Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1902-06-18

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We have come to the time when 1t Is
unlikely that anything new remains to
be discovered about the mystery of
milk and the making Of butter. A
more interesting thing than the evolu-
ton Of butter making and the dairy
has never been witnessed In this coun-
try.
1t is only few men who have the
eye to draw a perfectly straight fur
row when blowing or start the corn
planter on a straight row. Where one
does do this it always attracts atten-
ton and is quite apt to be an indicator
Of the general style on which his farm
is run.
A flock Of 300 Angora goats bought
by western farmer three years ago
not only paid their way in wool, or
hair rather, but sold for more money
than he paid for them and cleaned up
an eighty acre tract of rough brush in
the very finest shape. These animals
will do this every time.
There is one advantage on the farm,
and it is no small one either, and that
is the impossibility of there ever being
an organized strike among farm labor
ers. No business could be taken such
advantage Of by laborers as that Of the
farm, and it. is fortunate that it is
from the nature of things exempt.
These are the days when the man
who set out strawberry bed last year
is reaping rich reward. One man in
about twenty will have all the deli
cious berries he wants; the other nine
teen might but won't, because they
won't take the trouble. This Is great
waste Of opportunity and privilege.
There is one thing which good many
readers Of these notes might do to their
profit-just sit down and figure closely
whether the cows which they are keep
ing are really paying their way. Weigh
each cows milk, and If it proves that
she is giving less than $500 pounds a
year you can figure out an almost Ger.
tain loss :. -..''''As; i;i::
Some one says that the good mixer
needs to be Christian. Maybe that's
SO, but we recall the case Of one good
man who for the time being really re-
GREETED he was one as he went through
the experience Of trying to milk
kicking heifer In fytime, his church
relations preventing him from doing
the subject justice.
The oleo manufacturers have now
before them the difficult task Of edu-
eating the public taste in the line of
using and liking the uncolored article.
1t Is just as good, just as nutritious,
uncolored as colored. and it may be
that in time the popular prejudice
against a white butter substitute will
be overcome and large market made
for the product.
One of them drew his months wages
and then went to town and blew his
money in doggery. When he started
for home, he was full as tick and,
falling out Of the buggy. broke his
neck. Another one had some trouble
in the shape Of another fellow getting
his girl away from him. and he strung
himself up in the barn. Both Of these
men lacked sense.
--
We would like to see the agricultural
fairs and associations offer good, sub
stantial premium of, say, $50 for the
largest value of crops raised on small
tract Of land. from one to five acres.
The time is fast coming when the soil
must be worked better and made more
productive, and small tracts cultivated
in competition for such prize would
be splendid object lessons along this
line
The robins which have been hatched
In the tree on your lawn and which
have lived off the grubs in the garden
and the fruit in the orchard assemble
In vast flocks during the winter in the
cedar swamps or the south TO feed on
the seeds of the cedars. Of which they
are very fond. At this time they are
caught in nets by the thousands DUR
Ing the night when roosting and sold
for about 20 cents dozen, the poach.
ers making from 50 to So for nights
work.
People get awful queer notions
sometimes. Here is lady who was
told that the proper way to start an
asparagus bed was to have a big
trench dug and filed with old trash
broken crockery. tinware and old rub
bers-covering this with earth. The
bed was so made and proved dead
failure, as might have been expected
If she had substituted an old horse or
the cats and dogs which the communi-
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