Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-10-21

The bushel; box in place Of the barrel
holding two and half bushels is com
ing much into favor for the packing of
apples. 1t is claimed that less of the
fruit is bruised, it is easier handled
and is more acceptable sized package
for the retailer to dispose of.
Michigan almost always comes to the
front with a, crop of most luscious
peaches, and the present year is no ex-
ception. These are nearly all produced
ON just narrow strip adjoining Lake
Michigan, where climatic cold is modi-
fed by the presence Of the lake water.
We noticed the other day small boy
not over twelve years old driving four
big grade Percheron horses on a gang
plow and turning over the soil at the
rate of five acres day. 1t gave the
little fellow about all he could do to
raise the plow by the lever when he
came to the end of the field,
1t is now about time to think about
protecting the strawberry bed. After
the ground is frozen put ON covering
two inches thick of slough hay or clean
straw, the object of such covering be-
ing not to prevent the plants from
freezing, but to prevent them from
freezing and thawing during the win
ter.
We are asked whether n man can
make business of trading horses, be
straight and honest and still make
money. We have never come across
this pleasing combination The honest
man who goes into the horse trading
business soon has a lot of experience,
and the other fellow has the horses
and money.
New inventions always beget new
risks. Men have for centuries hauled
out manure from the yard into the
field, and we never heard Of an acct
dent, but here comes this newfangled
manure spreader, and in some manner
the teamster managed to get run
through it and was punched full of
holes in less than two seconds.
AS an explanation of how eastern
dairymen are able to keep cows on Il
high priced dairy ration we note that
the dairyman of New Jersey have late
ly contracted their milk to the condens-
ing factory at an average price of $1S2
per 100 pounds, or 37s cents per quart,
equivalent to 81 cents per pound for
what butter fat the milk contains.
The coming farmer will know how to
judge stock and feed it, will under
stand all about balanced ration and
the proper rotation of crops and know
enough Of practical mechanics so that
he can handle the machinery he will
be obliged to use in his farm opera
tons, and the average boy should be
given start along these lines as part
of his education.
In the August crop reports on corn
of the department of agriculture the
state of Missouri made the best show
ing of any of the states, 102. closely
followed by Nebraska, with 101. AS
the crop matured in both of these
states these figures will not be altered
much in the final roundup. The crop
was failure in both of these states
last year owing to the drought.
In order to keep the corn of large
area of the corn country this year it |
will be absolutely necessary to put the
grain in narrow well ventilated cribs. |
The old cribs ten feet wide or even
eight should be split lengthwise by a
four inch partition and air space. An
other thing, the soft ears should be
separated as far as possible from the
sound ones at the time of husking the
crop
In the matter of corn there is a great |
deal of importance in properly adapt
ing varieties to climate and latitude. |
We lately saw samples of White Dent |
corn raised in central Minnesota which
was better matured than the same sort
of corn raised 400 miles farther south. |
The northern grown corn was not so
large as that grown south, but plenty
big enough to make it very profitable
crop to raise.
Those handsomely labeled cans of
"potted chicken" which are In favor
for high toned society luncheons and
picnic parties are quite likely to be the
only evidence of farm ragedy where
a nice little day old calf was by the
hand of science, aided by fraud,
changed from a prospective head Of
the herd into boiled rooster Managed
just right it would be hard to detect
the fraud.
Most men do not like to bother with
fall MOS hut q friop6 NE o,,vc Lod For+,,