Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-05-07
SUPERVISOR or ROAD DISTRICT
FINDS OIL ENGINE
PRACTICABLE.
ECONOMY AND SETTER
WORK MADE POSSIBLE
1avsrhiii Farmer Uses Simple Device
for Handling Old Barb Wire-Hos
Raissrs Disappointed in Pig Crop
and Brood Stock is Selling at High
Fisurss-WiIsen's Rural Observations
pecial to rimes-Republican.

Special to imes-Republican.
Haverhill, May An interesting
experiment in road grading has been
conducted here this spring under di-
rection of Martin Kunkel. supervisor
Of one Of the road districts of Jeffer-
son township There is big twenty
FIVE horsepower oil pull engine owned
by q man living in the community and
this with an engineer takes the place
of the horses and drivers usually en-
ployed in such work. A preliminary
mile and a half stretch Of road was
graded by the outfit last week and the
plan was pronounced decided success
by those who saw the work. Three
round trips or nine miles of distance
were covered during an afternoon, and
it Is said that the steadiness of mo-
ton given by engine as compared with
horse power makes better work by the
former method a possibility. The cost
of the engine and engineer being SO
per day the new method is also some
what cheaper than the usual one.
There are thirteen miles of road in Mr..
Kunkers district and he proposes to
use his engine method Of power for
grading the entire line. He will fol-
low the grader with the King drag and
expects soon to have the public high
ways in the vicinity Of Haverhill the
equal Of any in this part of the coun-
try.
The last few days OF favorable
weather have worked the usual mira
Gle" in this section and farmers every
where assert that the present outlook
promising. There is a perfect stand of
oats, pastures and meadows are re-
covering from the setback of last sum-
mer, and the ground is being put into
splendid condition for the planting Of
corn. If there is not good general
crop yield this year it will be because
of unfavorable conditions that will ap-
pear later on in the season.
One Haverhill farmer has rugged up
a device on which to roll barber wire
taken from an old fence that beats
anything in this line heretofore OBJ
served. 1t is extremely simple. being
nothing more than pair Of corn
planter wheels Joined together by a
cross piece of wood. The wheels being
broad are adapted to use in low, wet
places or where the ground is still
muddy after a rain. the usual condition
when such work is done on the farm.
No. accumulation Of mud and grass as
always attends the rolling of wire on
a barrel and when the Job Is done in
this way transportation to the desired
location is matter of little difficulty
Hog raisers In this section of the
state are not especially gratified over
the success of their efforts thus far in
the season. Many who expected a
hundred head Of young pigs failed to
secure a quarter Of that number Here
and there man is found who has en-
countered no disappointment in this
matter, but such are few and far be-
tween. Some have already marketed
the stuff they intended should furnish
the pigs for this year and are scour-
ing the country for fresh supply, for
which they are paying a good round
price when found. Thirty-f1ve to fifty
dollars is nothing unusual these days
to pay for a good grade brood SOW 1t
is noticeable too that good mich COW
is in demand these days. One man
started out in search Of COW the
other day and SIS was the lowest
priced one he could find of the kind
he cared to buy.
Something out Of the ordinary in the
way Of a stock watering arrangement
has been tried out and with most sat
isfactory results on farm near
Laurel. Two sloughs formerly
traversed the place. uniting near the
center of the farm and forming a larg-
er one below. These were tiled some
in each of the two lines about twenty
rods above the junction point, at which
place a cement water tank was built.
The fall from the boxes to the tank is
perhaps five or six feet, so that
plenty Of pressure is provided
for the water. These boxes are
five or six feet in depth and
from each an iron inch and quarter
pipe is laid underneath the tile to
the tank. Last year was most Sc
we're test for such a device, the sum-
mer season being unusually dry and
the winter intensely cold. yet there
was plenty Of water in the tank at all
times Under such an arrangement the
tile served a double purpose; it drained
the farm, making tillable several acres
of ground that would otherwise be
practically useless. and it made pos
sible waterworks system in which
there is no expense for pumping and
no Interruptions because OF calm
weather or "balky" gasoline engines.
What has become Of all the harrow
carts" that were in use the country
over a year or two ago? There are
probably not dozen Of them being
used this year in Marshall county.
Several farmers near Gilman have rig
ged up sort Of frame which they