Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-03-07

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e. = a I'd: W 81
A friend of ours notes that the butch
er bird likes the sparrow for a break
fast during the cold mornings of the
winter.
Now is the time to get paper of
{pansy seed and SOW in box of earth
in the kitchen if you want nice lot of
strong plants in June to set out.
The white ash is generally supposed
to be tree of slow growth, but we
have specimens of last years wood Of
this tree showing a growth of So inches.
matter seldom referred to as con-
shutting one Of the advantages of liy-
Ing on farm is the fact of being able
to enjoy a degree of eXclusiveness
which city residents are denied.
An Improvement in the manner of
branding stock is noted, process
moves the hair on the surface branded
without pain to the animal or injury to
the hide.
We came across one of those tree
peddlers few days ago who are sell
ing fruit trees to farmers at more than
twice the cost at which they could be
obtained from any home nurseryman.
Don't pay such prices.
If you think that you cannot win
your case at the end of lawsuit, il is
always best to arbitrate, for the basis
of all arbitration is compromise, and
SO arbitrating you will be sure to get
something and save costs.
The apple orchards of the Ozark
mountain region in southern Missouri
and northern Arkansas are threatened
with destruction by insect pests, and
what seemed to be most promising
fruit section is in much danger.
RUSSIAN thistles. which are q near
relative of the common tumbleweed
were blown and drifted in such guam
titles on the Dakota prairies last fall as
TO entirely fill the railway cuts and
block the passage of the trains.
The western farmer talks differently
about his possessions to the local as
SCISSOR from what he does to his broth
er-in-law from Vermont who is making
his first visit west. He illustrates the
difference between contraction and ex-
s pansion.
Ten beet sugar factories were in on
Grafton in Michigan last year, which
used 100000 tons of beets and paid the
farmers over 81, 100000 for them. For
ty-eight million pounds of refined gran
ulated sugar We're made. The crop is
/ becoming a fayorite one with Michigan
farmers.
Barnyard manure is the best correct
I've for soils carrying an excess of lime.
such as the calcareous deposits to be
found around the edges of tiled
Z swamps where the soil is largely made
up of the minute shells. Such soils are
deficient in humus. which the BARNARD
fertilizer furnishes.
A reader wants to know what to do
with the red ants which ruin his straw
berry bed. We would move the bed.
I for we know of no way to get rid of the
ants. An old hen turkey with a lot Of
little turks will, if cooped near an ant
hill, clean them out the quickest of
anything we know of.
In certain parts Of Mexico and Cen
tral America are caves Of large dimen-
sions which for ages have been the
roosting and breeding places of mil
lions of bats, whose excrements have
accumulated to such an extent that a
most valuable fertilizer is available.
One man owning such caves has sold
u, 100 tons of this fertilizer at $4S per
ton.
The prize consignment of American
apples which won for the State Horti-
cultural Society of Iowa the first prize
ut the Paris exposition consisted of one
ouSHei UL WedllnleS, one peck eacl
Of Wallbridge, Plum Cider, Melinda,
Longfield, Tallman Sweet and Duchess
and one peck of Soulard crabs. This
fruit was raised by Mr.. e. Reeves of
Waverly, La.
There We're 25,165 human beings kill
ed in India during the past year by
wild beasts and reptiles 927 by tigers.
462 by wolves, 394 by leopards and d.
500 by snakes, mostly by cobras. Year
by year this terrible slaughter goes on,
the religious fanaticism of these people
preventing them from lifting hand to
protect themselves from these their
foes.
The soy bean, which is being intro.
duced in small way into this country,
forms the principal heterogeneous ration
of the Chinese and the Japanese and
with their rice makes finely balanced
xation. This bean is richer in protein
fhan any other variety of the legumes