Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-05-09

SoOu health. the taDlllty TO eat three
square meals day and is the owner
of q home never so humble and out Of
debt. If in that home there be those
who love him and look for his coming
when the toll of the day is ended, then
is he rich, possessor of treasures which
the millionaire cannot purchase if he
be denied tllcua
We have an inquiry as to when and
how to graft old plum trees which new
or bear fruit with some variety which
will. An old plum tree is not a good
subject for grating, and we would
rather take our chances with new and
young trees of the variety desired.
Still, it may be done by grating or,
better yet, by budding, working only
part of the tree each year until it is re-
bnilt. This work can be done during
the month of May.
We do not know how the pretty leg
end originated in Germany to the effect
that when the stork built it's nest on
the chimney top of home it foretold
the coming of little babe to the home
unless in some way the fact that the
stork in its annual migrations from
central Europe to Africa, in which it
has to cross the wide eXpanse Of the
Mediterranean sea, in most motherly
way carries on its back two or three of
the little warblers and fnches to the
southland which could not otherwise
cross the wide expanse of water.
The contest between the spring and
the winter seasons is always marked
by more violence than that between
the winter and autumn seasons. Win
ter may be likened to an enemy secure
L. fortified, and each attack made be-
comes a bard fight between the ele-
ments, and SO the season becomes pro-
life in storm, flood and tempestuous
winds, while the autumn change may
be likened to the lying down to die of
an old man whose work is ended and
whose end is peaceful and serene, the
passing of the autumnal days and the
merging of the season into winter be-
ing q quiet and peaceful change.
II the difficulty connected with secUr-
ing competent hired help on the farm,
coupled with the high wages demand
ed, results in reducing the size of the
farms, which 1t is likely to do, it will
result in good. Large farms aggregat-
ing from 300 to 1000 acres are seri-
Gus barrier in the way of the best de-
velopment of any country community,
resulting in few settlers, fewer chill
dren, poor schools and lack Of social
privileges. We regard it as fortunate
that but few men are able to make
large farms pay, and many who have
been able to do so when land was
cheap will find it impossible to do so
now that farm lands are worth $50 an
acre and over almost anywhere in the
country.
Here is another inquiry-how to get
rid of purslane in the garden. Purslane
is akin to original sin and never can be
entirely got rid Of. 1t will somehow
crop up in the good man garden, just
as some besetting sin will sometimes
crop out in his moral life. Purslane
likes only good soils, and this explains
why it is such garden pest, gardens
being usually heavily fortified. 1t
does not often bother very much un-
til the hot weather comes, and no tool
will lay it out so well as fine rake
when it first shows its red head above
ground. Where the soil is thoroughly
filled with the seed we would try
smothering it out for one season by
putting in some dense growing crop
sorghum, sowed corn or rape.
Somewhere in this country, perhaps
on some poor farm where the father
wrestles with a sterile soil and discour-
aging conditions, there is growing up
little towheaded, barefooted boy, get
ting his education partly at the little
red schoolhouse and more by using
bright eyes and sharp ears as he drives
the COWS from the pasture, goes hunt
ing and trapping in the woods and
looks for birds nests In the orchard
and hedgerow, who will so years hence
~ ebS IA SEoiaSbt VI tiiio
Another such boy now herding cattle
on some western plain will ride over
the country in his special car as the
president of some big line Of railway,
while. another one will be hanging on
to the brake beam of a freight car as
a tramp. 1t oil depends on the boy.
The hereditary antpathies of AMI
mails and birds are very marked. These
antipathies are very noticeable be-
tween dogs and cats. Dogs and all ami
mails with cloven hoofs birds and cats,
hawks, eagles and owls are feared by
nearly all other birds, while birds and
animals alike, with few exceptions, are
sworn enemies of the snake. The king
bird fights the crow and hawk on sight,
while the entire tribe of rodents are
instinctively afraid OF the dog and cat
family. Most of these antipathies are
inbred as result of the habit Of one
type preying upon the other for food
There is but little fraternity between
different species OF wild life, but little