Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-07-08
DAILY HINTS ON
FARM TOPICS
RAINY WEATHER NOTES.
By K. A. Kirkpatrick

While the farmer ia ddgetiui
around because he cannot plant corI
there Ia no end Of profitable worB
hat can be done on the farm.
ave known Of farmers who, as soon
~ there came shower OF rain 81
at they could not work In the held.
:, ould Jump on horse and ride o.
!, town to idle away the time unit
IA fields dried on. One OF u
..,,ngs that might we'll be taken u,
airing the vet weather 10 the matte
az suitable sheds for housing mac
nery. 1t is just such weather 81
he present that is very telling upoi
tarm machinery not properly pro
.ected. On q great many farms
the loss from exposed machinery
amounts to a great deal. In triI
Of 10 miles on line of railroad X
a neighboring state, there was seer
from one car window the followinG
list Of machinery standing out In the
weather: is hay rakes. mowers.
/ tedder, 2 road graders. Dlow,
binders, Just apply this test the
naxt time YOU take trip over any
line Of railroad in Muscatine coun.
ty or the next time you take an auto
mobile trip over one OF !our puoN
highways. You will SEQ that the
condition in this county 10 not mucn
better than the instance just citeo
It may be putting the statement toc
srong to say that the farmer who Can
not have the proper housing OF mach
inery should not have any. yet. there
is considerable truth In tho thought.
Let's use some OF the wet weather
for planning suitable machine SHEDS.
Probably 26 to so per cent would
take In the number Of farmers VINO
Systematically oil and repair the har'
ness which is used on the farm
teams. A good harness oil 10 %.
sential to the life of the portion Of
the farm equipment and Its appii.
cation should not be neglected. II
acts as water proofiing material
and prevents the cracking OF the lea
Their 20 that the usefulness OF the
harness Ia maintained far beyond III
ordinary life time. Some people
object to oiling harness because they
say 1t makes 1t hot In the summer.
We may get around this point by re-
marking that II the harness 10 oiled
early In the season, oiled each set
son. and not oiled excessively there
Will be little trouble. The applica-
ton Of oil to harness may DO easily
done ut home during such weather
az we are having at present. 1t 10
suggested that every farm owner
adopt the plan Of giving his harness
some suitable sort Of oil dressing
each season and that II it has not
vet been done this season that some
h made to do 1t while tho weather
Is wet.
Fence making Is another ideal wet
weather job. On trip to tho coun-
try within the last two or three day.
norrced sHveral paces wneTe Inc
farmer was getting ready to put IN
new fencing. This II . good move!
|If the wet weather continues for
few weeks and the farmer is able
from q financial standpoint to do 50,
It would be q worthy ambition 10
have all the fence surrounding the
farm at least made hog tight. This
allows the owner more liberty IN
pasturing OF certain crops and IN
hogging of corn.
Right now is splendid time TO
Qook- over the farme with an eye to
Euitable drainage operations. This
lis especially important In the local
titles whore the ground IL rather hat
hnd tile drainage and open bitches
hre contemplated. BY noting the
hlace where tha water stands or
where the soil seems to be seepy It
will take care OF the drainage and
to plan the number OF strings OF tile
and the cost OF placing them;
There are few places which the
writer has noted In this county that
hre steep enough that ravinas ana
hollows easily wash out. In otner
blaces some little creek or run mel
hnders through lowland or meadow
destroying its usefulness TOT farm!
hnd for pasture purposes. 1t would
be a splendid wet weather job to
straighten the courses OF many OF
these meandering streamlets -
tanning up some Of The bow loops
nd planting willows where one does
lot desire. the wash to continue:
lome people object to the plant7
ne of willows because they say thai
hey are hard to kill out. The wri-
ar has mover found this to be So,
chey are quite easily killed out H.
;hey are taken at the proper time
md given the proper treatment.
Nmply driving stakes OF young wood
n the banks Of streams or runs Will,
Usually result in the formation OF!
rees. These stakes stould be dri-.
rem large end down and should 80!
INTO the ground to depth OF IN
10 q feet. In choosing willow to-
$50 for planting, the wife or gol-
len should be selected. z.
It IL we'll to be on the lookout,
or "scratches'' on horses at this:
ime. This IL q trouble that goes
n conjunction with muddy wet YEA.
her and foul barnyards. The skin:
,bout the heels and fetlocks Of the
,orse is very tender and mud and
manure often irritate 1t until 1t
.hafes and cracks. II not attended
o at once these cracks often deepen
,ntil the trouble becomes quite ser
GUS. The remedy lies In keeping
he animal out of the mud and Nth.
especially should 1t be kept from
ItandinK In such conditions. II
,ha trouble appears apply small
AMOUNT of carbolized vaseltne, BEN
,oinsted lard, or zinc oxide ointment
veil rubbed into the affected parts.
M =. c,hrtapcoc will aOft0n tha skin