectious matter that may attach
itself to the navel.
Naturally failures have been reported
even when precautions have been taken
and doubts cast on the theory of infec-
ton.
Still, seeing that infection of diseases
similar to this may be carried on the
point of a fine needle, how can we say
with confidence that the disease white
scours occurs through any other cause
than infection in places where the in
fective matter has been known almost
with certainty to exist?
There are districts where this scourge
is unknown. Let a diseased calf be
brought in and the disease at once ap-
pears.
All houses in which young calves are
reared should be made thoroughly
clean; large application of disinfect-
ants should be made until the place is
made free, and all calves should be
literally supplied with clean, dry straw
for bedding.
Another disease appears to be form
| of contagious bronchitis. 1t is gener-
ally fatal if it is allowed to run un-
checked for some time.
1t is possible that this very serious
disease may be caused by allowing
calves to remain out in the fields too
long in cold, wet weather.
Provide good, comfortable, dry quar-
| ters for calves while they are young.
Let them have sufficient ventilation in
their houses without drafts. Allow
them open-air exercise only on warm
days, and not until they are sufficiently
strong to Withstand even moderately
cold weather. Never allow a young
calf to have it's coat saturated with
cold rain water
The principal matter to be borne in
mind is that all young animals taken
from their natural conditions of life
and living must have thoughtful care
and it should not be necessary to OBJ
serve that in the management of
calves we are dealing with valuable
farm asset that will repay considerable
| care.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-05-08
FEEDING FOR MUTTON

Sheep must have clean water, clean
feed racks and pens and sanitary sur
roundings if they are to make profitable
gains.
The bedding should be liberal and
should be changed frequently and not
be allowed to become foul or damp, for
sheep will not thrive unless kept alb
solutely dry and afforded pure air.
The foods best adapted FOR sheep
are clover and alfalfa hay. all that
will be cleaned up at a feeding; corn
ensilage about four pounds to each
head or roots when ensilage is not
available, and two parts each of wheat
bran, oats peas or corn, and one part
oil cake, or one part wheat BRAN one
part cornmeal and one part ground
oats, supplemented with about one
small handful of oilmeal to each lamb.
Many feeders prefer to feed the grain
whole, and generally it will produce
better results, although many feeders
still cling to the idea that the sheep,
as we'll as some other farm animals,
will derive more nutrition from ground
grains.
The choice of the grain foods will
depend to certain extent upon what
kinds of hown- grown foods are avail
able, and the rations should be made
up with an eye to economy, as well
as to that of producing the most rapid
gains.
1t is important that those who feed
lambs should have proper accommoda-
tions for them.
Our farmers are throwing away good
opportunities of making good profits
from their home grown foods by not
feeding a few lambs.
This can easily be seen from a prac-
tical and scientific point of view Some
may argue that the farmers should
grow their own feeders, and In that
manner make the whole profits, but to
/ these men l would say that such a
practice would be opposed to the sci
ence of the business of feeding lambs
for mutton.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-05-08
heir counterpart, the mule or scrub

their counterpart, the mule or scrub
horse.
Should the colt cut up much, which
ne usually does, one or two kicks in
his belly and several jerks on his ten
der mouth will be the next lesson.
Then he is dragged, led, backed or
pushed to the off wheel of a wagon, to
the furroW side of a plow or the off
side or a harrow, as the case may be,
His two companions are probably old
horses who have gained wisdom and
experience with increasing years and
look on with mild indifference while
the youngster, held by couple of
strong men and hitched up by a third.
trembleS and snorts in impotent rage.
Tied back, reined up tight and with
heavy outside line in the hands of
some ignorant half grown boy-he be-
gins his real life on the farm as a
bread producer.
BY the second day, If the weather Is
warm and the work heavy, his mouth
will be sore at the corners, his shoul-
ders CALLED, and, If working on a plow
or harrow, his legs around the hooks
will be pretty well cleared Of hair by
the chafing of the iron in traces. He
Will in two weeks have lost a hundred
pounds of flesh and it will take several
months of rest to get him in good
shape again.
OF course this is one of the many ex-
treme cases, but this system of break
Ing colts ruins many of the best horses
every year and will continue to do so
as long as this way of handling them
continues in practice.
In spite of the thousands of men who
are driving horses all over the country
and to every kind of known vehicle and
farm implement, comparatively few
understand the gentleness and flrmness
combined necessary in the proper han
ding of green colts.
| 1t would be well If all colts could be
halter broken by weaving time, and
used to harness, saddle and bride as
yearlings. They will soon learn driv-
ing by being used only enough to rem
der them gentle.
Then, as 3-year- -olds, when they are
expected to help earn their living on
the farm, there will be none of the
rough style of breaking them In, with
the inevitable fever-sore mouth, CALLED
shoulders, nervous kickers and runa-
ways.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-05-08
THE YOUNG HEIFER's CARE

In calf feeding, at the end Of four
or five months is the parting of the
ways for the steer and heifer calf
If the heifer is to be reared with the
view of making her dairy COW Of
greater value than her mother, then
she must be fed for milk production.
This is an important item If farmers
are to produce their own. cows which
is the cheapest and best way known
to me for securing dairy herd.
To the unobserving it would seem
incredible that heifer calf could be
ruined for future usefulness in the
dairy by the manner in which she is
handled the first few months Of her
life
We know that the heifer calf can be
ruined. She can be stunted and made
an animal of small capacity
Her digestive apparatus can be
ruined and she can be made a finicky
feeder, one of those animals not eating
abundantly and never finding that
which is good enough to eat
The heifer calf, while feeding, should
not be allowed to become fat. She
should be kept slick and glossy, full
of vitality and muscular
If you educate the heifer calf to put
her food on her back in the shape of
fat she will then have that tendency
when she becomes COW. Therefore
she should not be fed too much corn
She should be fed the flesh forming
foods.
She should be fed large quantities
of the best roughage that her stomach
may distend so she may handle large
quantities of fat when she is required
TO do so, as she will when she be-
comes a mich COW.
If there is a surplus of skim milk
on the farm the heifer can utilize this
to exceptionally good advantage.
have reared calves which had a drink
of skim milk twice per day from the
day they were born and continuing un-
til they became mothers and were
being smilked, and l consider that such
skim milk was never fed to greater
advantage.
These calves We're growthy, in the
best of health and excellent feeders
1t is wonderful what pail of skin
milk night and morning will do fol
the COW which is producing milk
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-05-08

have observed that every phenomenal
yield of corn in prize contests was the
result of constant and frequent culti-
Yation.
The last cultivation of corn should
be done in such a manner as to leave
the ground as nearly level as possible.
Early cultivation may be done by
throwing the ground slightly toward
the plant in order that the furrow may
carry off the surplus moisture after a
heavy rain, but the old fashioned way
Of throwing up huge ridge at the
last plowing, leaving deep furrow in
the center, is not the best way
Figure 1 shows corn plant shortly
after examinations; (a) shows a grain
planted SO shallow that if dry weather
comes the plant will do no good; (c)
shows grain planted so deeply that
The plant food of the seed is exhausted
before the leaves reach the air.
Figure shows a six-weeks- old plant
occupying a surface area of twelve
feet, with roots reaching down nearly
three feet.
Figure 3. The dotted lines indicate
how the plant sends down brace roots
into the soil and how the main roots
grow close to the surface as the plant
natures.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-05-08
SOME PERTINENT QUESTIONS

The commission on country life ap-
pointed by President Roosevelt has
been sending out blanks to farmers,
editors of agricultural papers and 9th
rs In close touch with farming, con
aiming some very interesting gues-
tions.
The commission desires immediate
answers, but says the names of corre-
spondents will not be used.
After each question the correspond
ent is asked ''Why?" and also to sug-
gest a remedy.
The questions follow:
!. Are the farm homes In your nei sh-
borhood as good as they should be unde,
existing conditions?
2. Are the schools of your neighbor-
hood training boys and girls satis-
factorily for life on the farm?
8. Do the farmers in your neighbor-
hood get the returns they reasona-
bly, should from the sale of their prod
ucts?
a. Do the farmers in your neighbor-
hood receive from the railroads, high
roads, trolley lines, etc, the service
they reasonably should have?
b. Do the farmers in your neighbor-
hood receive from the United States
postal service, rural telephone, ETC.,
the service they reasonably should ex-
pect?
6. Are the farmers and their wives
In your neighborhood satisfactorily or
ganized to promote their mutual buy
ing and selling interests?
z. Are the renters of farms In your
neighborhood making satisfactory
living?
s. Is the supply of farm labor IL
your neighborhood satisfactory?
8. Are the conditions surrounding
hired labor on the farms in your neigh
borhood satisfactory to the hired men
TO- Have the farmers in your neigh
borhood satisfactory facilities for do
ing their business in banking, credit
insurance, etc.?
II. Are the sanitary conditions OF
the farms in your neighborhood salts
factory?
IL. Do the farmers and their wives
and families in your neighborhood ge
together for mutual improvement, en-.
|tertatnment and social intercourse a.
much as they should?
What. in your judgment is the mos
important single thing to be done fol
the general betterment of countr,
life?
Address all letters to Commission OF
Country Life, Washington. D. C.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-05-08

kind can be used for feeding alfalfa or
clover as hay or steamed.
The herd of Berkshires on the floor
in the picture are eating chopped al-t
falfa that has been steamed somewhat
and sparsely sprinkled with chopped
corn and oats. The alfalfa is cut four
inch lengths and soaked in a barrel
or tank which has a'jet of steam in It
shooting up from the bottom.
This does not boil the alfalfa, but
just heats 1t enough to make the coarse
stems tender and the tender ones more
toothsome.
1t is lifted from the tank on forl
and allowed to drain well, when 1t I.
thrown upon the feeding floor. Pig.
never leave much of 1t, For brood
sows 1t makes an ideal feed, keeping
them In good flesh hut not fat enough
to hurt their breeding proclivities oil
injure their ease of farrowing. Bt
sure to feed 1t to them on clean floors
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-05-08
MANURE EARLY FOR POTATOES

Where I plant potatoes on corn stub
BILE give the land a good coating of
manure as soon as the ground is suff-
ciently dry to haul over, and cut the
manure into the soil with disk har-
row. This ground is then plowed and
rolled, and the disk and spring tooth
harrow and roller used to make fine and
mellow. This gives me practically a
pulverized seed bed to the bottom of
the furrow and eliminates the risk of
having a seed potato in an air space
made by two clods not meeting and
not able to make any start at growing.
Where potatoes are plowed in-that
is, dropped in every other, or every
third, furrow as the ground is plowed-
the disking Of the surface of the land
is especially advantageous, for as the
covering furrow is turned the fine mel
low soil Crops upon and settles in
around the seed and creates conditions
favorable to early and rapid growth
Where the seed is dropped by hand
and very thorough subsequent cultiva-
tion given this method Of planting on
stalk" land is probably more satis-
factory than any other.
In addition to the animal manure
cut in as described, I make an applica-
ton of 400 lbs of phosphorus and
rs to 100 lbs of muriate of potassium
per acre.-W. f. McSparran, Pennsyl-
vania.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-05-08
LITTLE GARDEN NOTES

Cheap seed is often the most expen.
sive
Peas will sprout at As degrees.
Always plant the best seed you cal
get for every crop.
The garden should be near the house
and surrounded with a good woven
wire netting fence to keep out fowls
and other garden pests.
If the garden must Of necessity be
on stiff, clayey soil mix all the ashes
and sand obtainable with it; they will
mellow it up wonderfully.
A hard crust over the soil prevents
the rain and heat from entering. AL
ways keep the surface of the soil loose
SCOT is good and safe fertilizer fol
nearly everything, and scattered around
the stems of plants, making the soil
black, acts in the first place as slug
antidote and in the next as plant
food.
Probably no class of people suffer
more from rheumatism than farmers
and yet the remedy for this dreadful
disease is, or should be, right at hand
II celery were eaten freely sufferers
from rheumatism would be compara-
lively few.
AS soon as a crop appears above
ground IL UeeuS CultiSdtlOIt, Uotil IL
kill the weeds and to admit the air to
the roots of the plants.
1t is useless to plant beans until the
ground becomes warm. II they come
up and then are chilled, they turn
yellow and never amount to anything.
Lima beans, melons and other ten
der vegetables may be advanced two
or three weeks by starting them in
pots or bits of inverted sod in hot
bed. When the weather becomes warm
enough transplant without disturbing
the roots.
In transpianting eabbages set the
plants in the ground up to the first
leaf, no matter how long the stem is.
and press the earth firmly about it.
In transplanting any vegetable plan,s
let it be done in the evening if posi-
BILE. Press the soil firmly about the
roots and water well. If after the
water disappears dry earth is covered
over the wet it will prevent baking of
the soil about the roots when the sun
comes ont next day.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-05-08
IMPROPER COLT BREAKING
Education of the Young Horse
Should Begin Early and
Gentleness Be Exercised.
BY JAMES M. BELL, VIRGINIA.

1t requires patience and judgment to
prevent the ruin of a colt in the first
months handling. On many large
farms where the owners trust the or
dinary laborer to break and work the
colts numbers of them are made vicious
and balky by rough and ignorant han
ding.
1t is no unusual sight to see we'll
bred, high-strung colt taken up" to be
broken in his third year which never
even had halter on him. The process
is to get the hands" together at the
stable. hustle the colt into a corner,
throw moose over his head and drag
him near enough to get blind bride
on him.
BY this time he is sweating like a
bull from fear. Next comes the har-
Messing or gearing up Collar, har-
ness and traces are put on him by
hands who are only used to working
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-05-08
NOTES OF THE POULTRY YARD

With over seventy distinct breeds of
fowls to select from it always seemed
curious to me why some people in
sisted upon keeping scrub hens.
When poultry is being cross bred for
special purposes, such as roasters,
broilers, etc, l believe that better re-
suits will come when we use male of
the smaller breed and hens of the
larger breed of fowls.
Incubator chicks should be fed with
more caution than those Matched with
hens Their artificial condition makes
them more delicate and more suscepti-
BILE to changes of food and tempera
ture.
With poultry there is greater oppor-
tunity for choice among long list of
breeds than among any other kinds
of stock. We can select color accord
ing to our taste; we can breed for eggs
or for flesh, for sitters or non-sitters,
for large or small fowls.
We may choose a breed whose eggs
are either white, buff, brown, large or
small, and can be certain that the
offspring will resemble their ances-
tors.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-05-08

1.-THE drawings from which the illustrations In
fhts article were made by Professor Andrew
d. Soule, Georgia Agricultural college.l
The deep set corn plow ripping it's
devastating way through the roots OF
the plants, creating havoc at every
Jump, is familiar sight in the corn
belt and in every state where corn is
grown.
The damage to the growing corn and
the consequent loss of grain by check
ing the growth of the plant cannot,
of course, be estimated, but that the
damage runs into millions of bushels
Is not to be doubted.
Too many farmers have yet to learn
that deep plowing in the cornfield
should be done before planting and
not after. When it is known that corn
roots penetrate the ground-and hard
ground at that--to the depth of three
feet or more, and also spread out on
each side for an equal distance, the
damage from deep plowing is apparent.
If corn is cultivated deeply and the
plow runs close to the plant, the lateral
roots are broken and those not dis
turbed grow deeper into the soil. But
the reduction in the number of roots,
of course, slessens the ability of the
plants to take up moisture and plant
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-05-08
NOTES OF THE SHEEP FOLD

Whether you own small flock or
count your sheep by the hundreds, the
importance of using good rams should
not be lost sight of. He is the very
foundation of your breeding stock.
Breed straight and improve your
stock. Don't be led away by some
cross breeding that looks good to YOU.
One cross may answer, but in the
end cross breeding becomes a very
complicated affair and has ruined more
than one flock of sheep.
A short sighted policy of using a
scrub ram is the cause of the inferiori-
ty of the average flock on our farms.
Will people never realize the fact
that they cannot afford to grow scrub
males?