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This newspaper page contains 27 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Elgin Echo
Location
Elgin, Iowa, United States of America
Date
Oct 23, 1902
Page
6
The article surveys agriculture notes from 1902 covering seed and fruit care, orchard protection, weather impacts on crops, and farm economics. It mentions sunflowers in Kansas, raspberries and grapes under fall cover, winter wheat pastures in Oklahoma, hog profitability, cattle and horse trade quirks, and strawberry bed protection, with remarks on homesteaders reshaping western ranges.
The report notes a about 23 percent price drop for oats thrashed this year as orts fetch 10 to 12 cents per bushel less than if the crop had been stacked, reflecting weak market conditions for farmers.
The wet 1902 season yielded abundant forage with a prolific second crop of clover and timothy. Clover feed headed out as usual and timothy followed, with many areas producing a second crop as good as the first taken in July last.
A historical note recalls how manure spreaders, though long used, led to a rapid accident when a teamster was run through and left with multiple holes in under two seconds, illustrating the dangers of new farm machinery.
Dairymen in New Jersey have recently contracted milk to a condensation factory at an average price of 1.82 dollars per 100 pounds. This equals 3.7 cents per quart and 37 cents per pound of butter fat contained in the milk.
A statement urges that the coming farmer should learn stock judging and feeding, balanced rations, crop rotation, practical mechanics, and machinery operation as part of his education, with the average boy given a start along these lines.
In August crop reports from the department of agriculture Missouri tops with 102, followed by Nebraska with 101. As crops mature these figures are unlikely to change in the final roundup. Both states suffered drought-related failures last year, affecting the prior crop.
Farmers advised to use narrow well ventilated cribs this year to preserve corn across large areas. Split old ten or eight foot cribs with a four inch partition to improve airflow and air space. Separate soft ears from sound ears during harvest to protect the crop.
In central Minnesota samples of White Dent corn matured better than the same variety grown 400 miles south. Northern corn was not as large as southern, but ample growth could yield a profitable crop in the north.
A rural prose piece discusses farm fraud, pig fattening using clover and rape, and the value of millet as cattle finishing feed. It notes limited detectability of fraud, praises millet as a reliable northern crop, and mentions millet meal used with barley and oats for fattening beef cattle.
A retired farmer weighs keeping his 160 acre farm for 50 per acre versus selling for cash. He nets 420 yearly from rent after taxes insurance and repairs, or 2.9 percent on 14000. Selling yields 504 after taxes from interest, but with investment risk. keeping the farm is argued as a safe, lucrative option with potential to raise income by operating on shares and good stock, versus the uncertain returns of cash investments.
The writer ponders a perfect home in a valley farm or ranch in northern California or southern Oregon with ample rainfall, mild winters, fruit and flowers, and easy access to sea and mountains. They imagine trout streams, game, and distant ocean views, questioning if such Elysium exists beyond the Jewel Plain.
The article notes no real progress in farming methods, criticizing the old slipshod backbreaking approach and urging a shift toward systematic agricultural improvements. It highlights the need for better practices and potential reforms to advance farm productivity and efficiency.
A physician Dr. H. C. Howard of Champaign Illinois attributes rising appendicitis to shifts in milling from coarse to fine white flour. He cites pre 1875 patients and German and southern diets improving with corn bread and coarse breads, while modern refined flour disrupts digestion and depletes dietary phosphates, linking to more cases. He notes a boy avoiding surgery after switching to corn bread and vegetables and emphasizes nutrient loss in refined grain.
The article notes demand for scientific soil and crop information and improved stock breeding. It highlights growing interest in farm institutes and the value of agriculture as a respected, lucrative field for educated individuals, reducing drudgery and increasing efficiency and enjoyment in farm work.
The article argues that deep plowing is not always beneficial and depends on soil, timing, crop, and prior field work. Spring deep plowing often causes damage, especially with cereals, while August plowing could allow deeper work. Good judgment is essential in choosing plow depth.
The note reports no recent hare sales at $250 each and that hare meat failed to reach the poor or public use. It asserts that hare supply plans collapsed, leaving the poor to rely on salt pork, soup bones, and liver as before. It compares the situation to biblical quail and manna.
A compact reflection on rustic life noting that simple comforts of eating and sleeping well provide compensation for the rough aspects of farming. The author contrasts farm tranquility with the wider world’s fame and wealth, praising contentment and inner peace.
Northwestern University faces a challenging spelling test where 260 freshmen miss 20 or more of 200 words, sparking debate on spelling as fundamental literacy. The piece argues memory aids spelling and stresses that even strong intellects can struggle with orthography, urging schools to address spelling regardless of method.
Margaret McKinley, niece of the late president and Abner McKinley’s daughter, serves as a clerk at the national bank of Oklahoma City and has built a small fortune in real estate. Milgy McKinley has held her job for years, buying city lots at about 3126 each in a developing business district, with profits reportedly over 40000. Moses Leonard frazier, Columbia University graduate and real estate man, runs a barbershop and philosophy studies, claiming multiple degrees and inventions. The Boston speech by Secretary Shaw contrasted politicians and statesmen amid light quips. The King of Spain is described as a premier horseman who enjoys daily riding and distances a guard.
Captain Alfred Dreyfus resides a calm retired life in a Paris suburb, unseen by most as he records his days at home and in libraries. A trusted friend notes Dreyfus’s cautious humanity, political amnesty easing past tensions, and that Zola visited him before his death, while few know his exact whereabouts.
A St Louis Globe Democrat report surveys expensive, exotic remedies sold in East Asia including spotted rhinoceros horn powder, tiger eye ball and liver, a so called maroon, and serpent fats. It notes high prices, dubious practice, and cultural resistance to surgery among Orientals, with commentary on medical legitimacy.
A San Francisco report traces a mysterious woman who abducted the wife of a wealthy Chinaman in Butte and rescued the captive girl to a mission in San Francisco. The piece criticizes Chinese district missions and defends kidnapping as a necessary, if illegal, tactic to free enslaved girls amid a harsh, corrupt system.
The census shows 84 000 divorced men and 114 000 divorced women in the United States. The disparity is explained by men remarrying sooner after divorce while women tend to be more hesitant. The Minneapolis Tribune notes the pattern.
Edward T Potter brother of the New York bishop wrote an opera in two acts presented at his Newport Illinois home four days ago. The full work will be completed October 18 at the same location with professional musicians calling it clever.
The contractor attached his name to the plans for the worlds fair art palace in St Louis. The project costs 3945000 and the signer endured a hard days work signing his name 2400 times.
This excerpt notes the birth month of Frederick grand duke of Baden, a long-reigning absent European sovereign. It states he is 76, became regent on his father's death in 1852, and assumed the grand duke title in 1856 after his elder brother's condition. It mentions a later marriage to Kaiser Wilhelm I's daughter.
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