davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-19
RESULT rs OF SHEEP BREEDING
Kind of Sheep Desired Must Be
Considered When Determine
ing Strains to Be Crossed
By G. S. MILLER.

This cross, one much in favor where
more wool is aimed at, and the pro-
duction of big mutton, is that of Lin
coin ewes mated with a Hampshire
ram.
The Hampshire sire gives color and
lean flesh, and the Lincoln eve size
and greater weight of wool, and the
tegs. carrying a big weight of wool
and mutton, realize big prices when
fat It is not a good cross for pro-
ducing fat lambs, as Lincoln ewes are
not as good mothers as the short
wooded and dark-faSed breeds, and con-
sequently the lambs do not mature so
quickly.
The Suffolk, too, is gaining favor
very rapidly as a suitable cross on
ewes bred in the way before mentioned.
Great length, good, lean flesh and a
strong, hardy constitution are the Suf-
folks best characteristics, and sheep
showing the Suffolk cross are eagerly
sought after by local butchers on ac-
count of their cutting up full of lean
meat and being in consequence better
to sell out to the consumer, and they
are good length when hung up.
The Suffolk is also a handsome sheep
and helps to improve the form and APP
pearance, and his coal black face gives
the color the butcher likes, for he
seems prejudiced against white or
pale faced sheep.
The Shropshire has for many years
predominated in it's pure state, and al
though with the exception of the South
down no other Down breed can excel
it in quantity, yet many of its adherents
are now demanding more size, and OK
ford Hampshire and Suffolk rams are
becoming extensively used.
The beautiful quality of the Shrop-
shire and the size and early maturity
OF tina other breeds blend well together
and produce first class mutton
The Shropshire has never claimed to
be an early maturity breed and on cold
clays does not get big enough to suit
the taste of the farmer, and the butch
ers complain that 1t is too fat nature j.
The latter is probably due to the
land and on the rich, loamy and sand
stone soils of its native country the
Shropshire gets into good weight and
the mutton is more in favor than any
other.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-19
KEEPING TAB ON COWS
Simple Records Easily and Quickly Kept, by Which
Every Farmer May Readily Determine Which
of His Cows Pay for Their Board.

any degree of certainty what she re-
turns to her owner the milk she pr,-
duces must be weighed and tested.
without putting COW to the rigid test
of weighing her~milk and determinin.
It's quality, either by churning separ-
ately or putting samples through the
bapcock tester, no one can tell wheth-
er she is profitable animal to keen.
would be surprised to hear that
one in 100 owners of five or more cows
IN this country could make any sort
OF an intelligent test of her value as
money maker.
II would be considered foolish for a
merchant to buy barrel of sugar
without asking the cost of it and SELL
ing 1t by guessing at the weight of eacn
sale.
such a proceeding carried out in all
the lines kept in store would spell
ruin IN a short time, yet this is the
way many. dairymen do business.
Ihey do not know what their milk
costs them nor how much they get from
given cow.
Keeping record is very simple
operation. If all the pals used in
milking are made to weigh the same
Whlch easily can be done, it is only
necessary to keep milk sheet tackled
up IN the COW stable where it will be
handy.
When the COW is MIXED hang the
pail with the milk in it on the hook
OF the scale, note the weight on the
sheet and when the month is ended
subtract the weight of the pail as many.
times as there are weighings and the
remainder is the total weight of the
milk.
To keep such a record requires not
to exceed two minutes day, and if it
is carried out for a year the average
dairyman will be ready to sell half his
cows.
IT he does this he will make more
money from the remaining half than
ne did from all of them before he began
keeping tab on them.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-19
BY MILLER ruav1s.

There are some things which have
been said over and over so many times
that sometimes think it a waste of
time to mention them again, but as 1
am travelling about the country see
SO many proofs which show that these
things are not commonly practiced that
l feel as If those who write for the
farmers benefit should try to empha-
size old truths as well as expound new
ones.
We have been talking about balanced
rations so long that it would seem as il
every dairyman would feel the neces-
sity OF using ration which would pro-
duce the best results, yet ! doubt if 5
per cent of the cows of the country
are fed in the most economical manner
and 1 often find examples of the most
costly kind of feeding, although the
owners think they are feeding at the
lowest cost.
1t should be remembered that low
cost feeding is not usually the cheap
est feeding. In fact, the lower the cost
of feeding cow the lower the revenue
from her. The economy of feeding a
given ration is not to be determined
by the initial cost of that ration, but
by the result it produces.
If by increasing the cost of the daily
ration SO per cent we can increase the
revenue any more than SO per cent all
the Increase above that figure is clear
profit which cannot be charged with
anything for labor or interest on in
vestment because these items of cost
are not increased by the better sys-
tenn of feeding.
The only way to determine whethsr
COW pays a profit to her owner is to
keep record of her performance as
mixer, and to know what it costs to
feed her.
The cost of feeding may be very
closely Appropriated without keeping
an individual account, but to know 10
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-19

mixture contains very much less water
than the poured one. 1t contains just
enough water to make it hold together
well when tamped. In the manufacture
ing of this type of post only one mold
is necessary. The mixture is tamped
into it and the sides of the mold can
be removed immediately, the post re-
naming on the bottom piece until the
cement has set. Thus the same mold
can be continuously used for making
as many posts as are desired. The
necessity for but one mold makes this
type OF post less expensive than the
poured one. The results of the tests
made show that the tamped post is in
ferior to the poured one and cannot
be placed In an equal class with it.
On account of less water being used
In the mixture for tamped post than
IN the mixture for a poured one the
tamped post requires more water and
attention in curing. 1t is of more open
texture, less impervious to water, not
as strong and not as desirable as the
post Of the poured type.
OF the various methods shown in the
accompanying illustration for tying
wire to cement posts the strongest and
perhaps the most satisfactory system
is 3 double tie" The tie wire is
bent into the form of long staple,
straddled over the line wire and both
ends passed through hole in the post.
One end is brought to either side and
wrapped about the line wire at the
face of the post This system insures
solid fastening and is equal in
strength to any ordinary wood post
fastening.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-19
PRACTICAL ORCHARD PRACTICE

Don't grow common fruit-that is,
common, ordinary grades. There is
always a demand for fine varieties in
the markets.
When pruning apple trees cut the
limbs as near the trunk as possible, so
the wound may heal over quickly.
Put out the new orchard just as
soon as winter breaks, but be careful
that the roots do not freeze.
Often young trees are spoiled by be-
ing wind broken. The ground should
be packed firmly around them.
Get busy with the saw and pruning
shears and clean out every dead and
cankered branch.
The orchard should be sprayed in
March, and have another dose just be-
fore the blossoms fall.
Is the orchard sod-bound? Put the
plow into it.
About midsummer sow the ground
to clover. This is a great soil reno
yator.
Do not cultivate late in the season
or the sap will keep the wood from
hardening before winter.
An acre of apple trees will pay bet
ter than an acre of corn and does not
require one-fourth as much work.
The San Jose scale, if it gets a good
start in your orchard, will destroy
every tree on the place, unless you put
up a stiff fight. No doubt about it,;
do not wait.
A clean, well kept orchard Is a sight
to delight and a joy to the owner.
Will corn make a good crop with
out attention after planting? No; then
why do you expect an orchard to
thrive without attention?
A good time to prune trees is right
after the first run of sap-along about
the middle of June.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-19
HOUSE WORK DAY BY DAY

Galvanized tin pals are preferable
70 any others for garbage or slops. as
'heS VIII not rust and will not absorb
grease. They should be thoroughly
cleahsed at least once week.
a small broom with a long handle is
great convenience, as we'll as an es-
sentlal thing for brushing sides of
pals, as it saves the hands and re-
moves the accumulated grease more
easily than a cloth.
1t has been said death turks in tbe
Stop pail" that typhoid germs and
other kindred germs are found in ito
depths. If kept clean flies do NOT
swarm about it and danger from illness
is lessened
One of the most healthful vegetables
Is the onion. 1t should be eaten as
o1ten as once week at least, as it
acts upon the liver, clears the COM
pieNion, aids digestion and is espe-
clally appetlzlng in the early spring.
When steWlng or boiling onions add
piece OF soda the size of pea to the
water, let come to boil change to
fresh water with salt and cook thor
oughly. Cooked in this way they will
be sweet and palatable, with much
of the strong taste removed.
Small mats crocheted out of soft
knitting cotton are splendid for plac-
ing between delicate china plates to
keep them apart, and should be large
enough to protect the edges.
Fried fish should be we'll cooked ana
crisp when done; it is better to roll in
cornmeal than in -four and should be
fried with bacon, which can also be
used as garnish. Never cover wher
frying, as that will make the flesh
soft-Susan Perrine.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-19
THE HIRED MANS VIEWS

Wages are not the only compensa-
ton a good man is entitled to.
In my travels I have observed that
the man who tries to boss everything
on the place, including his wife and
the children, is a despot in teapot and
not Dig enough to make a success Of
anything. have seen men who even
Dossed the cooking and had a finger in
every pie indoors and out You can
always tell this sort of a man at sight
by the discouraged looks of his wife.
l know farmer back in Massachu-
sets who runs a dairy or 100 COWS on
farm of $50 acres and he employs
from flVe to fifteen men most of the
year around. His own house is not big
enough to shelter all his men, but he
has built very comfortable house for
them with bathroom, including plunge
and shower baths, and dining room
as light and cozy as his own. On the
ground. floor is big clubroom where
the men can sit during the evenings
and read and smoke. This farmer en-
ploys first class cook who serves ex-
cellent meals on time to the minute.
The beds are clean and comfortable
and there Is an air of home about the
whole place which reaches the hearts
of the men. The net result of this
thoughtfulness is that the farmer al
ways has applications for places and
can select the best men who offer ther
services. Seems to me there is point
er in this fact for farmers who employ
men on a smaller scale.
My employer, who is the president
of a state corn growers club, makes it
practice to top every other row of
his corn. He says it is waste of
strength and vitality to the stalk TO
have to produce unnecessary pollen.
Half of the stalks, he claims, will pro-
duce pollen for all the stalks. He never
permits the tassel Of poor dowsy
stalk to grow, as the pollen from such
stalk will tend to weaken any ear
upon which it may lodge. 1t is fact
that he raises the best corn l ever saw.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-19
PERTINENT OBSERVATIONS

The first essential to a successful
farming career is brains-the more the
better.
Why do things on the farm in the
same way as your father did without
knowing why? Something more is
wanted than mere mechanical perform
ance of ones duty.
Don't overlook the fact that one #
the fastest and surest ways in the dairy
to make money is to keep always weed
ing out the poorest milk and badly
doing cows.
One of the best ways to quiet vi
cious bull when he is being led is 70
blindfold him, and if he has shown the
least disposition to be nasty he Should
never be trusted again.
No farmer can control the amount Of
sunlight and rain that falls on his land
but by his farming methods he can
do a great deal to atone for the de-
ficiencies of the scorching dry seasons,
or he may lessen the evils resulting
from a wet and sunless one, and this
should make him alert and skillful.
Farming is business and therefore
the farmer of all men is a business
man. AS such he should keep an ac-
count of his transactions for the year.
lust as other business men do.
We cannot ever know everything
about farming. 1t is impossible.
Every day gives an opportunity TO
learn something new.
The farming industry has proved
profitable in the past and will in the
future to those who are willing to learn
its lesson.
Money is not the only reward that
farming gives. 1t provides opportunity
to develop both mind and body.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-19
A GOOD POULTRY HOUSE
Details of Practical and Convenient House for
Chickens, Which May Be Gotten Up
Very Reasonably.

The line running from C. to G. is the
top of 4-foot high poultry netting
which runs the entire length of the
house.
There is drop curtain arranged in
each room to come down next to this
wire in stormy weather and cold nights.
From G. c. to top of the house is
planked up solid except the windows, as
shown at A. A. A. D. D. D. the nest
boxes under the dropping board N.
There are two rows Of nests, one
facing the scratching shed, the other
facing the right-hand room. A trap
nest may be arranged very convenient
ly here.
e. is a drop curtain in front of the
roosts in the winter department, which
is to be let down at night. F. is the
roosting poles in the winter quarters.
G. is the roosting poles in the sum-
mer roosting quarters.
H. H. the doors of poultry netting.
l., the little door that leads from the
scratching shed to the shed in which
to scatter wheat, rye, oats and corn.
j., cut straw scattered on the floor
of the scratching end room.
K, the dust box.
L., the drinking fountain.
NJ. NJ. M, the floor which should he
of sand and gravel.
N, the dropping board in winter
roosting department.
A house of these dimensions should
be feet in front and I feet tall in the
rear. 1t may be made of any stuff Mt
hand or to suit the builder.
1t can be made a very costly affair
or it may be gotten up very reasonably.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-19
BY j. WESLEY GRIFFIN.

AS a great many farmers take the
hen fever when eggs are high, here
with present a pen sketch which will
be of service to some one who Is con-
tenplating the building of a poultry
house in the spring.
The ground plan is IL by 80 feet and
is divided into parts each IL by 10
feet.
The compartment on the right is
used as winter roosting and laying
place.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-19

the winter and shelter from rain and
sun during the summer.
The room at the left is used during
the winter as a place of exercise and
in which to feed mashes and to water
the fowl. This room also contains the
dust boxes and is where the feed is
stored.
A. A. A. in the dotted squares repre-
sent the windows or their location in
the front of the house. B. B. is sided
up solid to the line running from B.
to B. to B. ! u feet high.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-19
GOOD FARMERS KNOW THAT

An aged horse should not be urge,
beyond his natural speed at the com
mencement OF journey. AS he warm.
to his work he will travel faster.
1t is bad to thrash horse to max
him increase his speed. Put the viii
into the manager.
1t is mistake to be constantly dru.
ging horses unless it is really needfl.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-19
TWO CROPS IN ONE YEAR

l had about an acre and a half Of
ground which, after receiving good
coat OF manure, was plowed up in the
fall. The winter freezes were good,
for it and made it easy to work in the
spring.
In March I narrowed the ground
thoroughly for preparation for sowing
oats. ! sowed a bushel and a half to
the acre.
They came up we'll, grew fine from
the first and were waist high by the
first of July and well headed. cut
the oats while they were still green
for oats hay. The hay cured on the
stubble in one day and the next day I
put it up in the NOV. had three tons
and half of hay worth SIS a ton,
The horses relish it as well as thsv
do alfalfa hay. Besides the hay the
grain makes it a fine feed for horses
After taking up the oat hay I listed
the ground and planted some ninety
day seed corn that l bought from
seed house in Shenandoah, Iowa. at
$3.50 per bushel 1t was a good stand
of late corn. 1t grew fast / cult
waited it four times and kept it free
from weeds.
think this is doing pretty well for
one piece of ground in one year. The
oats would probably have yielded rs
bushels if had threshed them.-Thom-
as w. Alexander, Kansas.
young horse should not be allowed
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-19
ITS BEEN TRUTHFULLYsAlD THAT

An unbalanced temper will spoil the
results of an ordinarily well balanced
ration.
Our mistakes often serve good pur-
pose by enlightening others.
Rural free delivery and the farm
telephone are the torches that are
lighting the way of the farmer and his
family toward a better life.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-19

Different Types of Wire Fasteners. A, tolne-
made fastners. B. commercial fasteners.
poured type at once it is necessary 20
have several molds ready for use. With
SIX molds only six posts could be made
at once, and it would be necessary to
wait until the cement was set before
six more could be made
The tamped post is one in which the
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-19

from one to i've days, depending upon
the time of year and the weather. In
drying summer weather from one to
two days is usually sufficient. In cool
or damp weather they must be left in
the molds much longer.
In order to make several posts Of the
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-19
M0LAssEs FOR HORSES

Molasses is highly recommended as
food for horses. 1t is fattening and
adVantageously fed not only to thin
horses but to warehouses; in good con-
dtion.
DR.. A. S. Alexander says it will not
cause collie or other forms of indiges-
uon, but that it is readily assimilated
and helps to maintain condition in
hard worked horses having little time
IN which to properly masticate whole
grain and hay. y
He advises that it first be mixed in
the proportion of quart of molasses
TO three quarts of warm water, then
mix this thoroughly with five pounds
OF cut hay, four quarts of cornmeal
and two quarts of coarse bran.
Feed this molasses food night and
morning, whole oats at noon and long
nay at night. This is for hard work
ing horse of the draft type.
More molasses may, however, be fed
with good results. AS much as five
quarts of molasses may be given daily
to a 127O-pound horse with advantage
TO It's health and the efficiency of it's
work.
This refers to cane sugar molasses.
That from sugar beets has not so far
been found quite suitable as food for
horses
AS feed is SO high at the present time
farmers would do well to buy molasses
in good-sized quantities and give it IS
part ration to their horses, and espe-
clally to those needing Pumping up, as
1t works wonders in that way.
Dray horses that had to be retired
from public service were, by heavy
feeding on molasses and cut hay and
grass, made plump and polished within
very few weeks so that previous rid
ers or drivers failed to recognize them.
At first it may be necessary to starve
horse to take the molasses food but
soon it is taken with relish and proves
helpful and sustaining.
Leonard b. Clore, an Indiana au
thority on corn growing, has received
an offer of $4,000 from the Russian
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-19

A young horse should not be allowed
to waste his energy during the early
part of journey. Young horses soon
become tired.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-19

Leonard b. Clore, an Indiana au
thority on corn growing, has received
an offer of $4,000 from the Russian
government to teach the farmers of
that country to produce a better grade
of that grain.
Fort Pierce news. (Fort Pierce, Fla.) 190?-1920, 1909-09-03
EXTENSION WORK PROGRESSING
Trains to run Below Knights Key
in Three Months.

The Key West Citizen of Tuesday
prints the following about the progress
being made on the Key West extension
of the Florida East Coast Railway;
"The big schooner Helen Thomas
from Baltimore, bringing the large
consignment of steel rails for the eX-
tension which has been expected for
several days, arrived off the bar today
and is waiting for a pilot to bring her
into The habor.
"The charter of this boat for the
purpose of bringing this cargo to Key
West was mentioned in The Citizen
some time ago.
"The latest report from the great
trestle which will span the channel
between Bahia Honda and West Sum
merland is to the effect that the work
Is progressing with the utmost rapid
ity under the circumstances.
"Already twelve of the piers are en-
tirely completed; two are sealed and
partly fled, two more are placed and
sealed and the cofferdams for still an
other two are in place, making a total
Of eighteen, or more than half the to-
tai number either completed or we'll
under way.
1.-THE deepest water has already been
passed. A maximum OF about 81 feet
was found, but the for ce is now work.
ing in a depth of only 26 feet and it
will become more shallow from now on.
"This is the channel which present
ed the greatest difficulties OF all and
the fact that the deepest water and
Swiftest currents have been overcome
shows that the remaining task is mere
ly a matter of little time.
"a correspondent of The Citizen,
writing from Knights Fey gives the
following description of the placing OF
the first span of steel work on the big
trestle at that place:
"The first span of sheet steel was put
In place here on Saturdy, connecting
the REINFORCED concrete bulkhead with
the first pier. The distance appears
to be about 80 feet. and as the structure
stands in place it looks like the. side Of
tremendous steel car. The sides are
seven feet high, resembling the sides OF
mammoth box, and the rails Will be
placed along the top of each side.'
"There are about 1870 spans or super
structures, from 50 to 70 feet wide,
to be erected. The spans will be put
together on barge and then towed tt
the piers they are to bridge. A power
full derrick fitted TO wheels and run out
on the first pier, will lift the spans into
place. AS fast as the spans are placed
they will be finished, the track extend
ed on TO it, del ricka dvahced and the
next span placed.
In this way the viaduct will be built
the completion of the last span mean
! ing the completion Of the bridge,
1.-THE steel in the spans is from the
American Bridge Company, while Ter
nv u Tench will do the erecting.
at is expected the viaduct will be
completed and trains crossing in three
months