davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04
BENEFITS or FARM DRAINAGE
Land Requiring Drainage Has Usually Been Enriched By
Deposits from Higher Lands and Will Therefore Become
the Most Fertile and Valuable Land When Drained
G. p. NoRGOoD.
chemical combinst3on1
BY G. p. NoRGooD.

chemical com binat3umR
Since It is very difacuft O. hees
water from above. q wates-s oakad mn
is very slow to become warm "A a.
spring; but well drained sol1 m =
metal, Is easily and quickly hsnesa -
the spring, hence Ia an early sull Tno
growth and extension Of Euu1 ayuopmo
as instruments for obtnluan9 nousae,-
ment for, the later grown o1 a. uppee
part of the plant must tnke pSood
during certain dennftS psr9nd 49,
vious to top DEVELOPMENT 1hA p>sooG
and consequent root develupsnsnG 81
shortened by cold. late ponuE bed Ii
the spring. but Increased b. q vnem
early soil. hence tho removal a w01se
by drainage. by permitttns n Sasly
rapid heating Of the son, Iu0zSo q
vigorous root system TO suppey sAunds
ant nourishment latsr for tho 31uVeai
Of tho top.
The development Of <hs ruaE ~
TENS is further helped hy ~ lwse.
ing Of the water tabiA Roots oannoa
grow below the water tablo> EoNa11na
the water table permits oeepse Iooe
development and consequently moFg
root surface in contact with and h
position to take In tho plant food
It will thus appear evident kse4
many of our apparently dead, worth.
less lands are SO because Of Ack a.
drainage. and that drainage can IN
lock the fertility OF thess dead sn1ln
and make them afive, waSm aAd
fertile.
The deeper tho drains ase psaced <ho
lower do they make the water tA6lo
with given distance between drains.
Drains do not lower tho water table
to the same level at all pofntA Clso
to the drains It Ia lowered 20 the depth
of the drain, whereas a$ the pofn1
between drains Il mag b ssv-
eral inches or even feet higher. de-
pending upon the openness and psrms-
ability Of the soil to water. Tho w1AaS
table is thus formed into 4 series Of
curves. the end Of each s4 the Isvol ~
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04

! Fences are an important part Of the
equipment Of every farm. Go where
Eyou will, you will find the landscape
crossed and recrossed with them, cut
up into great squares like the face OF
| giant checkerboard; and by their
condition it is easy to judge Of the
habits and circumstances OF their
several owners.
Time has brought about great
changes in the methods Of fencing the
farm, and the old time stump fence
and Virginia rail fence have gradually
given place to more modern devices,
chiefly Of wire manufacture. But the
wonder is that hedges, which so long
have served their purpose we'll abroad,
arc not in more general use in this
country Doubtless the time will come
when their worth will be recognized
here. t
The proper fencing of land is a
matter so serious and important that
it has received the attention Of the
courts from earliest times. and many
are the hard fought legal battles which
have been waged over questions re-
garding it. The welfare Of the COM
munity demands that cattle should be
restrained and improved lands pro-
tected, and the courts were never un-
mindful of this fact; and upon whom,
and in what proportions the enpense
Of maintaining them must fall, they
have adjudicated again and again.
When our forefathers came to this
country they brought with them the
old common law Of England, which,
upon this subject was that the owners
of animals must restrain them, or be
liable for any damage which they
might occasion by straying, or be
without remedy in case accident
should happen to them while straying.
An excellent illustration Of the extent
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04

! electric conductivity.- Because tn
flash will select the path of least re
sistance. st .tf
4 ~. Trees whose tissues are com
posed mostly OF longitudinally ar
ranged fibers and other clements
Because this arrangement would favor
the transmission of the electric cur
rent @.,.g
10. Trees rich in starch.-Becaust
starches and sugars are better con.
ductors than oils. resins and wakes
/ But years Of careful study and ex-
| perimenting show that any kind of
tree is likely to be struck by lightning.
In temperate climates thunder
storms, with lightning. occur most
commonly during the summer usually
in the afternoon. In the United States
they are four or five times as frequent
east Of the Rocky Mountains as west,
emitting from consideration parts Of
Arizona and New Mexico. This is due,
as explained later, to the generally
mountainous condition of the West
Lightning Is most frequent in Florida
and Illinois. .~..
In Cuba severe thunderstorms are
frequent, and trees are often struck
and killed. The pine only Is reported
ignited. @r
Lightning is extremely rare in
Alaska, and no forest fires are known
to have resulted from 1t.
1t does not follow that the trees
most liable to ignition by lightning are
the ones most responsible for forest
fires. While in general one species
may be more inf1ammable than an
other, the degree of inf1ammability
varies with the locality and season.
The tree most often struck and tgnited
in the West Is the western yellow pine,
which grows in open, park-like stands.
where the fire hazard is small.
A tree may be set on fire by light
ming and burn for days without the
flames spreading to other trees or to
the ground, and If the latter be free
from litter, as is often the case in
western yellow pine forests. the
chances Of the fire spreading are
small 1t is probable that the ma
jority Of forest fires caused by light
ming striking trees Is due to the pres
ence of dry duff. humus or litter at
the base of the tree. Another posi-
bility is that some forest fires are
started by lightning striking the
ground and igniting the soil cover.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04

the drain and the crest appsoaEl1l
the surface Of the soil. Therefore, The
deeper the drains this farther spaRt
may they be placed without dan1DFs e
bringing the crest OF the w1teF tAAeo
too near the surfaca
-Four feet is considered desp 1a1n-
age, three feet medium, and two end
one-han feet shallow drainage 4 IN
general three feet 10 safe distanoa,
but on some soils containing very GhjcjI
and close hardpan4 Il 10 SAFER % ~
tile at two and one-haH fos4 II ssseaA
a depth Will keep them show thls
impervfous subsoil.
In some instances the l1nd Ii ~
wet in early spring only, wnfls laAes
the water table lowers sufficiently
through natural causea In sna6
cases depths OF two and two ana ouo-
half feet are usually sufficient
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04
4 Tier OF nests with broody coop on
cop. 3. Wall nest.


These nests are dark, which is de-
cided advantage, as hens like to hide,
and there is less danger of them learn
ing to eat eggs. 1t has the decided dis
advantage of making the floor under
the dropping boards of little use in
feeding. 1t darl1ens the floor and
hens ~, much more likely to lay in
the straw on the floor than in the
nests, with the result that many times
eggs are left for several days before
being gathered. The careful poultry
man who furnishes guaranteed eggs
will not sell those which have been
laid on the floor. In buildings which
have high rear elevation, some Of
this trouble may be obviated by ele-
yat;ng the roosts and dropping board.
This can be done. especially with Leg
horns or other light breeds that fly
we'll. For the heavier breeds it will
be found necessary to put in slanting
board with cleats to enable the hens
to walk to such height, 1t will al
ways be found necessary to keep the
floor extremely we'll bedded. Many
heavy hens will jump down from the
dropping board instead Of walking
down the Inclined perch and If the
litter is thio. they may injure their
feet.
Another and quite common arrange
ment is to festen small open boxes to
the walls of the poultry house. These
boxes can be fastened with two d
nails and earily removed for cleaning.
Where this system is used, If the boxes
should accidentally become badly In
tested with mites. the entire box being
Of little value can be burned and new
boxes put H. This method does not
allow trap ,sesting, and the the nests
are net DARK. yet 1t Is used very ex-
tensivnty by Doultrymen. n
Where hens are confined and al
lowed to lay In open nests Of this type,
the eggs should be gathered at least
twice each day. This is an extremely
good practice and should be followed,
especially Oh farms where a good |
quality Of table eggs is being produced
There are several good types of wall
Oests. some of which are darkened
and others that are not. A nest for a
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04

S. Trees with deeply grooved bark
Because bark deeply grooved longi-
tudinally guides the current to the
ground, and because the moist sap
wood Is close to the surface in the bot
toms Of the assures. ..- ..>., v $500.
6. Trees isolated.-Because they
are the only marks for the flash and
are conductors. ...i..
Z. Trees on high ground.-Because
they are nearest to the storm-cloud
strata. ....
s. Trees on damp soil.-Because
the moisture makes good contact be-
tween the tree and the earth.
9. Trees deeply rooted.-Because
the long roots give a better grounding
and furnish a more direct path to
deeper and moisture earth strata.
10. Trees with dead branches
Because they present alluring points
II. Trees whose wood has high
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04
PouLTRY.H0USE C0NvENIENcES
The House Must be SO Arranged That It Will be Com
Portable Place for the Hens to Lve Otherwise They Will
Not Thrive and Production Will Not Be Satisfactory
BY j. g. HALPTN.

Every poultry house should be well
supplied with nests which are easily
accessible and readily removed for
cleaning and disinfecting. There are
many methods of arranging nests, each
method having some particular adj
vantage over all others. The nests
may in some instances be placed under
the front edge of the dropping board,
and so arranged that the hens enter
from the rear and the attendant gath
ers the eggs by opening door or
doors on the front side. This Is an
inexpensive arrangement, as the drop
ping board forms a cover for the nests.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04

From early times there has been q
belief that certain trees more than
others are likely to be struck by light
ming. The elder Pliny said: Light
ming never strikes the laurel" This
tree was also called bay. and wreaths
of its leaves were worn by ancient
rulers both as a symbol of victory and
as a protection from the lightning of
the gods Seneca and Plutarch held a
similar belief, which may be traced
down even to modern times. but the
theory as now held includes a number
Of trees, differing in various countries
This belief was so firmly established
that such trees as the beech, locust,
holly, olive walnut, birch, elder,
mistletoe and live-for-ever supposed
to be effective in warding Off lightning.
were placed near dwellings,.
TO this day there are many who still
insist that the beech is never struck,
while in parts Of the United States the
lightning.
On the other hand, 1t was believed
that such trees as the oaks, particu-
larry cork oak, had a very bad repu-
tation for attracting lightning, and
THIS DeneI prevails even HOW. 1Aels
is a proverb-
"Avoid the oak flee from the spruce.
but seek the beech"
And also:
Beware the oak. IL draws the stroke.
Avoid the ash, it courts the flash.
Creep under the thorn, twill save
from HARM
Natives of South Africa have said
regarding the mopane tree, which is
often struck lightning hates it,; but
they say that the morala tree is never
touched The Portuguese share this
| elief. ... |
There was once a widespread belief
in Europe that conifers were almost
immune from lightning but records
made there showed that conifers
rank third in liability to stroke. The
persistent popular beliefs regarding
of some trees and liability
Of others have given rise to the fol-
lowing theories regarding trees most
likely to be struck:
/. Tall trees.--Because they reach
high toward the electrically charged
cloud, and therefore lessen the dis
lance which the flash must traverse
the dielectric (air). Such
trees are conceived to be part OF the
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04
RUN 70 EARTH
BY r. b. BUCKAM.

going In search Of purchasers Of his
wares. The self constituted agent of
the public comes to him voluntarily
and bargains with him for what he
has and usually pays him a fair
prieA too.
But a writer in an eastern daily
publication makes suggestion which
is we'll worth considering by any who
would welcome an approach to the
old order of marketing. It Is this:
These are the days Of the automobile
and pleasure riding Almost every
one. in these times, high or low, man.
ages to get possession of one, by one
means or another. But insetad of 60
ing almlessly hither and yon, for the
plealaure Of riding merely, why not
havs an objective point in view, some
faEnhouse in the country, and the
purchase Of a generous supply of
fresh vegetables and produce one pur-
posi- and object Of the outing? Quite
a quantity could easily be carried
home thus. and the pleasures of the
trip extended for several days by the
better quality of food and relishes
upon the table.
If the farmer will not, or cannot,
find time any more to come to the
city, then get out the auto and go
after him! Strike his trail as the
hunters do when they go out with
their hounds after the fox, and run
him to earth! And when the run is
over and the return is made, I, for
one, would ten times rather have a
bag Of fresh vegetables than the car
cass of a poor, butchered fox. Talk
about a run into the country after
game, a trip after fresh vegetables
would prove far more enjoyable and
hloI
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04

There are in general three condi-
tons Of soil needing drainage: First,
land which is wet and marshy because
of a lack Of surface drainage; second.
that which has so large an amount of
organic matter and such heavy clay
that water cannot well penetrate It,;
third. soils with heavy, compact clay
subsoils and hardpans. Upon such
subsoils. the attack Of the air from
above and beneath flowing drainage,
and deep blowing or subsoiling, made
possible by drainage, has loosening
and mellowing influence that nothing
else can accomplish.
One of the most obvious results of
drainage. from which all other bene-
fits accrue, Is the removal Of surplus
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04
ABOUT FENCES

to which this ancient ruae of NV ~
adhered to is to be found In q oasG
tried In the supreme court Of indiana.
In the year 1868. The owner Of coz.
tain cattle allowed them 10 70 aStrax
and eventually they wandered ontn
the railroad track, where some Of
them were struck by passing loco.
motive and killed. The owner az the
animals brought suit against the rail-
road for the damage he had suffered
offering testimony to prove that he
whistle was not sounded. nor the BEN
rung, at the time of the accident, ana
that the train was going at an unusual
rate of speed; that heavy mnw wus
falling, so that the approaching train
could not readily be seen and o~o4dod
and that the loss was due 10 he fsuJe
and negligence of the officials OF the
road But the court found that even
though this might be 80, yet the owneF
of the cattle was bound to keep Them
within bounds. and must stand the
loss himself.
Though 1t might be Questionabao
whether the courts would go to s,scD
length in these times, when tho du&D
Of owners of improved lands, ana Of
railroad companies especially, to keen
their holdings fenced Is given much
more prominence than formerly, yse
the reader will doubtless agree thaA
the owner of farm animals and valu.
able live stock. as well as Of we'll cul-
tivated fields, cannot spend his tine;
more profitably than In looking after
his fences regularly. and in keepan9,
them in good condition and sufficient
ly strong to serve the end for which
they were erected. It is poor business
policy to let matters run to such an
extent that the courts, at any yato,
must be called upon to bring home ia
one the Importance Of fencingl
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04

The time was when 1t was customary
to see the small farmer and truck
raiser going about the streets from
house to house with his, produce. The
trip to town was an important part of
each days round, which was made as
regularly as the sun, usually at just
such an hour every day. The farmer
had his friends and patrons in town,
who knew the worth and quality of
mis- produce, and who were wise
enough and fortunate enough to make
arrangements with him to bring it to
them. fresh from the fields. daily.
But nowadays. for one reason or
another. this particular activity on the
part Of the farmer has fallen away
wonderfully. In its stead has come,
to a large extent, the cry and the
puSh-cart Of the "hawker," a species
D. rniddleman who must look to this
occupation alone for his profits, and
who Ia usually not so much concerned
to supply friend with the best to be
had as he is to do good business, and
that Is but natural.
One cannot but infer that this
change must be more or less to the
disadvantage Of the customer. He is
the loser in the main by this new
order at things, though the farmer Is
probably somewhat in the same posi-
ton. too. Why does. he not come to
town as he used to? Doubtless more
than one cause contributes to this re-
suit He Is farming on a larger and
more extensive scale than he used to.
and has found "a ready market for all
that he can produce in the modern
mlddleman, who Is ready to take off
his hands all that he has for sale. He
Is no longer under the necessity of
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04
LIABILITY or Trees TO LIGHTING STROKE
...- Early and Present and Theories
BY F. G. PLUNINIER

earth. extending upward and inviting
the stroke.
q. Trees with pointed crowns
Because they invite, to their one apex
single fulllpressure flash. Trees
with rounded crowns favor the diff
fusion Of the fash into q spray.
8. Trees with pointed leaves.-Be-
cause static electricity jumps most
easily to and from pointed terminals.
q 4. Trees with smooth or shiny
leaves.-Because a smooth surface in
vites flashes, while hairy or woody
presenting a multitude OF fine
points, favors diffusion.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04

ice, wire nails, grain elevators, hot air,
hot water and steam for heating
houses, asphalt and wood block pave
ments, large size plate glass, automatic
machine guns, dynamite. sulky plows,
compressed air drills for mining, steel
safes and bank vaults, wireless tele-
graph and wireless telephone.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04

caught under a link Of the chain and
a block put under the pole as full
crum. This leverage will raise the
post with very little effort Every
farm ought to have such a litter. The
parts should be solid and strong, for
the strain is Tremendously. +. Par
IRISH.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04
EGGS FOR MATCHING.

Eggs may be held two and even
three weeks for Matching. Tempera-
ture from SO to 60 degrees is prefer
able. Turn the eggs every day, using
a revolving egg case, or boxes with egg
holders, so that the boxes may be
easily turned each day without neces-
stating the handling by hand. Never
set any deformed eggs, and endeavor
to have each setting as uniform in size
as possible. .-
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04
TO REDUCE LIVING COST.

Would you down the high cost Of
living. Then drink milk, is the sug-
gestion of the New York milk COM
mittee. The committees exhibit at
the pure food show included a chart
stating that one quart of creamy milk
costing 9 cents bottle Is equal insfood
fuel value to any one of the following:
Three pounds fresh coffee, "a cents
Three-quarters Of a pound round
beefsteak, 20 cents. tEa,
Two pounds salt cod, 40 cents.
Eight eggs, 40 cents.
Two pounds chicken. sc cents.
One and one-half pounds ham, As
cents IL ..s.s.5
One quart oysters, 80 cents.
Four pounds cabbage, 10 cents. s.
Four pounds beets. 10 cents. &C.,
Seven pounds lettuce, GA cents.
Six pounds spinach. SO cents.
According to the milk committee, q
lunch of bread and milk weighing six
teen ounces and costing cents con-
tains 1880 food fuel units of energy,
as against s65 units Of energy In a
lunch costing rs cents, consisting of
soup, beef, potatoes, turnips, bread
and butter, coffee, milk and sugar.
..s (ptr1, N($,,, NLlo ho~
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04
GREAT PROGRESS IN SCIENTIFIC
INVENTIONS.

The number Of inventions and i'm
provements that have appeared since
the Civil War is very large. some of
the more important being automobiles,
elevators. barb wire fence. artificial
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04
A LABOR SAVER.

A good post puller can be made Of
a strong tongue from some discarded
farm machine. A strap of ive-eighths
iron is made into heavy claw at one
end and bolted on the tongue so that
the claw projects beyond the end Of
the tongue. A heavy ring with stout
chain attached is also a part Of the
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04

top spout, having the height to suit
the feeder. The Stats keep the pigs
orderly and prevent crowding. The
pipe IS intended to carry off any I'M
necessary liquid or water and is useful
in cleaning the trough.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04

If the ceiling Or. walls of the hen.
house are damp it is not properly vens
tilated. Any odor is sufficient evidence
that the house is not properly aired.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04

Men that know how to use farm
tools right and have the fairness to
do it, are the ones we want on our
farms.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04
HANDY FEEDING TROUGH.

Feeding pigs from trough having
Stats put across it at intervals is said
to be a very economical plan. The
liquid Is poured into fpnnel-shaped
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04

Every furrow which is paowed faith
fully and upon honor makes the world
a bit better.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04

Good farming Is not so much in
what we do as in the way we do 1t.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-04

Oklahoma City. Okla. has been
chosen as the meeting place Of the
International Dry Farming Congress in
1918 ..
Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-30
NEWS FROM RINGSIDE

Tommy Dixon, the Kansas City feather
weight, is to start a new campaign among
the boys Of his division Jimmy Hurst,
manager of Dixon. gave his prOtege a
try-out the other night against Freddie
Cole at Indianapolis and Tommy came
through with flying colors.
Hurst writes that Tommy looks better
than ever, and that he would like to
bring him here for a match with Abe
Attell or Charlie White.
Reports from Milwaukee state that Ed
die MCGoorty was none too pleased with
his showing against Bob Moha Monday
night. Marty FOrkins. manager of Nc
GOOrty. has a couple Of good alibis he
is springing daily on the sporting public.
"Eddie's left hand was far from right,
says Marty while a letter from Nc
GoOrty's mother on the morning of the
fight, regarding her Illness did not help
matters any However, all we ask is
another chance al the Milwaukee Ger
man"
II Is probable that the next windup
offered by the Brewer City promoters viii
be a ten-round clash between Bob Moha
and Jack Dillon The South Side A. c.
has already offered Mocha and Dillon
terms, and are waiting to hear from both.
Local boxing followers should see some