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Newspaper
Muscatine Journal
Location
Muscatine, Iowa, United States of America
Date
Aug 12, 1905
Page
12
Central Illinois asks if 200 acres of clover seeded stubble and 650 acres of corn can be fed with 2000 sheep. The reply says sheep can clean weeds, fertilize soil, and produce lambs without harming tall corn. Recommend 2000 sheep under shepherds with trained dogs, avoid wet weather, and note dry falls allow feeding corn stalks in northern regions.
A terse note suggests rambler and storm lore as the talking point in western regions with hints of luck and hazard. No concrete events or dates are provided in the fragment.
The article notes relics of past rural superstition such as hollow horn milk sickness and moon signs. It argues modern farming benefits from equipment like farm separators for ten cows and manure spreaders for twenty stock animals. It also mentions the horned owl as a natural rabbit pest control, yet many men still shoot it on sight.
A noted dairy farmer will not permit a profane man to assist with milking. It is believed he arranged a solution to keep the situation calm when the cow steps into the pail.
Town streets seen with people debating a bounty wolf problem and eggs versus wolves. Reports warn of toadstool poisonings as readers mix edible mushrooms with deadly lookalikes. An Australian note claims nine tons of rabbits shipped from a country rail station, highlighting pest control contrasts with America.
Reports note many accidents linked to farm machinery as farmers face heightened demand for new implements. The era demands mechanical skill alongside traditional farming abilities to manage modern equipment safely.
It is not the variety but the growing soil that determines a potato’s edibility. Wisconsin’s sandy soils can yield superior potatoes. Overfertilized ground often fails to produce a mealy tuber, while drought and heat improve tuber quality.
An official inquiry finds the cabbage hair worm is not a poisonous reptile but a beneficial organism. It is said to fight codling moths and locusts, though scare over the creature harmed cabbage growers and spoiled sauerkraut appetite.
The article argues that a 160 acre farm could yearly raise and sell three 1,400 pound steers in addition to existing outputs if silos were used to store food. Lack of silos on corn and stock farms causes a financial loss on land valued at $100 per acre, a loss that should be stopped.
The season saw extensive Bermuda onion cultivation in Texas pushing growers into losses as the industry previously ranked as the nation’s largest agricultural market swap two years ago.
An attempt to clear weeds by running a machine over the railway tracks scorched and burned them. The method checked growth but did not eradicate it.
The Poland-China hog is described as the aristocrat of the hog family and long bred for quality but not for prolificacy. For large litters, the Duroc-Jersey breed is preferred, noted as the superior choice for big litters.
The danger from bad drinking water extends beyond cities. Farms with wells in a sag receiving drainage from barns or insanitary areas should be examined for contamination.
The pine stumps of the yellow pine regions of the south are now being made to return a value of $33 per cord in turpentine, oil and byproducts by the new method of treating them. The old stumps, though, had greater value than the trees that grew on them for lumber.
A hot July produced remarkable corn growth with plants gaining four inches in 24 hours and about a foot in three days, as days of heat and moisture influenced development across multiple locations.
A reader asks where to find a market for mushrooms noting strong demand in cities and recommending contact with commission houses that specialize in fruits and vegetables. The piece also mentions that lack of drainage has ruined potential corn crops on vast lands, suggesting drainage would make farming profitable.
The Virginia creeper is a hardy, easily obtained choice for covering unsightly spots. The wild grape is another good option, available from nearby woods with little effort.
The article notes Johnson grass in the south and quack grass in the north as aggressive, hard to eradicate pests. Both grasses are similar in habit and once established are difficult to remove from the soil. Each provides forage value but neither can be reliably controlled, posing a danger to farm operations.
Two inquiries ask if a rooster is needed in a poultry yard for eggs. The expert notes hens lay the required number regardless, and eggs are preferred for quality when hatchability is not the aim. He adds the head of the harem matters chiefly for hatching needs.
The speaker condemns trading the family horse to a horse trader and selling the old cow for beef. They also criticize exhausting an aged hen for a July potpie, calling such actions economically justified yet sentimental barbarism.
The near future farmer will craft draintile fence posts water troughs and barn floors from cement. Cement posts cost less than red cedar and six inch draintile is being successfully produced and used. Indestructible cement troughs in any size are easy to make and replace wooden components in barns and pens.
One acre of corn stored as silage can feed three cows for 200 days at forty pounds daily. Ten acres supply thirty cows for the same period. Beyond ensilage, cows need some hay and a protein ration of bran or gluten feed for profitable dairy results.
Four years of country telephone and rural mail service have revolutionized farm life. Improved country highways emerge as the main draw, attracting more people to country homes. The farm automobile is expected to further enhance rural living pleasures.
The article stresses gathering seed corn by mid October, drying it thoroughly away from frost, and not relying on November husking or crib seed for planting. It warns that late selection yields poorer germination and riskier stands. It emphasizes timely harvesting as the key to good seed.
A description of agricultural improvement as farms shift toward grain production with more manure spreading, pasture, clover, silos, and larger barns. It notes better housing, paid cash, no store bills, growing bank accounts, shrinking mortgage, and corn yields rising from thirty to sixty bushels.
Readers learn sheep can combat morning glory and bindweed pests in corn belts by grazing weeds to ground. The article urges cooperative flocks owned by multiple farmers, pasture on owners’ fields under a shepherd, trimming highways and freeing land from weeds without costly fencing.
Reports claim some gold may be found in southern Nevada, imagined as a financial trap like California and Cripple Creek. An economist warns profit lies in surface scraping, not deep digging, recalling Klondike fever mortgaged farms and left many penniless after chasing elusive fortune.
In England creosoted wooden blocks are used for paving. Soft wood lasts 12 to 15 years, hard wood 3 to 4 years longer under heavy traffic. The paving is quiet and provides good footing for horses. Karri and jarrah from Australia are the best suited woods, with Australian and California gums also used with good results.
The article notes population losses in western agricultural regions due to rising land values and farm labor costs. It argues small farms keep communities vibrant with better schools roads and social life.
A western Iowa farming community forms a meat cooperative to kill a beef each week and divide the meat among syndicate members. Each man supplies a cow or steer in turn, with a fair division of porterhouse and neck stew expected, though some may seek excess.
Country correspondents report on people you know with coverage from Wapelilo to Millersburg. The Journal staff gathers news across towns and communities, delivering local happenings and society notes.
Far Ridge notes a sequence of Sunday and Monday visits. Fred Schellhorn and family hosted relatives from Muscatine and Farrart. Kemper siblings and Wunderlichs traveled to Muscatine. Esther Kemper aided with housework near Sweetland. Other calls included Welches with a child and Brei family visiting Brossart relatives.
Mrs Frank Reynolds returns from Rock Island with Grandma Reynolds accompanying her. The Kranz home hosted Lethbrand Grace Patterson Muscatine James Hayes family and Miss Jessie Reynolds. Rev Litzreth of Rock Island to preach at German M E church next Sunday. Foster Grove Baptist picnic draws attendees. Born to Mr and Mrs W C Krueger Ferdinand a 10 pound son. Geo Freyermuth sells 58 hogs near Muscatine for about 5 50. Bessie Feldman visiting Res HOME.
East Wapsie residents and friends made weekend rounds visiting Atalissa, Moscow, and Wilton. Alfred Maroll and Clara joined W. D. Conkling’s on South Prairie while Mr. Stauffer from Atalissa stayed with the Marstellers. Mrs. Evans called on Mrs. Marolf and attended Chau tauqua in Columbus Junction.
New Boston August 10 a fire destroyed about 80 tons of hay belonging to Robert Linoser. The blaze caused significant smoke and damage to the storage alongside the barn. Firefighters from the town battled the flames for hours but could not save the stack. No injuries reported.
A bale of hay stacked in a field was struck by lightning and burned. Rev. Nelson Brown of Galesburg preached at the Christian church Sunday morning and evening. L. J. Adams sold his farm to N. C. Oden. Jacob Woolf received a $2 monthly pension increase. A girl daughter of Chas Hall suffered a severe facial gash from a brick on the sidewalk. A J Martin and daughter Maum traveled to Clinton Iowa in August. Jacob Wilhelm, an old soldier, has suffered dropsy for weeks. Sixty Aledo residents visited Dolly Bay Island for an outing.
Oxford notes report the Harvest Home Picnic set for August 22 and discuss local life. Old residents Mr and Mrs J Whterman travel from Florida toward Portland Oregon while Rev Duty and wife plan an outing. A baseball loss to Iowa City Colts follows, a boy suffers a broken leg in haying, threshing continues, and dry weather threatens corn.
Call to readers about summer ticket sales including one fare plus two radars to northern Minnesota and Dakota points with return by October 31. Low round trip fares to St Paul and Minneapolis available after June 1. For details contact agents or A B Cutts G P T A Minneapolis Minn.
Timbered rolling land with porous clay soil and clay subsoil promotes crops like corn cotton small grains cowpeas and potential for alfalfa. Ten months range stock country. Promote Southern Arkansas booklet and Homeseekers rates dated Aug 15 Sept 5 19 Oct 3 17 by E W Labeaume G P and T A Cotton Belt Route St Louis Mo.
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