Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-03-27
JOYS OF THE COMING SPRING.


simple gardener who has but an acre
or two, has reserved for him joys that
he may or may not appreciate 1t
may be comfort for the farmer to
know that at each recurring spring
time, there are many in the towns and
cities who envy him; the large ma
Jority of city people are originally
from the country and when the gentle
rains come and certain birds sing, and
the air itself suggests activity these
city people are carried back in imagin-
alton to their youthful days and they
envy you farmers! George KEENAN,,
the Siberian traveller, tells about the
exiles in that forbidding country; that
although dreary and cold in winter,
still has its spring and summer; when
spring comes there which is in June.
the cuckoos note is heard and il
seems to be the signal for the exiles
to escape if they can. The note of the
cuckoo is to them not only revelation
that spring has come but it reviyes
recollections Of freedom that was once
theirs where the cuckoo sang in other
lands. They escape if they can.
The notes of the spring birds here,
stir emotions akin to those that ami
mate the Siberian exiles.
If springtime emotions could be pre-
served during the year, there would be
few who would live in towns or cities,
but it is wisely provided that occupa-
lions shall be divided and interests di-
versified. Yet it is well to let the
country people know that although
they may think at times that their lot
Is hard one, because it involves toll
and constant watchfulness. there are
joys connected with their lives that
are only partially realized by the town
dweller. When spring comes in town.
the man or the woman who owns but
little piece of ground is moved by the
common desire of the human race to
get something out of the earth. They
stir up the ground and the odors of it
carry them back to other days. It is
possible that the odors of Eden have
been preserved by heredity through
successive generations. Whether this
be true or not, we know that the fresh
turned soil in the early spring time.
lures and captivates. The man or wo.
wan who does not care for an early
spring garden and it's fresh crisp vege-
tables, has something the matter with
him,
If 1t be thus with the town dweller.
who has but few feet of ground. what
should be the inspiration of freshly
plowed ground on the men and women
who own or control many acres, In
Iowa, the soil has never failed to give
either partial or abundant yield to
those who are Industrious and confid-
ing. The sweet odors of the volunteer
plants, the opening buds, all give
assurance that he who trusts to Iowa
soil will reap the reward that is due
him.
There are other considerations that
should prompt the Iowa farmer to rely
upon and trust to his occupation. He
has few bad debts to collect; he has
a market in the towns and among
those who have no right to deny to
him prompt payment for products, his
hogs, cattle oats, wheat, corn or what
ever he may bring to sell, are taken
by dealers who pay promptly on deliv-
cry; they take all further chances
for rise or fall in markets. If the farm
er ever loses by bad debt it is from
a neighborhood deal or trade, but he
scarcely ever loses anything from a
sale of his products in the open mar
ket. In this respect, he has an advan-
tage over the business man in the
town, who takes his chances between
other business men and himself, but
the producer is always paid in full.
The business man in the town, who
buys and sells, has to enter into the
most fierce competition and in doing
this he frequently loses ALL If farm
ers were subjected to the vexations of
the middle man or the business man
of the town, he would then see some
thing of the troubles that drive men
to suicide.
The farmer who is content with the
moderate profits that are due to him
as producer, and arranges his ex-:
penditures accordingly, will not fail to
secure independence. There is ac-
corded to him also the delights of a
life that is in close contact with nature
wherein he may be vouchsafed pro-
tracted years, and in each of these
years of pleasure that can never come
to those who are struggling for mere
existence.
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MONUMENTS OF VICTORY.