Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-08-23
rHr cpop. rrn.

from Wnat we nave observed pei
sonally, and from what we can lear
from our subscribers in this and aG
joining counties, we conclude that til
corn crop tributary to Ottumwa wi
be fully a half crop. This, togethe
with the uncommonly good hay Gro
and fall pasture, will make our pee
pie as well off on the score of stoc
feed as ever.
Wheat in Wapcllo county, thi
year, is substantially failure. Thi
is no unusual loss, as under the prev
alcnt system of cultivating whea
that crop has not generally succeeds
well of late in this section.
1t is our opinion that the seed ha
run out, and that if good seed wcr
brought there from Minnesota o
| Wisconsin, Wapcllo might expor
rather than import bread. If an,
one of our agricultural friends has /.
better theory than this, let him speal
out In the COURIER.
| Oats is a fair crop, but the prospec
OF its rating so low will prevent /
from cutting much of figure in tn,
agriculturist's pocket.
Early potatoes are good and plenty
as they always are, if planted carl,
and well tended. The old fogy who
adhcrcs to the Pennsylvania Dutcl
rule of planting potatoes in the dark
OF the moon in June, has magnifi-
cent crop of weeds and nothing else.
That is the usual result Of late plant
ing Of potatoes, or anything else, in
this latitude, however.
A close observation for over thirty
years in Wapcllo county, has taught
us that the man who has his ground
well prepared in the fall, and who
gets his crops in early in the spring,
thus allowing him plenty of time to
cultivate them, is the man who, nine
times out Of ten, has good crops.
Fruits of all kind are abundant.
The surplus of apples which will be
shipped north and west from Wapcl-
10 county this year, will more than
make up for the deficiency in corn
and wheat. OF course, this fact won't
do tho man any good who has not
stocked his place with the hardy va
rietics of apples and other fruits
adapted to this climate.
We believe that experience has cs-
tablished the fact that certain kinds
of apples, including Summer Queens,
Red Junes, Red Astrachans, Jenitons,
Romantics, Pearmains, and others
that might be mentioned, will do as
well and bear as often, in the Des
Moines Valley, as in any place in the
United States, 1t is the obvious part
of common sense for our farmers to
plant more of these bearing trees, and
to keep planting them every year as
their old orchards die out.
Grapes are abundant, and they
never fail if properly seen to. They
are as easy to cultivate, and much
more certain to make crop than
corn. The farmer who fails to have
an abundance of this delicious fruit
for his own table and his own wine.
is welded to his idols and to his own
incorrigible stupidity.
They can be raised as cheap as corn,
while to make the surplus into wine
rs as simple process as making CT
der, aud if you should fail in getting
good wine you have vinegar superior
to that made from cider.
With the immense brewery being
built here now, together with the
Others already running, Ottumwa is
destined to be good barley market.
We believe that the soil and climate
cf this section are well adapted to
barley raising and that it would gem.
orally yield a good crop. 1t brings
about the same price rs wheat, and is
certainly a more reliable and proiita-
BILE crop here than wheat.
Mcssrs. Dagectt 4 Harper having
established an extensive Oil Mill
here, a market is created at the door
of our farmers for all the fax seed
they may raise. We believe it to be
a certain and profitable crop here.
In the interests of diversified labor
which is the true secret of successful
farming, we ask our farmers to try
their hands at barley and daxseed
raising.
The minor interests of husbandry.
including the dairy are uncommonly
prosperous this year.
The wet weather has made us fine
grass and as butter averages about
twenty cents the year around, the
man who keeps few cows and al
ways has good butter to sell is not
liable to be pinched by the hard
times.
It's not for the editor to teach the
agricultnrist farming, yet he may be
permitted to exchange ideas with
him, and this is the conclusion of our
observations.
Plant your stuff earlier. Plow
your ground deeper. As far as pos
sible pillow your ground in the Fall.
Give more attention to fruit. Diver
sify your labor by raising more bar
ley, tlaxseed, &c. Give additional
attention to the minor articles of the
farm, such as butter, cheese, eggs,
chickens, &c, which always bring
good prices here.
Finally, amid all the clamor of
hard times recollcct that if you have
bacon TO sell at I6 cents per pound.
corn at 80 cents per bushel, and flour
at SD per hundred the current rates
here-instead of having to buy at
these prices, you'll not be greatly pes
tered by this clamor, especially when
you can buy calico al six cents per
yard, and other manufactured arti-
clcs at relative prices.
The following is the list OF petit
jurors for the coming term of the
District Court:
G. w. Arnold, RoIla +. Goodwin
John Bottortf, John Hardin, John c..
Brooks, S. w. Stewart, O. L. Greg.
DRY, Nimrod Poston, John Packwood,
David Beck, John {. Carter, Alex
Martin, George Banc, Samuel Ran.
dali, +. Long, Jasper Fowler, Fred.
eric Herman, William f. Handy, John
w. Morrison, d. w. Emery, Jacob
Kindall, John q. Anderson, J. ii,
Carver and ID. 4. Foster.
| Agency City news cleaned from the
independent: HI
On last Thursday evening George
Burnaugh broke into Samuel Keys
|