Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-12-27
CONDITIONS ON FARMS
REVERSED OVER THOSE OF
LAST YEAR.
HAY CROP BEING SAVED
UNTIL REAL WINTER COMES
One Farmers Method Of Keeping His
Hogs in Healthy condition-ownsr
Of Five Acre Tract Furnishes Arsu-
msnts For Intensive Farmina-c. e.
Wilson'S Observations.
snecial to rimes-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Grinnell, Dec. 27.-One year ago
farmers and stockmen in this part of
the country were feeding up the
hay and straw that they expected to
feed during the following February.
At the present a t the feeding situa-
ton is reversed. The hay supply Is as
yet practically untouched, and he cat
tie are still at work on the stalk fields.
There are two reasons for this un-
usual state Of affairs. First is h
mildness OF the late fall season. One
mar near here said the other day: Il
have twenty-six head Of cattle that
have not yet been brought home. They
have access to grass land, water and
cornstalks. Have no barn or shed
protection and thus far have needed
none" Then there is the added fact
that one acre of stalks this year Is
worth two or three in ordinary years.
The season vas so dry hat there was
no waste caused by moldy stalks and
the blades were not tramped into the
mud by stock and left to rot as Is
usually the case One man who keeps
a lot of stockers at this time Of the
year declares there was a time
within his experience when there was
so great a feeding value in ungathered
corrstalks as the case his year The
hay crop here as in other parts of the
state was below normal but h con-
ditions above noted have much more
than made up the deficiency.
Here is the way one farmer saved(C
his hogs last fall when some of his
neighbors were losing theirs by dis
ease: He began early with his pre-
c%autionary measures. Went to the
nearest elevator in early fall n
bought 1000 bushels Of old corn at a
fancy price So that 1t would not be
necessary to feed from the new crop
during the danger period. Fed some
stock food for a tonic. Was unusual-
ly careful about clean and comfortable
quarters for the animals. Noticed n
or two that didn't appear to be doing
well and concluded to invest In a c
cination experiment at so cents per
head. Lost seventy-five out of q num-
dred, is fully convinced that when q
hog raiser is to be afflicted with q
cholera visitation he will be afflicted
and that is all there Is to II.
A few years ago an enterprising young
man in central Iowa delving into some
statistics relative to mortality and
cholera ran across the statement that
in a given area of territory not moro
than thirty percent of the number OF
hogs died Of disease. Then he figured
out a plan to max some money on
hogs and still not be to the trouble
or expense Of actually caring for or
owning any OF them. He mixed to-
gether certain ingredients and termed
the mixture a remedy to prevent sick
ness in hogs. Then he constructed a
contract wherein he agreed to furnish
remedy" at a stipulated price to be
paid only in case the farmer 20
per cent of his hogs. this in the event
that they became i'll. II the medicine
kept them we'll it had to be paid for.
of course. If 80 per cent or more died
nothing whatever was to be paid Tor
the stuff. Several me were put on the
road and many were the contracts
signed inc sent in to h head Office.
Some of the accompanying notes were
paid at maturity and many We're not.
No collector was ever put out, how
ever, for the pure food law came into
existence about this time and some OF
its provisions seemed to make payment
Of notes for such a combination OF In
gradients as composed the remedy n
tirely unnecessary together with the
added fact that some unpleasant penal
ties might be imposed on the doctor"
if the matter was brought to the at
tention Of the proper authorities.
go
Mr.. and Mrs. ]. L. Whelan live a
short distance from Grinnell on a little
fiye.acre farm. The answers they were
able to make to the questions of the
census man and assessor form the
basis for ar argument In favor OF In
tensive farming. 1t ought to be stated
at the very beginning that thruout most
Of the season Mr.. Whelan has had out
side employment and so the following
results so far as labor is concerned
must be credited largely to his wife.
Since March 8 last, h receipts from
two cows total the sum OF S2OS.6o
with practically no outside expense for
feed. A good deal Of the milk was sold
at home to a retailer OF the article at
a price Of 3 cents per quart. With
about ITS hens at the beginning OF the
season. they have sold 701 dozen eggs
on which they realized the neat sum
of S134.6O; }1O2.90 worth of poultry and
they have more than 400 hens and
chick ks left. Then there was a little
strawberry bed that Melted the owners
some $50, besides furnishing plenty Of
fruit for home use. Next year it is
proposed to eliminate the feature OF
outside employment and make that five
acres yield an income Of $500 at the
very least and hat too with just o
tho amount Of labor necessary to keep
a middle aged couple in condition to
properly enjoy life.