The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-08-12
ALONG RURAL, ROUTES
Herald Representative Tells of What
He Sees and Hears.

During the past week many Changes
have been made in farm life. Most
of the farmers who were putting up
hay the fore part OF tine week have
completed that task and are now max
ing preparations to thresh. "A num-
Der were in the. field cutting and
shocking grain, but the most of this
work has been finished. Some of the
farmers are fortunate enough to have
their threshing completed, while 9TH
ers are waiting patiently for the men
to pull in with their machines. The
country is full of threshing outfits
and the owners will have to be con-
tent with very little work on this &C
count. There are too many machines
for their owners to make, a profit, but
as far as the farmers are concerned
there are not enough. The quicker
me can get his grain threshed the bet
ter he feels, and why shouldn't he, for
then his summers work is about CON-
pleted. A great amount of wheat is
being raised by the Mahaska farmers,
the recent high prices are undoubted-
ly due for this. The crop is averag-
ing about thirty bushels to the acre.
Barley is also being raised quite ex-
| about twenty bushels per acre. Oats
as usual are receiving share of the
acreage and one farmer has reported
about forty-five bushels to the acre.
The average runs from thirty to thir-
ty-five bushels. The farmers, as a
majority, seem to be very well pleased
| with the crops so far this year. The
hay harvest was excellent and as good
crop as could be expected. Indi-
cations for a good corn crop this year
| are very promising, as a number Of
| The farmers who have their cribs full
Of last years variety are marketing 1t
now and getting ready to refill them
with this years harvest. Almost
every owner of an elevator is receiv-
ing old corn.
VIM Armstrong and Cornelius Wy
more started out with their threshing
outfit last week.
! M. C. Montgomery, northwest of
| Fremont, has painted his house and
| barn. The house was formerly a
story and half structure, but has
been raised to a two-story building.
| Chas. Anderson is hauling lumber
TO build a corn crib, machine shed
md chicken house. The lumber was
| aiken from his own timber.
Chas, Fellers has improved his
place with new hay and stock barn
56x76 feet. Roquet Bros. of Fremont
| did the work. The other outbuildings
received coat of paint.
Clarence Mcdowell tiled a forty
| icre field last fall. To get an outlet
ne was forced to run his drainage
through another's man field. A great
difference can be noted in the part
hat was tiled and the other. Where
The tile runs the corn is large and
with the right tint of green to look
healthy, while the other corn is very
yellow. The owner of the other field
las noticed the difference and is max.
ing arrangements to drain his field be-
| fore long.
J. W. Wilcox has done considerable
work on his house which makes il
much more cozy. The interior has
been painted and papered throughout
md the exterior has also received col
bring. Mr.. Wilcox will paint his
barn and put up new wind mill this
all. .@' # 'n
o. N. YeOman, who was for twelve
years road supervisor on the road
sbout two miles northeast of Fremont,
AN remember when 1t was Almost i'm
possible to get from his house to town
With any kind of a load. He said that
lie started to town with about six
hundred pounds on the wagon and
;ood heavy team to pull it and he
,ould not pull the load over the large
Hills. He says that when he was first
lade supervisor the road made many
oops in order to get around the large
Hills, but he took 1t upon himself to
.traighten the way and commenced
o cut down the high hills and make
hem passable. Since then the hills
lave been lowered little each year
until now they can be passed without
my great trouble.
Two new hen houses have been put
Up on the E. Robbins place north OF
Fremont.
Ernest Wolfe moved onto the o. N.
Woman place this spring and he with
his good wife have cared for the place
% far this year.
Newt McBurney put up over two
hundred rods of woven wire fencing
md pair of scales. He intends to
10 more fencing this fall
Moses Votaw, west OF Fremont, has
improved his place with a new shed
Sx60 feet, new roof on the barn
L