FOURTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VIII. 545 



ing barbed wire at suitaole poirts. would make the most satisfactory 

 fence for general use. It would effectually turn all kinds of stock, and 

 as horses nearly always injure themselves by striking or kicking over the 

 lower wires, danger of injury in this manner would be obviated, as they 

 could not easily get their feet through a well made woven wire fence. 



In the erection of a woven wire fence do not be satisfied with any- 

 thing less than a seven-inch post (top measurement), and eight feet long 

 for corner and end posts, which should be thoroughly braced and 

 anchored- A smaller post, though of sufficient length, will soon loosen 

 by the weight of animals rubbing, swinging of gates, etc^ 



If a lawn fence is required, it will not doubt be the most expensive 

 fence on the farm, for the farm lawn requires protection from the stock, 

 and it will necessitate the strength of the field or stockyard fence, and 

 will lay some claim to ornamentation to the extent one cares to go in 

 beautifying the home surroundings. 



OATS AND CLOVER. : , 



Geo. C. White, before the Story County Farmers' Institute. 



A large per cent of the farmers in this section are doubtful as to 

 whether the average oat crop is a profitable one. 



After corn and hay, oats is the next largest crop grown in Iowa. 



To get close to the facts and find if possible whether the oat crop 

 is profitable, and how it may be made more profitable, is the purpose of 

 this paper and the discussion to follow. 



The average selling value of the com crop on the farms of Iowa De- 

 cember 1st of each year, has been for the past thirteen years nearly 

 seventy million of dollars. The average yield per acre or corn during 

 that time has been thirty-two and one half bushels per acre, and the 

 average price twenty-eight cents per bushels. From this you will find 

 the average crop has been worth nine dollars and ten cents per acre on 

 the farm the first day of December. 



The hay crop is second in importance, with an average value of over 

 thirty million dollars. An average yield of one and one half tons per 

 acred, valued at five dollars and fifty-five cents per ton. gives an averagi3 

 value of eight dollars and thirty-two cents per acre. 



The oat crop is third, with an average value of twenty-five million 

 dollars. An average yield of thirty-one and one half bushels per acre, 

 valued at twenty-three cents per bushel, gives an average value per acre 

 on the farm of seven dollars and twenty-five cents. While these figures 

 show that the oat crop is not so valuable as that of corn or hay, not tak- 

 ing into consideration the value of its straw, oats furnish a feed for 

 horses and young stock that we can not well^ do without, and it is about 

 the only small grain crop that can be profitably grown in the central part 

 of Iowa. From statistics gathered, it would appear that the average 

 value of oat straw on the farm is nearly one dollar per acre. Adding 

 35 



