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Newspaper
Muscatine Journal
Location
Muscatine, Iowa, United States of America
Date
Sep 13, 1902
Page
10
Items of Interest for Journal Readers note three prosperous years for farmers with rising land values and chances to pay mortgages. The piece discusses a huge projected corn crop of 2.5 billion bushels for 1902, its likely markets, and how farmers invest profits into homes, farms, education, and cautious ventures while anticipating continued good times.
Cuban grown fruit enters the market in large supply and at very reasonable prices. Agricultural notes say tile drainage makes soils dry in wet periods and moist in dry times, offering adaptable soil control.
Prices for beef and other meats rise across England, Germany, France, and Australia as shortages and inflation tighten budgets, while Argentina remains comparatively inexpensive due to local factors and production conditions.
A proverb notes that when a woman learns to cook savory soups she waste less meat, reducing scraps fed to pigs and chickens. This reflects practical household economy and frugal cooking wisdom from bygone days.
Farmers favor killing rabbits around the orchard to protect trees while noting many weed problems this season among seasoned growers. The remarks reflect practical burdens on sustaining crops and managing pests.
A quotation contrasts squirreltail grass with a mortgage in its grip, and likens a hen laying an eye daily to a distant horse that can trot a mile in two minutes, using humorous rural imagery.
Guidance notes that planting two different crops in the same year on one parcel is unsafe and inefficient. It advises sequencing crops instead of simultaneous cultivation to protect yields and soil health.
A man keeps a family of small owls in his large barn and notes the owls, as mice catchers, outfight cats, delivering a striking line about their prowess in barnyard life.
The remark suggests that a number of prominent national figures possess wealth so large that their passing would significantly affect the currency supply. It humorously notes the power of wealth to influence economic stability.
The remark warns that the daisy will run out bine grass and that men living in the bine grass country should watch for an approaching eastern plague.
The article notes ongoing land rush activity in the northwest driven by strong crop yields. It highlights intensified efforts as settlers seek parcels amid robust harvest prospects.
The Chester White hog does not receive the attention it deserves among hog raisers. It is not to its disadvantage that it is not as early maturing as the Poland China.
The wild black cherry is a beautiful tree for the dooryard. It is comely and moderate in habit of growth with rich glossy foliage and will attract all the birds in the neighborhood when its fruit ripens.
The author argues that since the United States favors acquiring large sugar producing areas, this territory should be developed to its full potential to meet American demand. The piece stresses national self sufficiency and strategic resource control.
Crop experts estimate the cereal crop value for farmers across the United States in 1902 at 2 billion dollars. They describe it as newly created wealth and claim no other nation has matched such a showing.
The article argues there is more incentive than ever to start poultry farming. With about an acre of land and ordinary intelligence, nearly anyone can begin and expect a profitable venture.
The article notes Canada thistles spread from sucker roots rather than seed. It recommends persistent cutting during the growing season as soon as sprouts appear above ground to rid fields.
The report notes a long struggle with weeds due to weather spurring seed germination after dry years. It states that a garden or field free of weeds in August warrants a credit mark for the gardener.
While standing beside a bed of salvias we watched a hummingbird sip nectar from blossoms just feet away. The bird’s precise hovering and rapid wingbeats revealed a glimpse of the mechanism that defies gravity.
Illinois produces two thirds of all broom corn in the country. The text notes soils across the corn belt can grow broom corn, and comparisons are drawn to other specialized crops like tobacco peppermint onions and celery, with cultivation concentrating in particular localities.
In the range country the cattlemen and sheep herders clash as cattlemen slaughter flocks and threaten extermination. The dispute echoes ancient conflicts, with entrenched enmity when sheep occupy grazing lands.
The article notes that displaying the farm owner’s name on the rural mailbox aids travelers, praising the neatly kept farms as a sign of diligence. It contrasts with ramshackle places marked by hogs and broken fences, which are criticized for shiftlessness.
The author argues the weeder fails for crop cultivation this season due to excessive rain. It is described as a dry weather tool with little value in wet conditions, likening its usefulness to a boat on a dried lake bed in Manitoba.
A self described worthless house cat long kept the front porch as a nightly dueling site. It left the scalp and nose of a large rat on the doorstep to prove its feared reputation. The narrator doubts another cat may have killed the rat.
A reader notes confidence that 1902 will be productive despite storms floods and crop disasters. He reports more potatoes per square rod than last year per acre, more oats from fifteen acres than forty, and hay yields over six times 1901.
The speaker predicts a new indictment against sparrows as their population rises soon. Flocks will descend on wheat and oat fields as grain dough forms and, if unchecked, ruin crops by squeezing pulp from kernels. A nationwide, persistent war on the bird is urged.
Six million three hundred thousand Frenchwomen perform labor traditionally done by men. Many work on farms, plowing, digging, hoeing, milking cows, feeding stock, and marketing produce. They could outwork an American hired man in tasks like boeing potatoes or pitching hay.
A cautionary note on chronic lateness, urging promptness to avoid lifelong handicaps. It portrays a friend perpetually behind in obligations, appointments, farming tasks, and meals, suggesting swift correction to prevent ongoing failure.
The article notes that cows producing milk with low fat content may yield more milk over a longer period, making them valuable despite a 3 percent fat test versus a 5 percent test. It emphasizes milk volume and duration of flow as key factors often overlooked in judging a dairy cow’s worth.
The piece urges every man on the farm to ask his wife what would ease home work and beautify the farmstead. Women would request sensible upgrades such as a woodshed, soft water, tidy dooryard, better chicken house, and convenient water supply, echoing a need for practical changes rather than grand demands. It likens this to Egyptians forcing bricks without straw, suggesting ongoing farm home labor burdens.
The text explains that true wealth is created when a producer adds value through farming mining or manufacturing. It contrasts this with mere trading, where buying and selling a good for more than paid does not increase world wealth, though individuals may profit.
The article praises women and girls assisting with lighter farm tasks when men are fewer. It cites a young woman in a sun bonnet driving a sulky plow with Percheron horses as better than constraining fashion and traditional domestic labor.
A group of twenty five farmers formed a company with 2500 capital to buy a stock horse for 100 each. The horse turned out worthless and was sold at year end for 140. The venture left twenty five men wiser and the episode became taboo at local thrashing bees and church sociables.
Each advancing year makes land harder to obtain for farming as prices rise in old settled areas. If values keep climbing, cheap, desirable land will vanish nationwide, forcing men to accept smaller acreages and adopt better methods for larger crops, benefiting both farmers and the country.
A hill country report details severe rains and floods washing away fertility from cultivated fields. Deep watercourses mar the land, causing permanent damage greater than crop losses, with long lasting impact on agriculture.
A method uses a medium sized horse and boy to tramp and pack straw as the stack grows. Center packing rises the core above the sides, reducing space usage and aiding preservation against weather.
Washington Times surveys almanacs from 15th century origins and notable producers. It traces early claims to printing, German and French figures, English monopolies, and the rise of popular yearbooks. The piece highlights Poor Richard and Moore’s Almanac, Stationers control, and the Wikestories of Almanac de Gotha and Whittaker’s editions.
The article recounts P. T. Barnum using an elephant to plow a hillside visible from trains to boost publicity. It notes his eagerness to monetize celebrity with showlike touches around Bridgeport and his lettered cattle gambit. It cites Joel Benton in Century on Barnum’s logic for publicity and profit.
A list of bridal superstitions from a historical note describes good luck omens and warnings for brides. It covers tears at the ceremony, door entrances, cake cutting, wine pouring, handkerchief recovery, carriage shoes, foot placement, calling the husband by name, pin disposal, and bridesmaids avoiding keeping pins to protect marriage prospects.
Washington correspondence notes a seed package returning to the sender with a farmer’s note. He thanks the sender but says his daughter Matilda plans to marry the village doctor next month and they will move to town. He asks to exchange the seeds for stockings, handkerchiefs, or a spring bonnet.
A young girl at a fashionable resort overhears a long talk about the primacy of stylish dress in society. Later she prays for guidance, asking the Lord to make her stylish, reflecting the era’s emphasis on appearance.
Salt is praised as a natural remedy and antiseptic. A teaspoon of salt in water helps indigestion and can relieve head colds when snuffed through the nose. A hot salt bag eases severe bowel pains.
A humorous exchange features a life insurance agent and Harduppe discussing provisions for heirs. The man replies he has a precaution by placing the dog at the door and instructing the hired girl to say he is out of town.
A brief note explains that what is called ashes from volcanoes are in fact finely ground lava.
Fragmentary notes show a travel timetable with departures and arrivals for Montezuma. Mentions a Daily schedule excluding Sunday and a 6:00 p.m. time marked by an official. The garbled text names a Gov Agent and freight terms.
Train schedule notes show several No. trains with times and routes, including Nos. 11 12 limited vestibule Chicago to Denver, Nos. 15 16 Chicago to Denver via Kansas City, and trains 29 and 30 through to Kansas City El Paso City of Mexico and California. Also updated service to Uranus, and a Muscatine Wilton connection with times.
Train timetable for Muscatine North and South by Co. effective April 20 1902 with trains No 1 2 3 and 4 between Muscatine Fruitland Grandview Wapello Elrick Junction and connections east and west including Burlington Iowa Central Peoria Monmouth and Minneapolis St Paul. Charles Howard general agent bans details.
The notice lists daily and Sunday train times for the Iowa Central routes including No. 3 St. Paul Express, No. 5 Mason City Mall, No. 25 Way Freight, No. 6 Peoria Mail, No. 4 Peoria Express, and No. 16 Way Freight. Coupon tickets to all US, Canada, and Mexico points are on sale with rates and folders available from A. K. Cutts in Minneapolis or Wirick Junction Agent in Iowa.
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