Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-10-28

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Corn may be king; but, like other
reigning monarchs, he has good many
soft spots in his makeup this year.
1t is a good idea to let the pigs run
through the orchard and pick up the
worm eaten windfalls, but they should
never be fed OF herded in it.
The corncob can hardly be depended
upon to take the place of coal this win
ter for it is doubtful if the cobs can
be got dry enough to burn at all.
The grass and weeds should be
cleared away from around the fruit
trees before the snow comes to prevent
the mice from making nests and gir-
ding the base of the trees.
There will probably not be much
complaint this year of loss of stock
from the cornstalll disease. There is
SO much green and immature corn that
the stalk ration will be better bal
anced.
We have packed lot of nice, sound
Wealthy apples in oats to see il they
will keep longer than they would in
the barrel. We have no faith that they
will, but some who have tried it claim
success for this method.
IT., is the deficiency of humus in the
soil which explains the impacted con-
dition of so much of the arabic fields
as a result of the heavy rains of the
summer. The easiest way in which to
remedy this trouble is to give the land
two years course in clover.
Try baking the pumpkin in preparing
the material for pumpkin pies. 1t is
fruit down and far less trouble. as the
pumpkin can be quartered and baked
and the cooked pulp dug out with
spoon, no pairing or cutting up being
required. fg
The gang pillow is gradually super
seding the sulky plow simply because
by putting on the extra horse more
| blowing may be done in day. The
necessities CT the case are compelling
the substitution of horse and machine
work on the farm wherever it will
lessen the need of hired help.
II one wants June results from the
cow in January. June conditions must
be provided. This is the key to sue
cess in winter dairying. June furnish
es an abundance of succulent milk
making food. genial tempera ture and
/! plenty of sunshine Provide these
things in January and you will get
June returns from the COW.
There is always this to be snid in
honor of agriculture-its products are
always honestly earned. no man en-
| gagged i'll it has ever cause to have a
| tussle between his avarice and his con-
science or study to see how nicely he
can violate the intent of law without
breaking its letter. Its rewards are
never deftly flched from some other
mans toll.
We have an inquiry from Arizona as
to where the Colorado blue spruce can
be obtained for planting. Most of the
up to date nurserymen offer this tree
for sale. though there is much differ
ence in the individual merit Of the
trees. Only small per cent of the
trees grown from the seed show the pc
culiar color which makes the best
specimens Of this variety of confer 10
very attractive.
Referring to an item which appeared
in these notes recently commenting
the use OF horse to tramp and pack
the center Of q hay or straw stack
while it was in process of building. we
are asked to explain how the horse
could be got down from the stack
when it was finished. This is easy
enough. A pile Of loose straw or hay is
left at the end of the stack. and he just
slides or tumbles down to the ground.
Mining and agriculture do not go wei
together. Here is farmer in Missouri
suing smelter company for destroy.
ing eighty acres of fine clover for him
by the poisonous gases and fumes OF
the smelter. The best combination OF
the two industries of which we have
any knowledge is in Iowa and Illinois
where the land is worth 500 an acre
to raise corn and another $100 per acre
for the coal strata which underlie the
cOrnfelds.