davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24
SMALL FLOCKs OF SHEEP PAY
WE'LL.

A neighbor OF mine had SO high
grade eve Shropshires last spring. The
business was new to him. and he stud
led the sheep and the available bulle-
tins upon their care as he went along,
learning the way over one difficulty as
they arose. Only SO ewes produced
lam bs--47 lambs--and only 40 OF
these lived to marketable age.
These ewes sheared $50 pounds OF
wool. which brought 20 Ia cents per
pound. netting him $112.10. or $2.95
per eve.
The farmer determined to save II
OF the best ewes and thus enlarge his
flock to IS for next wear. This left
him 20 lambs to sell. These had been
contracted for in advance at 61-2
cents per pound at home. and they
weighed 1880 pounds when sold In
June.
This makes an average OF VIC. OF
81 Is pounds a price OF s4.1s per
head. and d total Of 5000. The II
lambs which he kept, at s4.1S per
head. would add s17.0s to the account.
The total income was thus s27e.s6.
These sheep have done some excel
lent work In cleaning weeds out OF
the farm, to say nothing Of the value
OF the manure. which is worth at least
s25.
NV neighbor did not keep a separate
account OF the cost Of keeping the
sheep. but the reader can form fair
Judgment as to whether there is a
good profit at these fgures.-C. w.
Ccffe.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24
POULTRY MUST HAVE SOME
GREEN FOOD.

In climates whore the frost comes
early and most green things are cut
down. we must not neglect TO con-
tinue to give the fowls some green
feed In some form or Other.
I believe that many flocks receive =
serious setback - this season by rea
sen Of being suddenly shut OF from
green feed and their laying qualities
affected during the winter.
Even after the green stun has dis
appeared from tho range. the birds
ought to be allowed TO run 1t large
until the cold and wet weather sets
In, because exercise should not be de-
MED them at any time In good wea.
Their.
The will pick up Z great GeaI OF
green feed In their rambles about the
place. and except for fowls that are
being fattened for market, the nearer
we can come TO keeping them in their
natural surroundings the better.
II the laying hens are very fat ~
tho beginning OF the laying season. It
Is we'll to check up on their feeding
for a little time until they are some.
what reduced in flesh. A good diet
is only an ounce Of lean meat per day
for a week or ten days, ana = tea.
spoonful OF millet seed in the litter to
make them take exercise.
An over-fat laying hon is an abomi.
nation. but at the same time hen
that II too lean cannot be expected to
produce as many eggs as one that is
in good, fair shape. In this matter
common sense must rule always
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24
SWARM MANAGEMENT AND INCREASE
Success In Bee Keeping Not Now Measured BY The In
crease BY Swarrning As Formerly.
BY e. f. Phillips
The excessive rearing Of brood a,

The excessive rearing Of brood al
the wrong season or increase In the
number Of colonies greatly reduces ths
surplus honey crop by consumption,
Inc ideal to which all progressive bee
Keepers work, when operating simply
FOR honey. is to stimulate brood rear
Ing to prepare bees for gathering. to
retard breeding when It is less desir-
able, and to prevent swarming. Very
few succeed in entirely preventing
swarming. but by various methods the
situation can be largely controlled.
When a swarm issues. It usually first
settles on limb OF tree or bush near
the apiary. 1t was formerly common
20 make a noise by beating pans OF
ringing bells In the belief that this
causes the swarm to settle. There Il
no foundation for such action on the
part OF the bee keeper IL the bees
light on small limb that can b
spared. 1t may simply be sawed on
ana the bees carried to the hive and
thrown on a sheet or hive cover In
front of the entrance. II the limb
cannot be cut, the swarm can bo
shaken on into a box or basket on a
the trunk Of a tree or In some inac-
cessible place. they can first be att
tracted away by comb. preferably
containing unsealed brood. In these
manipulations 1t is not necessary to
get all the bees. but II the queen ID
not with those which are put in the
hive the bees will 90 into the air
again and join the cluster.
It is desirable early in the season.
before any preparations are. made for
swarming. to go through th>t apiary
AID clip one wing of each queen 30
that II swarm issues the queen can
not fly and the bees can be easily re-
turned to the old stand This should
be done before the hive becomes too
pooulous. It is perhaps best to clip
queens as they are introduced. hut
some colonies may rear new ones with
cnt the knowledge of the owner. and
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24

Farm girls who envy the girls OF
the city and imagine that they lead
lives or comparative cage and pleasure,
would have their eyes opened II they
really knew That city life means to
IL. working girls. The girl who has
to earn her living with hel, hands in
a great city is doomed to life OF
crrdgery. The great army OF scrub
wcmen who swarm down town at
evening to clear up the great office
buildings and stores tell the story OF
disappointed lives Of city working
girls.
Most Of these women come from
the gree. army OF young women VINO
having become too old to serve as
cooks or maids in the smart homes OF
the rich, or who have married poor
men unable to support them and their
families and are obliged to take up
fhe hardest and most mental work
that falls to the lot Of women. They
toll all night long scrubbins, cleaning
c,-spidors, busting rags and furniture.
and earn only q poor. bare living. To
this bitter end thousands come every
year.
Working girls in a big city taste
little Of the sweetness Of life. but
much of it's bitterness.
In order to live cheaply they must
rent rooms in the suburbs long dis
lance from their places OF work. They
rise at daylight. ride MAN. miles IN
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24
CARE OF SHEEP.

II Is poor business for sheep to
drink Ice water because IL lowers
Their temperature and affects their d.
gestion and requires more feed to bring
item back to normal condition.
When YOU see a sh~ep going down
on its knees freq ntly. you may :
pretty sure that its o,fE are affected
and n ,ed prompt attention.
If the dirt floor of the sheep barn
cannot be kept perfectly dry, plank
floor with plenty of straw Is necessary.
A hundred feet OF drain tile laid
under the floor of the sheep pen will
keep It perfectly dry all the time.
Whenever ticks are found the sheep
must be dipped at once. There are q
number Of excellent dips on the mar
ket which can be obtained IN every
town.
II sheep become lacerated on wire
fence or other objects. watch the
wounds carefully, nd II rnaggots ap-
pear, wash the wounds with weak
solution OF carbolic acid and water.
II the wounds are deep and difficult
to reach. inject the solution with a
small glass syringe.
Remember that one treatment Of
wounds or OF any disease VIII never
cure Look after the wounded or sick
animals every day until they are en-
tirely well.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24

discussing how cold or h,w warm It
was at given time are more FREE
quently due to, lack OF uniformity in
the exposure Of the instruments than
to errors in tho ms uments them
selves or to actual differences In tenn
pecature at the various locations.
In a proper exposure the thermom-
eter should be protected from the di-
rect rays of the sun as we'll as from
the reflected heat Of pavements, walls.
etc. and at the same time should
receive a free circulation OF air all
around 1t. If the sun shines upon
the Thermometer. the glass portions
and tho mercury a heated above the
temperature of the surrounding air.
In the same way the heat from the
sida of building or from the surface
Of the ground may make the Their
lnometer warmer than the free air.
Tho best place to expose thermom.
eter is in the center Of satisfied
box two or three feet on side. with
door opening to the north and hav-
Ing a double roof with an air space be-
tween, as shown in the illustration.
In case such a shelter cannot be SCI
cured or constructed. the next best ex.
posture is on the north wall OF build
ing where the instrument will be pro-
tected as much az possible from the
suns rays and from the heat Of sur.
rounding objects.
The farmer may derive great bene.
fits by the use Of such an instrument
is ginning weather changes can be
foreseen. An afternoon shower has
often seriously damaged crop of hay
that was moved in the morning. but
which could have been left standing
another day without injury had the
rain beef expected. At critical times
the knowledge that frost Is imminent
on coming night may enable far
mer or gardener to save his entire
crop by Immediate harvesting. II It
has reached maturity. or. IL not yet
fully matured. he is often able to re-
duce his loss to minimum by burn
ing smudges or resorting to other pro-
tective measures.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24
TRAINING A SHEEP DOG.

Il puppy should always be broken
with an old female dog. One that ID
thoroughly trained. At first the young
ster will try to do four times as much
work as necessary, and his efforts to
initiate the old dog will nearly run his
legs off, He will soon learn his lesson.
however, and will learn more from an
Old dog than from the best trainer.
When the puppy is able to take care
of the flock himself, then keep the old
dog at home and keep the puppy hard
at work for at least a year. SO that he
will not forget his lesson.
The greatest danger in training pup
pies is in making them whip shy. A
thoroughbred collie pup should never
be touched with whip, and IL he Il
Of the right sort will never need to be.
A little scolding Is all that will be
necessary to correct his faults. As a
rule. puppy will do what Is asked
Of him as soon as he understands what
is wanted.
A good way to train puppy to
guard coat or other object ID Il
chain him with a short chain near q
feed box to which animals are accus-
toned to come Els fear of beins
trampled on will prompt him to de.
fend himself, and few lessons Of thi.
kind will make him first-class watch
dog.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24

discovered IT'S ONCE IN fixing nitrogen
In tho soil.
The Southern States are making
great progress In agriculture, and In
stances of production. Indicating what
the soil can be made TO do. might he
cited. Boys under 16 years Of are in
South Carolina grew 22s husheli Of
corn to an acre. Even In the great corn
belt nothing Of that !-ind has ever
been done The average In the corn
belt is quite low: that average nigh,
be greatly increased.
Each Of l6.4oo boys under s1t years
Of age. has grown corn or potatoes
or tobacco or some other crop durins
the season just passed. Whatever the
boy Ii doing interests the mature man.
The Southern States are Offering prizes
to boys who have organized them
selves into clubs for the purpose 81
brin ging up to full act. ity the produce
tive powers Of Il Southern soil.
That might be done In other Sec
tons Of the country with great profit.
The boy Of 16 who has grown two
or three tires this average amount
OF corn grown on an acre in his State,
begets an interest in the farm. He
sees the profit resulting from good
management. He learns his first les
son with regard to fertilisinG and with
regard to cultivation. the proper sslec-
ton OF seed. and ali that: and he also
learns the most valuable Lessons no
will ever get in his life.
Work similar to this need not BE-
confined to corn. tobacco and pota-
toes. but might also b done with re.
gard to all other farm interests.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24
wINTERING SWINE.

who has not seen the hogs piled
upon each other in cold weather; shiv-
ering. fighting to get into warm
place?
Under such conditions It Is fmpos-
sihle for a hog to put on flesh. and
there are nine chances to ten that ne
will take cold. which may develop into
serious lung trouble.
Overhead ventilat ton is easily Sc
c red by leaving an open space OF,
say, six inches between the top OF
tt outside wall and the roof.
An English farmer Of our acquaint-
ance who has had great success with
hogs, builds his houses with q section
OF the wall hung on rwivel-pin In the
middle. which &C be flung open
whenever sunlight and air are needed.
When the section is released, 1t
swings back into an upright position
by gravitation.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24
THE FARM GIRLS CITY SISTER
BY S. NJ. CLINTON.

crowded cars. after standing. pushed
and jostled by rough men aid after
long hours of hard work are pushed.
iostled and crowded in the fight for
standing room in the homeward- bound
cars at evening.
Many Of them are but little better
tran slaves. The men who hire them
get every ounce of work out Of them
that they are capable OF wringing.
They are obliged to register the time
Of arrival at the workshop and their
departure. They cannot leave the
workroom without permission. They
are often npelled to work with men
and boys. and in many cases the sur
roundings are often decidedly unpleas-
AMI and even revolving to girls of good
n -als and clean minds.
No factory girl can hope to earn
more than bare living. Her clothes
must be of the cheapest quality and
her food limited to actual necessities.
Z. pleasures are few. because wher-
ever she goes she must pay, pay. pay.
She must count every penny for living
expenses and when they are counted
there are none left for pleasure.
She has no social advantages. and
her acquaintances are limited to her
mates in the shop. who live miles
apart and can never be seen outside
of working hours.
If she marries. !. must be to some
man who. like herself. earns his liv-
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24
LET THE WIFE AND CHILDREN
HELP,

Husbands and fathers are largely 70
blame for the poor arrangement OF
many places where women expeno
their vital force and energy. TINS Is
|noticeably true Of country homes. the
wife being seldom given q voice IA
the planning Of the house where sne
Is to spend the greater part OF net
time.
his, too, in face cf the fact that al
most any ordinary woman has given
II re thought to the matter than mas
the man who never had any mousse
work to do.
Children. too. have the: rights, anu
one right is to list in the work rbou'
the home systematic ~, In order tna'
tho wheels Of the domestic machinery
may run smoothly. ,-.c-s duties shouio
be faithfully exacted not only for the
sake of helping, but for the good OF
the child.
It should be rHmi.;a. offense to
raise children in igorance of tho prac-
tical things OF life-the little things
upon which very much comfort and
happiness depend.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24

Nothing Is truer than that tho best
Is cheapest. Especially IL this true in
road and bridge building.
A small rock bridge that costs q
thousand dollars or so and lasts 9
hundred years, with almost no re-
pairs, Is q great deal cheaper than an
from one costing about the same that
hsts Twenty-Five or thirty years. with
Expensive repairs during the latter
period of its life.
There is sense Of endurance and
permanence about stone bridges that
Is lacking in iron bridges. for good
stone bridge may last five hundred
gears, while an iron bridge that re-
mains in good condition for twenty
I'VE years IS doing we'll.
Naturally good roads and good
bridges go together, and It Is extrava-
gance for any county to put a great
deal of money into rock roads unless
the bridges are both good and endure
ing.
When you put money into an iron
bridge ("tin bridges" they are called)
over small stream, you are investing
the peoples money In q make-shift.
The country that has good building
stone convenient would far better
build substantial rock arches over all
its small strearc-
BY this means the work can be per-
formed by local people, and the mone y
for labor OF masons, and the hauling
of material, would be left in the coun-
try where it would circulate.
II made sufficiently massive and the
Abutrn ents were as secure as they
should be, with run-round spaces for
high water to get by without flowing
over the bridge. it might remain there
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24

ing with his hands. and seldom little
more. The Cay she rnarries her wages
stop. or even II she keeps on at tho
factory for few months the first
baby stops her earning capacity Then
there are three mouths to feed With
her husbands earnings only, and the
condition Is worse than before. Pow
erty Is the evil of the city, and falls
heaviest on the women and children.
The country girl may we'll contrast
her own condition with that of the
city girl and she will ind It vastly
better. She has a home with good
food and bed and clothing. and enjoys
the society Of her relatives and neigh
bors.
She is Independent and free from
the terror of old age and poverty,
which clutches the heart Of every city
working girl who has passed the in
.nocent and hopeful stage of youth and
realizes what the future holds for
her.
The country girls opportunity for
marrying well and rearing a family in
comfort and independence is vastly
better than that Of the city girls. She
has to work hard. naturally. but not as
hard as the city girl. and her sur
roundings and conditions OF life on the
farm in every way are healthful. hope.
full and full Of the possibilities OF USE
fulness and happiness in old age
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24
ROCK OR STEEL BRIDGES?
Stone Structures Cost About the Same AS Steel And Are
Practically Indistructibe
BY Isaac Mote,

in good condition for hundreds Of
years.
It might be impracticable to build
rock bridges over wide streams. GER
tainly without the help OF masons
qualified to superintend and direct
such construction work. but nine
tenths Of the bridges in every county
are small ones and might safely be
built Of stone by those nasons Of aver
age efficiency, using home material
and home labor for all the WORK.
have recently been talking with
my pastor. who is just back from
long trip to Europe. and he says the
greatest contrast between America and
Europe, especially in England,
France and Germany. is in the roads
and bridges.
Over there every road Is a good
one, and every bridge is good one,
and almost always Of stone. The roads
are wide and well macadamized and
laid out on scientific lines. and they
add greatly to the charm Of the seen
cry and contribute to the wealth OF
the farmers and the nations.
But the value Of the roads would
US III Sdlly ISouCSu ~ IH0 DTIOB6S were
not equally enduring. and the main.
tenance of these bridges would be
quite an item If expensive repairs were
necessary at frequent intervals as in
the case Of old iron bridges. not to
mention renewals.
In England nineteen wentieths OF
the bridges are of stone. and the far
mers and gardeners can market the
products Of their farms. orchards,
vineyards. gardens and dairies in any
kind of weather and at one-fourth
what 1t costs in this country.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24
NOTES OF THE FEED LOT.

Sugar beets make very good feed
for cattle, but some grain and clover
and alfalfa should 80 along with them,
as they contain too much water to be
fed alone.
Beet pulp and alfalfa make about as
fine pig meat as eve- found its way to
market-but, alas! we do not all live
in the beet pulp and alfalfa belt.
With western corn land selling at
$500 and even more per acre and corn
at present prices, 1t takes q mighty
clever feeder to show a profit at the
enc of the season.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24
SEVERAL CROPS A YEAR.

An enthusiastic writer on farmin q
in the extreme Southern States says;
II the extreme north the farmer is
fortunate he gets one crop year
down South he Is lazy If he does not
get three. 1t is possible. Of course,
that through drought he might make
a failure of his first crop, but he does
not have to stick It out several cold
months to keep going. but he can start
at once on his second and can clean
ur on his third, and II he has real. red
blood in his veins he can clean up on
h, fourth crOp.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24
WEATHER OBSERVATIONS ON FARMS
A Common Thermon ter Properly Sheltered Very Use
fiji in Ascertain rig Wea he Conditions
by Dewey

Realizing his dependenc, upon
Nc the conditions. the farmer should
know what warmth of soil is necessary
to start termination and the amount
of heat and moisture required later to
bring the crop to successful maturity,
Beginning with this knowle dye. the
need Of actual observations through
the use Of accurate Instruments fol-
lows In natural sequence. that he may
be able TO determine how nearly the
weather conditions experienced are
measuring up to the ideal.
Such records cannot be made. how
ever. without the aid OF good instru-
ments, since the senses are more or
less unreliable as weather recorders.
Even out of-door workers are often
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24
SCIENCE IN AcRICuL TuRE
One Of The Prime Necessities Throughout The Entire
Country Is Better Farming
BY Wilson, Secretary Q Agriculture.

To stop q growing decrease In the
yield Of the average acre, the govern
ment has made provision for the estab-
lishment Of agricultural colleges ana
experimental stations. Within the last
few years the acre has been responds
ing better and the yield Is Increasing.
Conservation Of natural resources has
had great deal of attention lately. /
difficulty In reaching the conclusion
that the soils Of the country arc the
greatest asset the nation has, that
progress in all directions depends upon
the condition of the soil. and that
there is no material inquiry Of such
great value as what pertains to the
soils of the United States. The notion
"a not worth being entertained that
anv of our soils are beyond redemp-
ton.
The people OF the older nation /; OF
the world took care of fertility Of the
soil as a matter Of prime necessity, and
lon ago ascertained the proper sue
cession OF crops and their relation to
the soil the food Of man. and the food
Of animals. G
They knew the soil must be fed. that
proper physical conditions must be
maintained. and they learned from
experience how to do It. They learned
that the ycaying plant returned to
the soil is the best food the growing
plant can have. They became aware
that the removal Of the, crops from
the farm resulted in soil deterioration
unless the equivalent was returned
from some source. They had discov-
cred the value Of the legune in farm
management long before Hellriegel
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24
BURBANK's NEW FRUITS.

The development Of seveisl new
fruits and flowers has been announced
by Luther Burbank from his home in
California. Mr.. Burbank has been
working steadily for many years with
certain fruits. and 1t is expected that
more Announcements of interest to
the owners Of orchards will be made
within a comparatively short time. In
some Of the tests thousands of new
varieties are developed. but all are
discarded sept the two or three that
promise especially we'll.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24

"a spring examination will insure no
esca, Ing swarms
When clipping the queens wing ~
not practiced. swarms, may be prs.
vented from leaving by tho use OF
queen traps of perforated zinc. These
allow the workers TO pass out. but not
drones or queens. which. on leaving
the entrance. pass up 20 an upper conn
partment from which they cannot re-
turn These are also used for keep
ing undesirable dro~ = from escaping.
and tie drones die OF starvation.