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This newspaper page contains 27 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Muscatine Journal
Location
Muscatine, Iowa, United States of America
Date
Dec 02, 1908
Page
9
Missouri College of Agriculture notes large scale sheep feeding by locals using crossbred Merino and Shropshire sheep from New Mexico. Yearlings 70–75 lb cost about 3.00 per hundred. lambs 60–65 lb cost 3.25–3.50. Feeding methods include turning sheep into cornfields and grazing on grass with grain, producing 5–8 lb monthly gains and ready for market in 45–65 days.
A farmer letter argues hogs need deep water rather than mud to stay clean and thrive in heat. J B Miller of Illinois recalls deep, cobbled pools on his farm preventing skin ailments and cholera, contrasting with shallow mud holes favored by others.
J. H. Johnson of Hamilton County Ohio states he raised an average of 212 bushels of potatoes on ten acres this season and notes the crop is of fine quality. He adds he could not obtain help to harvest fully.
R. B. Rushing of Illinois argues that pedigree alone does not guarantee value in livestock. He urges breeders to cull inferior males to improve overall quality and efficiency, warning that selling scrubs or grades undermines true sire value.
Near Chicago a western milk giant used pond water to wash bottling vessels causing scarlet fever in a town. The outbreak led to a cleanup, loss of business, and a dent in the company’s dividend pot, teaching managers the value of cleanliness.
An editorial urges phasing out unclean dairy farms in favor of modern practices. It notes major creamery firms now require uniform feeding and clean dairies, while reporters monitor farms and consumer demand for pure milk increases steadily.
Studies show 1,000 pounds of lime per acre nearly matches 2,000 pounds for oats, while clover prefers the larger dose. Carbonate lime yields more dry matter than burned lime or nitrogen. Fertilizer additions generally boost nitrogen fixation, with carbonate lime more favorable than burned lime.
Location shapes farming profits as long-distance sellers struggle with overland haul. The text advises distant farmers should shift to finished farm products such as butter eggs cheese pork beef and mutton for profitable marketing over long distances.
Six to ten healthy sheep form a solid starter for new sheep raising on a small farm. Avoid large starts due to learning gaps. Sheep need dry warm conditions, balk at mud and wet weather, and are prone to foot rot and nodular diseases. Middle-wool breeds fatten well and improve meat quality for buyers and consumers.
The Duroc Jersey hog is a red haired breed weighing 250 to 359 pounds at about a year, sometimes reaching 500 pounds. They are large boned and prolific, though their color bores some. For feed, boiled small potatoes with skimmed milk work well for pigs feeding on tubers.
In a reader letter from Ohio T B Terry notes a cement cattle floor is non slip and easy to clean but calls it too cold for udders. Ex governer Hoard suggests a plank overlay for cow comfort and warmth.
The article compares Down breeds and their market use from six weeks to a year, noting fattening tendencies, weight, and carcass value. It highlights Oxford Down as large and heavy, Leicesters for quality bone and fleece but with tenderness, and Border Leicester as stronger in bone. It advises breeders to know their flock and persist, since sheep farming rewards careful, long term effort.
A corny aphorism on milk fat and fair prices contrasts broad harvests with the need for all to sell at reasonable rates. A lazy farmer who avoided fence repair ended with a dog driven hogs in Illinois. Peach prices rise from wholesale to doorstep delivery, illustrating middleman impact.
The picture shows a basket of seedling Albertas that ripen with Early Crawford. The flavor of Albertas over the past year is said to be bitter, though the fruit grows very large and makes an excellent market peach.
A brief guide explains building a sled with a truss rod and iron steering bar to increase strength. It warns wooden ties may break and suggests using an iron steering gear for durability. The instructions target handy boys with basic tool knowledge.
A compact moral motto urging balance between courage and integrity. It emphasizes keeping a clean heart and self-respect as a guide for behavior and personal conduct. The line frames virtue as essential to personal dignity and protection.
The speaker argues cement barn floors are now common in many regions and widely praised for cows’ comfort. He cites extensive experience over twenty years, noting no garget problems from cold floors, and describes bedding choices, cheaper construction, and improved slip resistance with gravel mortar and a wooden float finish.
The Massachusetts station notes that both milk quality and quantity matter in assessing a cow’s worth. Butter fat is the key trait dairymen seek, and a cow’s value hinges more on her performance than breed.
Jacob Faith of Missouri explains a storage method keeping apples through winter at low cost. Apples are ripened then picked, kept in a trench bedded with straw and dirt, insulated with hay, covered with frostproof material, and sorted in April. He notes apples stay fresh and crisper than cellar storage.
The article outlines winter housing for cows in New Jersey, with evening milking at 4 pm and morning milking at 6 am, feeding roots hay and straw, and tethering cows to fresh spots. It notes calving aims in the first three months, bran mashes around calving, veal calves fed dam milk for six weeks, and cows remaining productive until about age ten.
Select boars and sows from large litters. The digestive powers of the hogs are the feeder's fourglation of success. Similarity of breeding stock produces offspring of greater value. Do not keep pigs in wet nests overnight or allow them to become chilled. Pneumonia can occur in pigs as in humans, though recovery is common. The young pigs need sunshine, exercise, and a yard. Breeding pure bred swine is a serious business requiring records and investment for improved blood.
Professor W J Kennedy reports on English livestock feeding practices from his Europe study for the government. English farmers rely on roots linseed and cottonseed cake with substantial roughage, favor outdoor feeding, and limit concentrated feeds to sale stock, while emphasizing natural digestion and four to six months of feeding before market.
Knox Illinois notes a large share of new students plan to earn part of their expenses while in college. The college reports more old students working this year, with at least 65 percent of the student body supporting themselves. Jobs include reporting for local papers, positions with merchants, waitressing, and in-home service for room and board.
The Ohio station recommends millet as a late crop to plant if corn fails or cannot be planted. Earliest varieties can be sown through July for fair yields, with May being the peak use. Millet compares favorably to timothy in nutrition and digestibility, serves as feed for cattle horses and sheep, but overripe millet should not be fed to horses due to kidney concerns. It is also grown for pasture seed silage and acts as a soil cleaner near a summer fallow.
Professor John Craig of Cornell identifies Wealthy Mackintosh Sutton and Rome Beauty as the most promising apple varieties. He notes they are well adapted to eastern New York and to Connecticut.
The article describes constructing a partridge trap with a four inch wide by four inch deep tunnel starting at the foundation, extending under one side, covered inside the pen. Corn is scattered along the trench to lure partridges in, but they will exit inside and attempt to leave only through the trap doors.
A neighbor farmer reports poultry sales near 200 dollars annually and hogs yielding 2100 to 200 dollars every few months. Sheep provide wool and lambs in season while crops and animals on one small lot boost earnings and land value through diverse cropping and feeding practices.
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