Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-02-05
CAR SHORTAGE FINDS MANY
FARMERS WITH FAT STOCK
ON THEIR HANDS
EXTRA FEED TAKES THAT
MUCH FROM PROFITS
Inability to Ship Stock When Ready
For Market Affecting Cattle and
Swine Rasers 49, kanawha Farmer
Has System Of Concessions Which
Keeps Hired Man.
Special to Times-Republican.

Kanawha, Feb. "a few days before
the date that Railroad Commissioner
Lewis letter explaining the disastrous
effects Of the present car shortage on
stock feeding operations was mace
public an extensive feeder Of Hancock
county made the same assertions ana
named feeder after feeder living With
in a radius of few miles whose imam
cial welfare is at this time being serl-
ously threatened by the unfortunate
situation. And the day he made them
at least one of these feeders had mas
hired man driving a sled with triple
box all over the surrounding country
looking for corn 10 feed a punch Oh
stock that he had intended to snip out
weeks ago. II is not alone question
of feed either, for there comes time
in the feeding process when further
holding is daily loss to the feeder. a
man was showing his hogs the other
day and remarked: These are not the
heaviest ones ! have, there are some
400 Founders out in that shed ana
have not driven them out to the iced
ing floor yet, and they won't come ort
any more unless I do. They were
ready to sell two weeks ago. Then
there is a third species of difficulty
that the hog raiser IS complaining
about these days. When he Is at last
able to get his stock TO market an eN-
ira thousand or so other hogs get TO
their destination along with his OWL
and the market is forced down be
cause of heavy receipts" All this
country needs to do to induce the Iowa
farmer 70 produce hogs next year IS to
satisfy him that his stock will be sent
to market when 1t is ready for ship
ment and that the price he receives for
them will not be iusgled by few men
upon whose mercy he must throw him
self when his product passed out OF his
possession.
One kanawha farmer who was !ell-
ing Of his plans to farm a largely in
creased acreage next season was asked
about his plans for help and this IS
what he answered: II have two boys
and a hired man. The latter is good
one and get him for s45 a month and
he boards himself. OF course there IS
talking of $50 to SIS a month and
board. furnish my man a COW and a
couple Of acres of ground and he also
is 10 have an interest IN three of the
brood sows." The old idea Of "concess-
ions" was the keeping Of n hores, ac-
cess to the gasolene tank, holidays with
full pay, etc. This other one OF IAN
interest" in some Of the stock. use OF
a little ground and other more sub
stantial privileges Of the same nature
look like better arrangements both for
employer and employe than what we
have been used TO finding on the farm.
At least one Kauawha farmer keeps
an automobile for something besides
pleasure. S. NJ. Jarobson's overland was
out in his yard the other day covered
with its canvas dress" There was
wood pile near and the car furnished
the power to run the machine that saw
ed K up. The thing worked out so sat
isfactorily that it is planned to add
corn Smelling and number Of other
activities to the duties Of the car
making OF it a luxury or a necessity
according 10 the pleasure Of the owner.
May the quality Of a mans farmin
be judged by the appearance OF his
straw stack in these times? 1t Is to be
observed that in some cases the stacks
standing in the fields or barn yards are
surrounded by temporary fences. They
are not the old fashioned "strawpile'
type either built sometimes mostly by
a man sitting at the rear end OF a
thresh!ng machine and operating a
blower but bear evidence Of the care
full work Of two or three men as we'll
as that Of the machine. Anton Benson
who farms one Of the Hutchinson
places west of town always fences his
straw, hauls it to his stock as needed
and hauls. the refuse on the land for
fertilizer. He argues that where stock
is allowed to run to a stack it is not
only tramped under foot and made
unfit for feeding but that the rubbing OF
the animals against the stack ais o
renders it less attractive as a ration
and then there is the danger Of loss Of
stock caused by the topping over OF
straw stacks that have been eaten
partly thru by horses and cattle which
have been allowed the privilege Of
helping themselves.
yor0o pF onr,,