davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25

without doubt the judicious use of
lime on the fields will greatly increase
the aggregate yield of crops. That this
lining must be done intelligently is
evidenced by the fact that there are
some plants that grow better on soils
in which there is an abundance of
acids than on soils in which the acid
has been neutralized by the application
Of lime.
These plants, however, are in the
minority, and, taking the plant crea-
ton as a whole, far more is gained by
lining than not lining. When, how
ever. the subject is sufficiently studied
it will be found possible to leave some
areas unlimed on which to grow the
nlants that do best in an acid SOIL
AS yet the dividing line between the
two classes of plants is too vague to
admit of positive advice being given
1t may be said roughly that the plants
that avoid acidy conditions are ten
times as important as those that dc
best on such soil.
For the growing of all leguminous
plants an acid soil is Objectionable.
This is because the minute forms of
vegetable life called bacteria are de-
stroyed by the acid in the soil, if that
acid exists in considerable quantities.
These forms of vegetable life are neces-
sary to the development of the roots
of the legumes of the little knots or
protuberances that we call nodules. In
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25
BY W. R. GILBERT,

Not long ago / was looking at herd
of cattle used for the production OF
milk and butter in winter. It has the
merit, at all events. of yielding hand
some profit to the owner, and differs in
this way from many similar herds.
1t was the more interesting, there
fore, to look over the arrangement OF
herd by which this feat is accom-
plished. There was as the owner smil-
ingly said, no secret to disclose.
He is a man who lives on the prod
uce of his herd, and has made butter
much greater factor in his prosperity
than is the case with his neighbors
What he insisted upon as regards feed
ing might be comprised in two parts
The first was that which may be de-
scribed as Individuality; in other
words, he paid no regard to the "ra-
tons" which many text books give fo1
the COW.
There was no such thing, he said, as
the average cow" Some eat more and
some eat less, nor did their eating bear
any proportion that he could find out
to the amount of milk they yielded
1t necessitated. the employment of a
man who knew the idiosyncrasies OF
each COW and gave her what he knew
she would take, and nothing more. For
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25

equals the value of the clothing and
personal adornments of 100000 peo-
pie, according to the census of 1900
The gold and silver coin and bullion of
the United States are not of greater
value. 1t has grown up from the soil
and out of the air in 100 days-$15,-
100000 day for one crop, nearly
enough for two Dreadnoughts daily for
peace or war. This crop exceeds in
value the average of the crops of the
five preceding years by SO per cent.
Third in value is wheat, worth about
s725,000,0O0 at the farm, and this
largely exceeds all previous values
The November farm price was almost
an even dollar d bushel, a price which
has not been equaled since 1881. This
is the third wheat crop in point of size,
with 725,000,000 bushels.
The hay crop is valued at S665 ,0OO,-
OOo oats at s4oO,oOO,OOO potatoes at
$212,000,O00 and tobacco at nearly $780,
100000. Beet and sugar cane and mo-
lasses and strip, from farm and fac
tory, will reach the total of about $685.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25

SOW his clover seed on soil that has
not been MANFRED at all or that has
not been MANFRED for many wears.
Setter STILL let him buy some seed of
sweet clover (melilotus alba) and let
nm SOW that. If this plant grows well
he does not need lime, for it will not
grow where there is large amount Of
acid in the soil. But many soils will
be SO acidy that these plants will not
grow at all or will make a sickIy
growth
In that case lime should be applied.
1t is safe to apply it at the rate, of a
ton TO the acre, and if in the form of
carbonate of lime, more can be used
without any injury to the crops or to
the soil. Lime can be applied either
In the form of qiucklime or in the form
Of carbonate of lime. In their effects
these two differ greatly. The quick
lime is newly made lime reduced to a
powder by shaking with water sufa-
GENTLY to enable it to be sown on the
fields. In that form it lacks the carbon
which it will gradually get out of the
soil and air. 1t should be sown in the
soil at least two months before seeds
are sown as it will otherwise attack
the seeds in its effort to get carbon.
The carbonate is Srounu lime rock
or air-slaked lime tina. has already
secured its carbonate from the air and
has lost its caustic properties. This
form of lime can be applied at any
time.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25
The DAIRY HERD in WINTER
Close Study of the Individual Cow Is Necessary if
the Results Are to Be Profitable and Satisfactory

feeding purposes he did not use brew
ers' grains, as he thought they lad
prejudicial effect on the milk, but oil
cake, with a fodder made by chatting
straw and hay.
quantity of the latter was placed
in rack just above each COW, so that
she could nibble at it if not satisfied
by her ordinary meal, and what re-
manned in the rack was turned into
fodder.
The place bears all the outward
signs of prosperity. The buildings are
by no means new, but they are kept in
a state of sanitary cleanliness Atten-
ton was given to the admission Of
plenty of fresh air, without draughts,
and the farmer held that to keep COW
in health certain amount of light Is
necessary for the winter months.
All liquid sewage was carried off by
means of a drain. The dairy itself
was model of spotless cleanliness.
This, of course, was a virtue in itself.
but the farmer explained that he did
not expect it to be its own reward.
He had made a good circle of custom.
ers and was in the habit Of charging
them somewhat more than market
prices for butter; in return, he insured
that it would be of the very best quail
ity, and of course made under condi-
lions of the utmost cleanliness.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25
IN THE DAIRY

There is no time of the year when
a little extra feed will produce better
results than during the fall when pas
lures are failing. A cow that goes
into the winter in weak, emaciated
condition is certain to come out in a
worse condition in the spring, unless
special care and feed is given her dur
ing the time she is in the stable. Much
of the poor spring condition noticeable
among dairy cattle is due to decline
in condition during the fall.
Weed out the poor cows by means of
the scales and Babcock test.
Continue to weed, feed and breed.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25
NEWSPAPERS BAR RABBITS

few years ago I set out som,
young apple trees and before 1 kne,
1t the rabbits had peeled several oil
them so badly that they died. 1 went
into the field with a gun and could sec
1--WE or six rabbits at time disap-
pearing at the far side of the field Il
was useless to undertake to defend the
trees with gun. SO I procured some
old newspapers and a ball of Irvine. |
wrapped the trees with paper as far
up the bodies of the trees as rabbits
could reach and tied them securely
with Irvine. The paper stayed on the
trees all right for the remainder of the
winter and the trees were not damaged
any more by rabbits. This plan
worked well for small trees, but do
not know that it would do so well for
large ones. I wrapped the paper
pretty well with the Irvine from the
bottom to the top.-A. j. Legg.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25
BY F. B. BoARMAN,
Tonai,a Kan

1t is surprising how a calf will re-
;pond to good treatment A thrifty calf
IS money maker. If he is not thrifty
and kept growing every day of his calf
aood the unfortunate owner has only
himself to blame
The calf should be kept growing all
The time. When he is not growing and
gaining in flesh he is money loser.
A farmer who does produce a g.
month old skim milk calf in the prime
Of condition and which will weigh $50
pounds is not doing his duty in raising
calves. He yet has something to learn.
The calves should by all means have
| comfortable winter shed. The shed
need not be expensive. but should be
-oomy and we'll ventilated, we'll drained
and dry.
A dirt floor with good slope Is as
good as needed. The floor should be
we'll bedded with wheat straw, which
Is the best absorbent obtainable on the
farm.
The manure should be removed often
and the floor kept sweet. The sheds
should be well lighted and south
front is best. A south slope is the ideal
location.
Close the shed on the north entirely.
out have either a big window on the
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25
JAPANESE WHITE OAK

The growing scarcity of American
timber suitable for railroad ties has In
duced one of the largest Japanese i'm
porting companies to Introduce Japa
nese white oak as desirable foreign
species to take the place of the Ameri-
can oak for railroad purposes. Several
of the western roads have already pur-
chased large quantity of the Japanese
white oak to be used in replacing worm
out ties along their rights of way
The increasing cost of all railroad
ties has naturally led the railroad COM
panies to desire to prolong the life of
the species of wood used by preserva-
tive methods, and only recently an ap-
plication was made to the United States
forest service to conduct experiments
at their Berkeley Embarrassing sta
ton to determine the value and life of
the Japanese oak timber when prop
,rly treated.
This application brought up the in
.cresting point as to whether or not
the forest service would be allowed to
| undertake experiments with foreign
species of timber, inasnuch as the act
under which these experiments are car
! ried on specifically requires that only
American-grown timbers shall be
treated. The forest service has found
it necessary. owing to pressure of other
work, to decline to undertake this eX-
pertinent, and therefore this point was
not considered. 1t is estimated thai
there is a large supply of this white
oak in Japan and should it's use FOL
railroad purposes prove satisfactory /
| is probable that a large market will b,
created for it in this country.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25
1909 Banner Year for Agriculture

The banner year for agricultural
prosperity is the distinction given 1909
in the annual report of Secretary of
Agriculture Wilson, which was made
public recently. The value of farm
products is so incomprehensibly large
that it has become merely row of
figures. For this year the total is S.
760,000,000, a gain of SS69,000,000 over
1908. The value of the products has
nearly doubled in ten years. The re-
port says: Eleven years of agricul-
ture, beginning with production of
s4,417, 100000 and ending with $780,,
100000! A sum of $4,000, 100000 for
the period! 1t has paid off mortgages,
it has established banks, it has made
better homes, it has helped to make
the farmer citizen of the world and it
has provided him with means for i'm
proving his soil and making it more
productive"
The most striking fact in the worlds
agriculture is the value of the corn crop
for 1909, which is about s1,720, 100000,
according to the report. 1t nearly
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25
PITY POINTERS

In some localities, it is said, the
farmers are becoming so careless with
their motor cars that,a town man is
almost afraid to drive his horse out
into the country.
While it is all right for a farmer to
buy motor car if he can afford it, he
should not mortgage his farm in order
to do SO. 1t takes fast auto to out
run mortgage.
Whitewash everything you can reach
the COW stalls and the entire inside
of the COW stable, the chicken house
and hog houses. Don't wait till real
cold weather comes.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25
SKIM MILK IN MODERN METHOD
The Value of This Product Is Very Great for
Feeding Young Calves

south or the shed partly open. Let the
calf's bed be dry. He can stand a
good deal of cold if he is kept dry.
/ am cogniZant Of the fact that thou
sands of good calves have been reared
without the use of stanchions and by
the old ways of feeding kim-millS, but
1T must be admitted that thousands
upon thousands of poor calves which
have given the dairy business a black
eye have also worried along and made
In the end fairly good beef or just an
average COW under the old methods.
1t is the inclination of the young
man employed in feeding calves and
dairy farming to follow the footsteps
of his father.
The dairy farming of to-day, includ-
ing the dairy itself, in order to satisfy
the, man who engages in it, must pro-
duce greater profits than twenty five
years ago.
The Use of more brains and less
muscle will make both better paying
business. Manual labor comes cheap
The brains which direct the manual
labor cost more each year. In every
walk Of life it is brains that are needed
Milking cows and rearing calves or
kim-milk will pay abundantly for in
| telligent brain work. 1t is the expe-
rience of every reading, studying anc
thinking dairyman that it pays to BIZ
| this kind of dairyman.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25
FRUIT FED TO HORSES

Figs during the fig harvest form the
food of the horses of Smyrna. They
turn them to this from oats or hay.
In the West Indies tie green tops Of
the sugar cane are fed to the horses.
In Egypt the khedive's best mares
are fed largely on currants and these
fruit-fed animals are noted for their
ENDURANCE and speed.
For long weeks in many parts OF
Canada windfall apples form the
horses only food.
In Tasmania peaches are greatly rel
ished by horses.
Dates take the place of the usual
hay, corn, oats and brain in Arabia.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25

100000. The barley crop is worth $685.
100000, fiaxseed s36,OOO,0o0, and 1,00o.-
100000 pounds of rice s25,000,000.
The production of all cereals com
bined is 4,711,O0o,0O0 bushels, an amount
considerably greater than that for any
other year except 1906. 1t exceeds the
average of the preceding five years by
SIS per cent The value of all cereals
in 1909 has never been equaled in q
previous year. 1t is almost exactly
$3,0O0,000,00o or "a per cent above the
fiveyear average.
Secretary Wilson concludes his re-
view of the production of 1909 as fol-
lows:
The agricultural production Of 1908
must add much to the prosperity OF
farmers. The record is unexampled in
wealth production and tells of abun-
dance in quantity. Year by year the
farmer is better and better prepared
to provide the capital and make the
expenditures needed to improve his
agriculture and to educate his children
for farm life and work.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25
SOMETHING ABOUT HORSES

Make friends with your horses. They
will enjoy your sociability as we'll as
you WILL Sensible horses like to be
talked to by sensible people.
Have an extra rope, with snap on
one end, hanging up in the horses
stalls, SO it will not be necessary to
unite the rope from the manger every
time you take the horse out Of the barn.
An expert in horse phrenology says
a horse which is wide from the bone
behind the ears down to the outer cor
ner of the eye is intelligent.
In proportion to it's size the horse has
e. smaller stomach than any other
quadruped.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25
FATTENING FOWLS FOR MARKET

fowl should always be fattened as
enough, but it should be confined either
in coop or a number in a small yard
They must have a continual supply of
fresh water and should be fed four
times day, the first meal being given
early and the last one late. A recon-
mended mixture is three parts corn
meal, one part ground oats, one part
bran, one part crude tallow, the entire
lot scalded and fed for the first three
meals, with all the corn and wheat that
can be eaten up clean at night Weigh
the articles given.
The color of the skin of a fowl can
be changed by feed. Sometimes the
color Of the skin is important, but half
Of the fowls that are sent to market
have anything but yellow skin. In
breeding for market it is important to
have breed that grows rapidly and
| fleshes up young; the skin should be
| yellow and if the feathers are all white
both the chicks and old fowls will look
much better when dressed than those
with colored feathers. .ts
Food mixed or moistened with skim
milk instead Of water produces whittier
flesh and superior flavor. Skim-milk
alone is highly heterogeneous food; the
carbohydrates have been removed In
the butter, SO that it is not a complete
diet for any animal. The fat of the
| cream, however, can be cheaply substi-
tuted with corn or cornmeal.
l
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25
EGYPTIAN COTTON IN ARIZONA

At the Land and Irrigation Show re-
Gently held in Chicago were shown
government samples of woven material
made from Arizona cotton which passed
the highest grade tests for Egyptian
cotton. At present this country i'm
ports $16000,000 worth of cotton yearly
from Egypt, but 100000 acres of the
proper kind of land is sufficient to sup
ply the American demand for this kind
of cotton.
Residents of the Yuma districts of
Arizona assert that they have this and
more. The government tests seem to
indicate that they are right.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25
10 DESTROY MITES ON POULTRY

To rid poultry of mites they must be
fought in their breeding places White
wash. sunlight lime and the dust and
soapy water in the dark places under
bushes and trees will eventually ex-
terminate them. Hot whitewash kero.
sene, creosote paint or kerosene, with
little creolin or naphthalene applied
to their abode will destroy them. An
ounce of creolin in one quart of kero-
sene is the proper proportion to apply
to the roosts, dropping boards and
nests. Do this thoroughly. Dust the
fowls well with some good commercial
powder; those containing tobacco d,ist
or Persian insect powder are consid-
cred the best. Dust the fowls three or
four times not longer than a week
apart.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25
EGGS IN JAPAN

The Importation of eggs to Japan OF
late has shown great increase. this
being attributable to the shortage in
the domestic supply. The imports for
the first five months of 1907 were val
ued at s165,304; for the first five
months of 1903 they were valued at
$216, 1G4.50, and for the first five months
Of 1909 at s31S,36o.5O. Under present
circumstances it is figured by those
who are supposed to be in position to
know that the import of eggs into
Japan will soon reach more than $780,
900 year.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25
THE UNHELPFUL HOBO

Some pessimistic newspaper reports
are to the effect that the big cities are
overrun with men out of employment
and pstnt to this fact as an indication
that business is still bad and the coun-
try not yet out of the woods.
The big cities are forever cursed with
idle men and alwys will be. There are
times when idleness is enforced, but
not now. The tremendous crops in
every part of the country this year
called for thousands of men at good
wages to help take care of them. But
did they help? Indeed, no!
Farmers everywhere failed to get
barely as many men as were needed
and the ranks of the idle in the cities
remained unbroken, in spite of the
offer of higher pay and better grub
than they could hope to get elsewhere.
1t Is true that all idle men are not
adapted to farm work, but there is yet
a crying demand for unskilled farm
labor which cannot be filled.
Thousands of men who understand
farm work prefer to hang around the
saloons Of the cities and exc out a
miserable life by earning few cents
day at odd jobs, or beg, than go to
the country where they could have
permanent employment at decent
wage and good board.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25

The Bronze turkey probably origi-
mated from a cross between the wild
and the tame turkey. It's beautiful,
rich plumage and it's size have come
from its wild progenitor. To maintain
these desirable qualities crosses are
continually made. In this way the
mammoth size has been gained. Their
standard weight ranges from sixteen
to thirty-six pounds, according to age
and sex. Probably more OF this yari-
ETY. are grown each year than of all
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25

others. They have been pushed on all
sides almost to the exclusion of the
others until within year or two. If
possible the Bronze turkey has devel-
oped too much in the direction of size.
While size. within reasonable limits, is
to be desired and encouraged, when it
is confined to length of thigh and
shank, it is gain of weight with but
little additional value
The coloring. of this variety is a
ground of black blazoned or shaded
with bronze. This shading is rich and
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25

glowing, and when the suns rays are
reflected from these colors theJ shine
like polished Steel The female is not
as rich in color as the male, but botf.
have the same color and shadings.
Much of this richness of color is lost
through inbreeding, as it is improved
by each cross with the wild specimens.
OF all our domestic fowls none suffer
from inbreeding so much as turkeys.
This should be guarded against at all
times, if it is hoped to gain the best
results.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25
TO FAsTEN WOOD ON A SAW-BUCK

In either one of the pieces marked
D put at the upper end an eight or ten
penny nall A.
Take chain about three feet long,
with the links having holes large
enough to pass a nail head through
them. Chain marked Z.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25

At one end of this chain put a weight,
marked c. A box filed with sand or
a few bricks or rocks tied together will
do--the heavier the better.
Then the wood to be sawed is put
on the buck in the regular way, marked
e. Put the chain B over it and fasten
to A, 50 that the weight G will be
about two inches from the ground.
This saves lot of backache! Try 1t;
it's cheap.--G. A. Going.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25

largermeshed screen would serve as
further protection. This platform
provides excellent ventilation and the
well is kept free from foul odors.
In winter the platform may be COW
cred with straw and burlap to prevent
freezing.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25
A CONCRETE PLATFORM FOR clsz ERIN


s a
make
in andm off a Run
frome ach corne 0 cracking.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25

Among the fruit exhibited at the re-
cent Land and Irrigation Show was an
apple from Idaho weighing 37h ounces.
Another winning exhibit was the
showing of fine apples grown on an
orchard three years old.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25

pound or two of nails in the right
place on buildings and fences right
now will save annoyance later on.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25
vENTILATING A PUMP PLATFORM

Make the framework of pieces 2 by 4
inches, allowing a space of from two
to six inches between the top and bot
tom parts.
Cover this space with wire fly
screen to keep out insects and dirt A
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25

Feed the mind of the man behind the
cow.