Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-05-29

Beef went up to $3.50 on tho hoof in
1882. 1t is not unlikely to do the same
this year.
We have found the last two weeks in
May the best time during which to
transplant evergreens.
A good many small potatoes will be
used for seed this spring owing to high
price and scarcity of seed.
If it had not been for the corn fodder
which was saved last fall, there would
have been forage famine all through
the west this spring.
Tomatoes will do best on a we'll en-
riched sandy soil. On soils rich in hui
mus they will make too much vine to
get best results in fruit
The farmer can plant and sow and
work his best this year with the Ger
tain assurance that all he produces will
ind ready market at paying prices.
1t takes more skill to take a refracto-
ry piece of land and SO treat it that it
will produce good crop than it does
to get days work out of an unwilling
workman.
We note in late market report black
bass was quoted at IA cents pound
and carp at ~ cents pound. This
Just about represents the relative value
OF the two kinds of fish.
It is not so very far back to the
thrashing floor stage Of grain growing
in this country. for the writer has
tramped out with horses many a bushel
of wheat on the barn floor.
In Cairo. Egypt all dogs are protect
ed by the Mohammedan religion and
tnfest the city without protest. We are
glad that the Christian religion takes a
more sensible view Of dogs.
The ability of any soil in any country
to grow grass very largely determines
the value of the land, for wherever
good grass will grow there meat may
be made, and meat from now on is
money.
There are still far too many dairy.
men who think they have done their
full duty by their cows when they have
given them all the shocked corn they
will eat. There is better way If they
only knew it.
When we see ut one of these western
towns great piles of baled prairie hay
and a tile factory in operation, we
) know that the farms of that locality
will be producing sixty bushels of corn
to the acre inside of five years.
The mammoth clover is the best lie
the enrichment of the soil where it is
sown is the principal thing sought, but
If forage is desired the medium clover
is better. 1t is difficult to make good
hay out of the mammoth clover.
Hundreds of farmers will give alfalfa
trial for the first time this year Not
all will succeed, but many will where
the soil conditions are suitable. Wher-
ever n plant SO rich in protein can pos
sibly be grown on farm it certainly
should be. -
A reader in Illinois wishes to know
IL black walnut makes durable fence
posts. 1t does; it is one of the best of
our native woods for this purpose,
though its present value for cabinet
work would seem to preclude its use
for fencing purposes.S
We have two acres of heavy timber
land which we have cleared and grub.
bed out this spring. and we are going
to plant it with the best variety of po-
tatoes we can find. We ought to grow
ZONE extra good murphies on this land,
for it is rich in all that sort of plant
food which the potato loves.
a certain man whom we know took
his disk harrow and went with it the
length of his farm on the public high
this spring and smoothed down the
hubs and filled up the deep ruts. 1t did
not take him very long, only one mile
of travel, and every traveller had
good word to say of him for long after.
The fish commissioner Of the state of
Iowa has for several years obtained
large supply of young fish-bass. pick
erel. pike and crappies-from the bay
Gus along the Mississippi river. where
the spawn was hatched. and thus has
stocked the inland lakes and streams
OF the state at a small expense This
method of fish distribution will now
cease for at least two years owing to
the failure of the last legislature to
make the necessary appropriation for
the work.
\ The So,00O,00e people Of this country
use about enc barrel Of -four per head
per year.