davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
FOR HEALTH AND VITALITY
Dalrymen Are Feeding Too Narrow
Rations for Good Of cows-Good
Methods Are Needed.
(Py w. M. KELLEY

CBy w. NJ. Kelley
believe 1t Is time that we dairy
men took more rational view of our
business and feed our cows in man.
ner that would promote their health
and vitality instead of forcing them
to their very limits, as is the prac-
tise IN many sections where dairying
Is the exclusive branch of agricul-
ture. We are feeding too narrow ra-
tons for the good of our cows.
Cows that are raised and developed
on clover hay, ensilage, wheat, bran
and oats. with good luxuriant pasture
grass during the summer will make
better cows than those that are over
fed On ration i'll adapted to their
needs. l will stake my reputation on
this fact. We may not make as much
milk. but we will have better pro-
ducing cows and calves. and what
milk we do make will be made cheap
er and our herd will gradually be get
ting better.
/ do not care whether a ration is /
to or to 7 as long as it does the
business and is beneficial to the health
OF the cattle. Then, again, the aver
age dairyman does not employ meth
DDS best calculated to give the best
results in breeding. Some dairymen
will raise every heifer calf born on
his farm, while another dairyman
will not raise any. l wish we could
induce dairymen to make some ex-
change of calves whereby only the
best calves from high-producing cows
would be raised.
in this way dairymen who had the
facilities for raising and developing
the heifers could go out and get the
very best calves and raise them and
sell them for a good price instead of
growing the weedy, inferior calves
that were born on his farm
This would do more than any one
thing to improve the quality of our
dairy herds, and growers could realize
greatly increased profits upon the
cows that they raised
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
Tho Football Hero.

There are two kinds of football lie.
rOes.
One appears in the magazine sto-
ries in November, the other appears
on the field during practise games.
The hero in the magazine story is
sent to the bench, or wherever they
send hopeless prospects. during the
early trials of raw material. But he
Is in love with beautiful young thing
who has absolute faith in him. In
the story we are deftly shown how an
absorbing love for beauteous crea-
ture can put muscle on the arm and
life in the nerves and enable the hero
to be called from the grandstand
when the best player is crippled. SO
that the hero may, though utterly out
OF training. seize the ball, carry it
around the end. burst through all op-
position, trample upon all the other
eleven. and finally win the game. I'm
mediately he gets up, dusts himself
on. and basks In the ardent gaze Of
the heroine who has inspired him.
The other hero is the husky, willing
youth who allows himself to be
kicked and mauled and beaten to a
pulp SO that the members OF the reg
ular eleven may be fit to meet the
big opponents.
He gets the bulletins of the game
from his cot in a hospital and is
never heard of afterward.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19

easiest to keep clean. therefore tho
most desirable.
No. is a good type of sanitary
stool made of metal. The ends Of
the pipes used for the legs are filled
with lead, and there are no corners
to collect dirt.
Nos. Z and 4 are similar to No. /.
except that caps are screwed on the
ends Of the legs, making them slightly
more difficulty to keep clean.
No. serves for both pail and milk
stool. The cover, hoops, bail. ETC.,
make 1t more difficult to keep clean
than the simpler styles.
No 5 is devised so that one end
serves as a receptacle to hold the
pail while the mixer sits on the
other end. AS in the case of No. 8,
this style is more difficult to keep
in a sanitary condition than the SIM
pier forms.
No. is constructed entirely of iron,
galvanized after being put together.
1t is simply constructed, having only
a single leg. The base, however fur
nishes larger surface to keep clean.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
Shelter for the Farm Yard,

inches square on the inside If only
four posts are to be use; the concrete
is tamped inside same and when
cured the frame may be erected upon
them to form the foundation for the
stack. When desired the number of
posts may be increased and the size
of same decreased; thus, if six posts
are used they will be amply strong if
made II inches square; if eight posts
are used they can be made ten inches
square. The advantage of this shelter
is very apparent to every farmer, as
1t saves large portion of the straw,
ETC., that would be wasted by the
cattle trampling it into the yard. A
manhole can be built through the
center of stack and the straw thrown
down through it in feeding thus CIV
ing the cattle a sheltered place to
feed away from snow and rain. If
we'll made, it is not the least un-
slightly.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
Appreciatlve Man.

Determined to save money, the
beauteous young housewife incases
herself in an old wrapper and cleans
the house with the assistance of tho
cook. OF course, her husband praises
her when the work is finished.
Now" she says, Il am going down
town and buy me new dress. r
think, after these three days of hard
work, I'm entitled to something, am 1
not, dearie? 1t isn't every wife that
will clean house to save money"
That's true" responds the noble
husband. Run along and get your
Dress"
And she VOWS that he ia perfectly
lovely.
Later in the year 1t is time to clean
house again. Wife mentions it.
"Now. we'll just hire a good. stout
woman to do that rough. hard work."
says the noble husband "She can DO
it in three or four days, and we'll have
to pay her two dollars a day, but I'm
not going to have you killing your
SELF"
Again she vows that he is perfectly
lovely.
But he is mentally subtracting eight
dollars from $121.65.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
Profitable Publicity.

May inquire, Doctor Founder"
asks the parishioner. why you preach
ed such strong sermon on the follies
Of the fashions for women this fall?"
why. 1t really is most interesting"
answers the preacher. Last week
had letter from one of our promi-
nent citizens. inclosing check for
$50 for the general fund and asking
me to preach that sermon. The letter
was from-let me see-the gentle
mans name was Trimmins."
Huh! Trimmins owns the biggest
millinery store in town, and your SER
mon started all the women to look
ing at the new hats"
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19

We must study the individual needs
Of each COW.
The hand separator is a thoroughly
practical machine.
Milk in the udder of a COW is form
ed entirely free from bacteria.
AS much depends on care and feed
as upon wedding out the poor COWS.
The heifer calf should be given an
abundance and a variety Of feeds at
all times.
The heifer that is to make a large,
well-matured COW must have some
thing on which to grow.
Milk the cow absolutely clean. It
requires little longer each time to
do this. yet 1t pays in the end.
Severe attacks of garget may us.
ually be prevented by milking the
cow several days before calving.
Under the hand separator plan the
farmer realizes handsome profit
from the utilization of his skim milk.
The great value of pumpkins as fed
is in their water and green nature,
giving bulk to the ration and aiding
digestion.
The good mixer will always be
kind and gentle to his COW, striving to
make her feel at ease and win her
confidence.
Nothing can be better than cement
for walks, gutter and managers, but it
is too cold a proposition for the anil
mails to lie upon.
If the COW is not MIXED very clean
each time she will gradually decrease
in milk flow and 60 dry much sooner
that she otherwise would.
Each year the demand for good
cows grows stronger, and the demand
can be met only by keeping and rails.
ing all Of the good heifers.
Often carelessness in stripping the
COW will cause her udder to spoil and
damage her to such an extent that
she can no longer be kept at a profit.
The value Of feeding stuff as a
source Of protein to the animal body
evidently depends in the first place on
the amount Of protein which it con.
tains.
Barns and yards should be con-
structed upon the driest land avail.
able. and yards or corrals should be
made much larger than we usually
find them.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
PUTTING IN DRAINAGE TILES
Many Acres Of Land Could Be Made
Most Productive II System of
Undertaking Put In.
(By 8. NJ. MILLER.)

(By 3. M. M1LLER.)
During the last few months there
has been much discussion in the agri.
cultural press concerning the best in.
vestments for farmers. In my opinion
there is no better and safer invest
ment for the average farmer than tile
drainage on such parts of the farm rs
fail to produce maximum crops during
wet seasons. There are many acres
Of naturally fertile soil that are not
paying the owner the cost Of working
that could be made the most produc.
tive portion of the farm II a good sys.
tenn Of undertaking. was put in.
In many cases the first crop will
pay the entire cost Of drainage. or
course many farmers are SO situated
that they cannot afford to put in the
complete drainage system at one
time.
My advice to such men is to have
their plans made at one time and do
little every year. In this way their
work shall not be haphazard, discon.
nected efforts. but shall fit into a pre-.
viously worked-out system and form q
permanent pert of 1t.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19

l have a filing cabinet
With cards. too. for indexing-
And II their use l don't forget
The system isn't vexing.
I have a calendar that shows
Just what should do daily
II I'd remember. l suppose
My work would go on gaily.
have an auto-lather- brush
A tank Of soaps behind 1t;
But In the mornings placid hush
I hardly ever find It,
l have an automatic strop, ,
In nickel they encased it
But then I haven't time to stop
To think where last I placed 1t.
I have a box for filing bills
For food and drink and raiment,
But somehow wait until 1T fills
Before think Of payment.
have a set of splendid books
To keep down my expenses.
But they are never in their hooks
When any month commences
have electric stoves and things
To cook our beef and mutton
But when I want my meal on wings
They've broken off the button
l have time-card of the trains
But when I run to make one
l find they've taken extra pains
With: New Time Cards Now-Takc.~
One"
am most methodc man,
But truly 1t makes trouble
When every economic plan
l choose makes me work double
When shown time-savin projects, I'm
Unable to refuse them
Oh, might save a lot OF time
If had time to use them!
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
Drying OF Cows.

Experience has shown that the best
way Of drying off COWS is for the time
to feed only dry feeds, if on feed and
to do irregular milking; then milking
but once day and during the week
only alternate days. This will soon
turn a COW dry entirely. Some COWS
require more attention than others,
and one should be careful to adjust
the intervals at milking to the condi-
ton of the udder, as 1t takes longer
to dry off some cows than others.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
ORGANIC MATTER OF SOILS
Necessary Element Is Secured by
Crop Rotation by Flowing Under
Green Crops and Manurng.

(By D. w. FREAR. Colorado Agricultural
College.)
All cultivated soils and most virgin
soils contain plant and animals re-
mains. called organic matter.
When in the last stages of decay,
organic matter is called humus. HUI
mus is dark in color and imparts that
color to soil when present in sufficient
quantities.
Organic matter Is very light in
weight. When partially decayed, and
especially in the form of humus, 1t
has the power to absorb and hold
larger quantities of water than even
the finest clays.
Humus is more plastic (sticky)
than sand, and less plastic than clay.
Consequently 1t is very valuable in
binding together sandy soils and loos-
ening up clayey soils.
When organic matter decays, sub.
stances called organic acids are pro-
duced which act on the soil mineral
matter and help to make it soluble,
so that it is available to other plants.
The food material which the organic
matter contained is also broken down
to its original form, and much of it
is again built up into plant tissue.
Organic matter is gotten into the
soil by crop rotation, by blowing un-
der green crops, by manuring and by
raising crops with extensive root sys-
tens. When added to soils in arid
regions 1t should be well rotted. It
is one of the most important soil con-
stituents. The lack of it in soil is
largely the cause Of the decreased
yields under the single, continuous
cropping system.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
Freshenlna Cows.

On successful dairy farm, where
large number of cows are kept and
MIXED. special attention is given 10
the freshening and drying COWS. Three
weeks before a cow freshens. If this
occurs during the winter feeding
period, the owner begins feeding
about two pounds of wheat bran
day. No shorts are fed until after
calving. This feed is gradually in
creased until at calving time the COW
is receiving about four pounds of bran
dailyl
After freshening the cows, grain ra-
ton is gradually increased by adding
shorts until the amount fed reaches
maximum of eight pounds for the best
cows in the herd.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19

Don't leave your valuable farm ma
chinery standing unprotected in the
field.
Rabbits sometimes gnaw and dam
age blackberry. raspb 3rry and other
bushes.
A good implement house with
fully equipped repair shop can DO
built for 5000.
The great virtue of alfalfa is its
ability to increase the nitrogen con-
tent of the SOIL
All plants which have the ability to
add nitrogen to the soil. like alfalfa.
are called legumes.
The farmer can improve his prop
erty cheaper than person in almost
any other business.
Drainage lessons evaporation sim
ply by removing the surplus snow and
rain water by filtration.
Put some manure around the goose
berry, currant and raspberry bushes,
If you didn't do it last month.
1t is the consensus Of opinion that
a small farm we'll worked is more
profitable than a large one poorly
worked.
Grass roots must have protection
from the winter frosts If good mead
ows are secured and maintained from
year to year.
two-foot piece of old steel rail
from the railway track is a very con-
venient thing on the farm. It may be
used as cheap anvil.
Manure increases the capacity of a
soil to hold water. This t does by
reason of the large amount of or.
ganic matter it contains.
The fruit tree agents will soon he
around. Don't give them all an order
Without doubt one of the pressing
problems with which the average
western farmer has to deal is that Ct
securing reliable farm help.
The corn grower should constantly
bear in mind tnat while growing his
corn. he is preparing for future wheat
and other small grain crops.
The farmer who does not pull Tho
leak plug out Of his pump before the
weather becomes cold enough to
freeze 1t up solid -7hile full of water
may not find It worth while doing 40
afterwi Ids.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19

SHELTER IN THE FARM YARD
Excellent Manner Of Stacking Hay Is
Illustrated-AIso Protects
the Animals.

The illustration shows en- excellent
manner of stacking the straw, hay or
corn fodder that it may be fed from
the yard; this not only prevents the
cattle from pulling it down and vast
Ing same, but provides an excellent
shelter for them from the weather,
says the Farm Press.
The uprights or posts are made Of
concrete and so have greater durabili-
ty than If constructed of wood; these
are easily nodded by building a box
form of the right height and about Is
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
Clod Crusher.

Jumps or clods. Heavy planks are
nailed together in the manner shown
in drawing with the edges Tapped
over each other, and to the top of
these two strips are bolted to hold it
rigidly together. At the end of these
strips two hooks are placed to which
chain can be attached for hitching
the team to. The top is further
weighted with rocks if needed This
also does very effective work as
substitute for a roller upon any SOIL,
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19

Il shall build my house some day.
Large and fair" he used to say;
BROAD Of roof and high OF wall,
Wide Of door and deep Of hall.
So that 1t may serve my ends
And have space for all my friends"
Listening. we gently smiled
As at the dreamings of child.
For a dreamer was he, too, ri
With dreamer's spacious view, fIs
With dreamer's deathless hope
That one day he need not cope &1l,
With the trials that he bore. ,laNi
Il shall open wide my door !M
To my friends" he used to say - az
And we smiled and turned away. =
1TA
when I build my house." he said, -
you shall find the table spread. ~
You shall find the inglenook
Always fair with chair and book;
And wide rooms in which to rest
Shall await those I love best"
How he dreamed his house! 1t seemed
He was building as he dreamed!
Joy and peace and grief and strife
1ntermingled in his life:
Nothing grew that he might touch;
Want forever kept its clutch Fl
On his arm, yet he would say: IT,
Il shall build my house some day, r.
Wide of door and deep Of hall,
With a welcome for you ALL" -
So he died-and dying chung
To his dream His stumbling tongue
Formed the words: Yes, l shall build"
Then his voice at last was stilled.
But he built his house, indeed, ~
Large and fair for every need 7fsY
Broad Of roof and high Of wall, rrF7ri
With a welcome for us all. 'TT7N
Daily. Nightly, gather we TX
In his house Of Memory. Tezrh'
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
Oalrylno In Persia.

Dag being swung on a rude frame
hung on sticks. as in the illustration.
1t is said that this is the origin of the
American swing churn.
Dairying. and all farm work in Per
STA. Is now carried on Just as it was
centuries ago. and only In a very few
places have any improvements been
made.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
Dry Cows.

An effort is made to have each COW
dry from six to eight weeks each year.
The cows are MIXED regularly twice
day up to week of the time they
are to be turned dry. They are then
MIXED once a day for three or four
days, small quantity of milk being
left in the udder each time. After
this they are turned out to pasture
and are not MIXED again until the
next period Of lactation begins.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
" zzzzzzzz1l1l1$ D
-AGz z!zzZz4lNEEg,4tEA,! !!!::5| l! I
A Movable Corn Crib,

The size of the crib is according to
the amount Of corn raised.
The walls must slant out a little, as
shown in the cut, as this will keep out
the rain better. The floor is tight.
This kind Of crib is quite cheap
and may be built Of small poles nailed
close together II no barrel slaves are
at hand.
Such a crib keeps the corn in good
condition. It dries quickly and keeps
dry all the year around, which is not
possible for corn kept in a tight
granary where 1t molds and spoils at
once.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
MILK STOOLS ARE SANITARY
Absolute Cleanliness 10 Necessary to
Insure Pure MiIk-Utmost
Care Needed.

To insure pure milk. free from i'm
purities. the utmost care must be
taken in every part of the dairy from
the barnyard and stables to the bot
Ting of the milk. Absolute cleanliness
is essential
Iron milking stools are recon.
mended and they should be kept
scrupulously clean. OF the several
stools shown herewith, No. / is the
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
As Recited by Freddie Jones,

Wen free dumfrummer noun tonight
Unfulder stander toothy air
Sheet ore the azherobe Of nye
Tan set the starsuh glory there,
Sheen ingle dwith its gorge us dice
Them liky bald rick of the skies
sand stripe dts purecey lesthul wife
With stree kings suv the morning light
Ihen frummis manshun min the sun
She calder ipgle tare er down
Nan gavin his my tyhand
The cymbals uvver chose an land.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
MAKING BUTTER IN PERSIA
Churn Consists Of Skin of Goat or
Sheep Into Which Sour Cream
Is Poured.

A missionary who has spent several
years in Persia gives a most inter-
esting account of how butter is made
in that country. The churn consists
of the skin of a goat or sheep sewed
up in the form Of bag.
Into this bag the sour scream is
poured and it Is then agitated by the
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
Handling Manure.

1t is too bad that good many farm
ers waste energy in the handling of
manure. Why throw it in piles in
the field to be forked again when it
could be spread as quickly from the
wagon? A manure spreader will do
the work quicker and better and make
farm life pleasanter for the boys.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
EASILY-BUILT CLOD CRUSHER
Found Extremely Useful on Soils
With Many Lumps-May Also
Be Used as Roller.

Upon heavy soils where there are
many Jumps or clods, this will be
found of USE, as it is more effective
than the usual roller which presses
the ciod into the ground, but does not
crush it, while the drag or boat shown
in the illustration will work wonders
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
CHEAP MOVABLE CORN CRIB
Dries Grain Out Quickly and Permits
II to Remain SO All the
Year Around.
(By ]. G. STEIN.)

(By J. g. STEIN.)
The walls of this corn crib are
built of barrel slaves; the roof may
be of lap-siding or any kind of roofing
you want.
For the side walls, use two lengths
OF slaves and run pole on the mid
slaves on, and run the two rods
through the middle Of the crib, one
through poles and one through plates.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
Butter Eat In Milk

Milk low in butter fat is also low
In total solids. The less the butter
fat the more water there Is in the
milk.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
Handling the Separator.

II careless handling of the separa.
tor results in the loss of only one
half pound of butter fat per day, the
accumulated loss for a year is q con.
siderable item.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
Well Kept.

I've kept diary every day this
year." claims the fair young thing.
Really" asks the other.
Yes. And I've kept it in fairly
good condition. except for five or six
pages on which there is little wri.
ting"
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19

A man will sit up un til 2 a. m r.
finish story. and then, when hs-
meets the author. will tell him ~
he might have improved the tale
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
An Argument.

What are those two men quarrel
Ing about?" we ask. indicating what
seems to be the beginning OF a fight.
"Oh. that's nothing much" explains
our friend. That's Braid. the hat
man. claiming he doesn't have to eat
oysters today. and Shells, the oyster
man. claiming he can wear his straw
hat till the middle Of the month.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
Iglued for Life.

"And we will always stick together"
signs the happy Eskimo bride.
"Forever!" rapturously exclaims ~.
happy Eskimo bridegroom. Forever
we shall live. side by side, in orr own
fglue."
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19
To the Parodlst

To the Parodlsts. i
Wait until the proper moment; n
Don't be going of half Cooked
Till the first is on the p-mk-n u
And the f-dd-r's In the sh-ck. -
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-01-19

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