davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07
EDITORIAL COMMENTS

The great scarcity of skilled farm
labor during the last few years has
forced some farmers to take on unde-
sirable men, many of whom are not
worth much and whose city habits unfit
them for country life. But main
tain that the great body Of Ameri-
can farm laborers are more intelligent,
more reliable and better farmers than
those Of any other country In the world
And they are getting better every year.
Most men work on the farm because
they like it, and a man who loves ami
mails and rejoices in the development
of good crops of growing things cannot
at heart be very lazy or very bad
man. The other kind are not to be
considered as real farm hired men.
The reason some farmers cannot af-
ford to keep a hired man is because
they do not know how to manage their
business to make 1t pay. l have seen
farmers with only twenty acres who
kept two hired men all the season and
one the year around. Then / have
seen men who owned 100 acres who
could not afford to keep one. It's all
in knowing how to make the soil give
up every dollar of profit there is in it.
It's poor farmer who cannot pay a
man $50 month and make a dollar q
day profit from his work. Some of
them make three and four, times as
much.
Some farmers act upon the principle
that a hired man ought to take the
place of most Of the machinery neces-
sary on the farm. He owns pillow or
two, perhaps, and a corn .cultiyator,
but the hired man is expected to spread
the manure, husk the corn, load the
hay single handed and alone, and do a
lot of other work that machine could
do five times as fast and much better
| A good farmer and one hired man with
| the help of manure spreader, a
seeder, gang plows and cultivators. a
hay loader, corn cutter, low wagon
| a cream separator and little ten
horse power gasoline engine, can turn
out more work than five men can with
out them. In these times of labor
famine the farm and buildings should
be rugged out with every possible de-
vice to save hand labor. And 1t is mo-
necessary to buy it all. A handy mar
! with $50 worth of tools and a workshop
can make any number of things tina
will save time and muscle, and do l
| on stormy days, too.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07
EASY TO CARE FOR BEES
THE PROFITS RESULTING TO FRUIT GROWER THIN CON-
RENSA7E ron ALL THE TROUBLE

well as that stored in the small boxes
seen In the groceries.
For that reason the honey should be
stored in regular frames or tracks,
as some call them, that hold the comb.
1t may then be taken off and stored in
the crooks
At the beginning of the season one
story of a langstroth hive will be
enough. Just before fruit bloom opens
up another story should be added. con-
tanning empty combs, or frames of
comb foundation. AS the season ad-
vances another story should be added
In the meantime large unobstructed
entrance should be provided at the
bottom. If the bees cluster out In
front they will be almost sure to
swarm; SO at all times there should be
enough room provided so they can be
kept inside of the hive and at work
Colonies so manipulated may store
for the fruit-grower, from fruit bloom
and clover, anywhere from SO to zoe
pounds of fine honey, which will be
worth, at the very lowest calculation
in the form of chunk honey at the
local groceries, not less than 10 cents
per pound.
1t goes to show, then, that in a fair
season our fruit-grower farmer, to say
nothing of the actual benefit of the
bees in scattering pollen, may get any
where from S. to $40 per hive.
Some colonies handled in the manner
explained may swarm, but as genera
thing there will not be- over per cen
of such swarms.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07
OLD STRAWBERRY BEDS
How They Should Be Treated and Cleaned When
Overrun and Choked With Weeds.

fruit. How can the plants grow govt
crowns with only an overdrawn supply
of fertilizer beneath them? The tor
dressing will serve also to protect the
plants during the winter. Thus treated
one is sure of much larger crop Of
Strawberries next year than If the bed
We're plowed UP and reset In August OF
September. OF course II the plants
have been set too long, so that the bed
did very poorly this year, not many
berries can be expected next year. even
with the treatment above recon-.
mended.
For the bed to be set next spring 4,
Is well to begin preparations now, OF
as soon as land and manure are avail.
able. II the piece is now in sod, ths
sooner manure is applied the better,
1t VIII tend to rot the sod and help its
decay after fall blowing. The pile OF
coarse manure that lies outside the
stable door may be evenly spread or
the sod, and the rains will help 1t t.
benefit the land.
Flowing should not be&deep, else Thu
manure and sward will be placed tor
deep for the strawberry roots to reach
them. Let the land be narrowed down
soon after blowing, and then 1t is ready
for coat of ashes as they may BIZ
spared
Better purchase few bushels OF
ashes than leave part of the ground
unfertilized on the surface 1t pays
to give this fruit good chance, as ii
not only enriches the table for severa
weeks when other fruits are scarce, bu
is ready seller at good prices. For
this reason one should not putter witt
a very small bed which would but
sparingly supply the table and afford
none for the market.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07
CARE IN TRAINING the COLT
Begin Early and Always Re-
member That Kind Firmness
Will Give Best Results.
BY JAMES M. BELL,

.
During the first two weeks Of han
ding green colt be careful never to
excite him by loud talking, cracking of
whips or by throwing his harness on
him.
Coax him all the time. Then when
he gets used to you. make him under
stand by firmness what you want
him to Go is fright. He will soon learn.
Never have recourse to violence if it
can be helped. Colts are naturally
timid and therefore easily alarmed
Traces rt bling against their legs, sin
gletrees banging against their backs
when holding back a wagon when
going downhill, getting trace between
their legs and many other things of the
sort brighten them into kicking or
running.
In driving a colt to light harness
never tie him to post when he is
hitched to a vehicle. 1t is best to
have heavy halter on him that you
can slip off when you get ready to
hitch him up again, or you can leave
the halter on him when putting his
harness on or tying the rein in one of
the turrets of the saddle.
All colts are inclined to gall easily
when the harness presses on them. and
this makes the youngSter irritable.
Carbolized vaseline will heal these raw
places
Two weeks of gentle and judicious
handling will generally get colt quiet
enough to begin to teach him that all
of life is not play.
The horse does not live that will not
run away if he is frightened enough.
You never can tell when that will be, so
better never leave him standing I'M
hitched.
Before engaging the hired man send
him out with team for a day or two
and watch his actions. If he is rough
and cruel to horses better not keen
him.
The demand for mules in the south is
constantly increasing and prices are
steadily rising.
New collars should be examined
every day until they are found to fit
the horses neck perfectly. A fat horse
often shrinks in the first few days
work sufficiently to make the collar fl
him badly and produce serious in
jury.
A colts mouth can easily be ruined
by a careless man in the first week
Of breaking. The greatest care should
be observed in using the proper bits
Never jerk horse. young or old
Always hitch up a young colt with a
rapid walker. Fast walking is, like
other gaits, acquired.
1t would be we'll if all colts could be
halter broken by weaving time ant
used to harness, saddle and bride as
warnings. They will soon learn driv-
ing by being used only enough to rem
der them gentle.
Then as 3-year- olds, when they art
expected to help earn their living OF
The farm. there will be none of the
rough style of breaking them in witt
the inevitable fever-sore mouth, CALLED
shoulders, nervous kickers and runa
ways.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07
NOTES ON SHEEP RAISING

Never mate big ram with a small
eve. Best to breed animals of the same
type.
If your ewes are poor at breeding
time they will be greatly handicapped.
Plenty of good feed TOT push the
youngsters for market.
Oil meal will often prevent indiges-
ton and keep the young sheep on edge.
Don't guess at the breeding time. Red
paint on the rams belly will mark the
ewes SO you can tell when they will
drop their lambs.
Keep the ram by himself in daytime
and turn him with a few ewes at night
After all corn is the great fattener
for sheep as for other animals. but fed
alone will cause trouble.
Last winter we saw great f1ocks OF
sheep in Nebraska that had been
turned into the corntields to do
their own husking, and they We're
trampling about half the grain Into the
mud. That did not pay.
The big sheep ranges of the west are
being broken up and our daily mutton
will have to come from the small farm
f1ocks.
Shoot every strange dog that comes
onto the place.
Any flock of over fifty sheep ought
to have Collie to look after them.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07
HELPFUL HINTS FOR DAIRYMEN

The breeding of bull whose dam
and grandam were great producers to
a COW known to be a producer and
with like ancestry is pretty sure to
produce a eprofit maker.
An air shaft can be built in the dairy
barn at very little cost, that will venti-
late the stable perfectly and do away
with the dampness and heavy air so
noticeable on winter mornings. One
man Installed two yentilators which
ran from near the floor to well above
the roof for $780,
Cows MIXED by the calf from year
to year go back in their milk produ-
ding capacity instead of improving it
Dairying VIII double the value OF
your land in short time. Isn't ii
worth while?
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07
BY HERBERT w. MUMFoRD,
University of Illinois.

At the present time Argentina eN-
ports more beef to the united kingdom
of Great Britain than does the United
States. Since the cattle business is
conducted on such an extensive scale
herding of large droves together is a
common practice.
This minimizes the factor of labor.
It is estimated that under average con-
d1tlons one man will care for thou
sand head of cattle.
The best bred and best fattened cat
tie so to the packing house, or 'frig-
beef. The remainder of the cattle prod
uct is used either for local consump-
ton or to supply the extract, canned
beef and jerked beef establishments.
The cattle used for extract, canned
beef and jerked beef are half-fattened
unimproved grade which are purchased
at very moderate cost The best
steers used for export command $40 to
$50 of American money-this price on
the "estancias" or ranches.
OF course there is considerable
number of live cattle exported to
nearby countries.
Alfalfa is undoubtedly the most i'm
portant factor in beef production in Ar
gentina. 1t is estimated that some-
thing over nine million acres are now
well set in alfalfa, and it takes from
one to two acres of this to carry a
mature steer or COW throughout the
year.
In some sections there is limited
amount of hay feeding in the winter of
from forty five to sixty days This, in
most cases, however, is not necessary,
but is usually done to get cattle fat
tened at periods when the market is
not glutted..
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07
KEEP cows OUT OF PONDS

Many men who think they are good
farmers allow their cows to drink all
summer from any old pond that hap
pens to contain enough water.
No matter how filthy it is, or how
warm or contaminated by vegetable
growth or droppings from the animals
themselves, SO long as it is water.
greater error never was made.
You cannot get good milk or butter
from dirty pond water
The COW is wonderful milking ms
chine and she often transforms some
pretty poor stuff into milk, but if she is
given nothing but dirty, stagnant pond
water all her powers Of alchemy cannot
turn 1t into a fluid fit for children to
drink
There is one way, however. in which
pond water may be used to ADVANTAGE.
but it is not to allow animals to go
into it or drink from it direct.
A pond on the Oklahoma station
farm holds million gallons and sup
plies 100 head each of cattle and hogs.
1T drains a large area which is on a
hill to the barns and feed lots. That Is
different
AS it runs from the faucet it is as
clear as the average well water and il
tastes good.
The cost of building the pond and
Of piping the water to about one third
of a mile was about $40O Barring
usual accidents it should cost nothine
for repairs and it does not cost cent
to operate it.
There are many localities where the
ground is more or less hilly where this
system of supplying water could very
easily be adopted without great cost.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07
BY c. H. DRAKE.

We always have to fight the weeds
in strawberry beds. They hinder much
less in season of abundant rainfall
than in a dry one, and do special dam
age when fertility is lacking in the soil.
So, if one wishes to prolong the useful
ness of the old bed another year it
may be done, providing it is not too
old or has not become sodded thickly
over. Wire grass is the worst enemy
of the strawberry as the years advance,
for the roots take complete possession
of the soil. Other weeds, like daisies,
yarrow, dandelion, ETC., may be quite
easily COPIED with.
Rather than do without any of this
delicious fruit next year the old bed
had better be retained unless it is be-
yond all hope of production. If 1t is
not closely tnown after fruiting let this
be done right away, drying shaking
and gathering the weeds, grass, etc. II
may be burned over but If near the
barn this is impractical. 1t is a good
plan to take off as much of the old tops
as possible in order to stimulate new
growth.
After raking it may be scarified with
harrow quite thoroughly. This will
break the surface, letting in air and
opening ways for the strength of ma
nure top dressing to enter.
Now let an even coat of well-rotted
stable manure be applied, thick enough
to fertilize without shutting out the
air. Rains coming on will fertilize the
ground, so that much larger crowns
will be grown by the plants than would
he posSibla without it
The crown of the plant is but a stor-
age of material with which the plant
will push the next seasons growth o.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07

garage, and the stock yard waste will
doubtless go on as always. But the
farmer who knows his business will
gather more animals about him to pro-
vide manure for his lands. And if he
be wise he will stop selling the fertility
in the milk can and the hay baler and
in this way add to the fairness of his
crops instead of taking from their
leanness.
If he be not wise he will. sooner or
later, have his land covered, not with
rich grass or grain or fruit or vege-
tables, but with mortgage which
never sleeps, but eats night and day
and which in the end will put him In
bondage for the rest of his days.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07
CARE OF THE SEPARATOR

We cannot expect the separator to
work smoothly and easily unless all OF
the bearings are all cleaned frequently
End oiled every day.
1t is important to run the separator
at exactly the speed indicated on the
crank. The manufacturers test ali
machines and know best at what speed
each will do the most efficient work.
Do not allow the. machine to be run
too fast in order to hurry up the job
This is Just as harmful as to run it too
allow.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07
COLD STORAGE IN THE IcEHoUsE

The storeroom described in the
drawing may be added to any icehouse
already built.
The storeroom should be four to six
feet square, just large enough to ac-
commodate the amount of milk and
butter produced on the farm.
The room should be provided with a
ventilator at the top about one foot
square and two feet above the top OF
the room.
The doors leading to the room should
be on the north side of the building
Each door should have a sash at the
top. The sketch shows only the inside
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07

sofa beans. corn, peanuts, vetch, cow
peas and things of that kind which
grow abundantly in that gracious eli
mate he will keep millions of money at
home which is now going elsewhere
to buy his bacon.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07
a FINE CHICK SHELTER

This picture represents a handy shell
ter for little chicks in time of storm or
sunshine.
Tar paper tackled over it, extending
down to the lower part of the frame,
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07

about four inches from the ground. will
keep the chicks dry.
They will soon learn to use this
shelter If little feed, is put under it at
first.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07

A poor COW costs more than she
earns, She 's z '.'.-',rv few farmers
can afford.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07
A FLOCK OF TOULOUSE GEESE

Bloomfield, Wis. This is an excellent
breed for average farm conditions.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07

door. The room should be of matched
boards and the top covered with tin.
The floor should be of concrete.
The house proper is built with double
walls, the space being filled with saw
dust.
The dotted lines in the drawing show
the outline of ice when house is filed.
The space between the ice and the wall
eight inches, should be packed with
sawdust
The temperature will keep at about
25 or 80 degrees during the summer
and during the winter If the sawdust is
piled upon and around the room it
makes fine place to store few select
vegetables or fruit.
A good many good poultryrnen now
feed their little chicks by providing
hoppers which are filled with cracked
corn and wheat. The chicks are allowed
| to help themselves to this, and thrive
very nicely without further trouble.
| Water and grit are furnished, of course
and often a little hopper is filed with
beef scraps, but wet feed is not used
at All
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07

Never mate a big ram with a small
eve. Best to breed animals of the same
Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-29

which has a multiplicity of parts; and
furthermore it is apparent that a low
salaried and inexperienced driver can
be employed without the consequent
danger of getting into trouble or ruin
ing the mechanism. AS its statesmen
are accustomed to remark: THE Car
tercar stays in order because there is
nothing there that can get out of or
der"
Another good feature which has been
applied to this car within the past year
is the patented chain-in-oil encased
drive. The manufacturers claim that
in addition to being noiseless, the chain
thus encased will neither stretch, wear
nor break, and in proof of this asser-
tion they guarantee the chain for the
life of the car And indeed this seems
reasonable when we consider that grit
is what wears out a chain, and if the
grit be excluded, and the chain con-
stantly immersed in OIL the wear will
be practically indefinite.
The Cartercar company is using the
two cylinder motor in its delivery
car. which it claims is peculiarly
adapted to that class of work. 1t is
located under the hood where it is
easy of access and in case of a broken
spark plug, same can be instantly
changed or any work done to the mo-
tor, without the necessity of disturb
ing the load This motor is the same
as that which is used in the CarteTcar
pleasure automobile for the last three
seasons, and which has been refined
from time to time, though the design
has not been altered. The Cartercar
company claims that the construction
of this motor has been carried to a
stage Of perfection never achieved in
two cylinder. The makers say
that every mea suTement is exact to a
half thousandth of an inch. Several
patents have been taken out by Mr..
Carter on special features of this
motor.
We predict good future for the
Cartercar Commercial Vehicle, for in
addition to the good points uossessed
by the car itself. and the we'll known
reputation of it's manufacturers the
high standing and integrity Of the
Woolwine Motor Car company in this
city guarantee absolute safety to the
purchaser.
Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-29
IS
LATEST ENTRANT
COMMERCIAL DELIVERY MADE
MATTER OF EASE
New Car Designed Particularly for
Light Loads, but Carries in
Most Cases Close to a
Ton Weight

The latest antrant into the field Of
commercial cars in this city is the
Cartercar, which is manufactured by
the Cartercar company of Pontiac,
Mich.
This car is being handled by the
WoolWine Motor Car company, 1142
South Olive street. the same firm which
made so many sales of Rapid trucks
since the taking of the agency a few
months ago. If these achievements
with the Rapid line may be taken as a
criterion, it is only fair to assume that
a large number of Cartercar wagons
will be sold in the near future.
The Cartercar delivery wagon is de-
signed for work where the quick de-
livery of light loads is required It's
capacity is ten to twelve hundred
pounds, though many firms now using
these care have got into the habit
Of piling on twice that weight, having
found that the car will stand it with
out going to pieces. These cars are
now in use in a number of large cities
in the country, and the fact that
number of business houses in Detroit
have been using them for years with
continued satisfaction shows that the
Cartercar is well thought OF at home.
In Tacoma and Seattle a number Of
these cars have been in constant use
for three years.
The friction type of transmission,
which is used in this car naturally ap-
peals to the prospective purchaser Of
a commercial vehicle. for he can readi-
ly see that in addition to its many
other advantages, this transmission is
bound to give less trouble than one
Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-29
SHARP-ARROW WILL
MAKE ITS NAME
Another Car Bows to Angelenos and
Starts Sales Books with Two
Machines the First
Thing

Another new car has made IT'S ap-
pearance in Los Angeles and has as
promptly claimed the attention OF au-
tomobile prospects. This car Is the
sharp Arrow, and the general impress
sion is that a hard row will be hoed
nv the Sharp Arrow in the field or
n0pular favor. A machine of eXtraor-
dinary power, perfected by expert
makers, it comes to this city Strong
competitor in the field of automoblle-
dom.
Machrs & Messenger are the agents
for the new Sharp Arrow, and their
present temporary location is at 22O4
South Main street, but within Few
days will remove to more commodious
quarters almost opposite at NO. 22O7.
Machris & Messenger are young men
of highest class in the mechanical line,
well equipped with practical expert
ence to know the merits of automobiles
and in selecting the Sharp Arrow have
undoubtedly proven their ability and
discretion in this direction.
With the Sharp Arrow scarcely
landed in their place of business, the
books within tWenty-four hours con-
tanned the record of the sale of two of
these cars. An automobile dealer in
well-knoWn make of cars was heard
to remark, Better look om for that
sharp Arrow; she is going to be a hard
competitor"
The car is not only substantially
built for hard usage. but is graceful in
lines and quick to respond to the mas
ter touch Of the hand at the wheel.
Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-29
WINNERS WERE ON
FIRESToNE TIRES IN BIG RACES

j. f. Lennon. manager of the local
branch of the Frestone Tire and Rub
Der company, states that both Christie
and Oldfeld lowered the world s
kilometer record at the recent speed
carnival at Indianapolis. Oldfeld also
lowered the world S twenty-five mile
track record to q minutes 21.7 seconds,
and also broke the five, ten, fifteen and
twenty mile records, all on Fircstone
tires and demountable rims.
Again at Findlay Ohio, the past
week Oldfield made a new worlds mile
record for half-mile track in l minute
6 "a seconds, on same set of Firestone
tires used at indianapolis.