Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-06-23

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Quack grass almost always follows
in the steps of the grain renter.
A 300 pound hog is enough OF, a rarity
in the south to be considered worthy OF
mention in the local paper.
We are inclined to think that the
cow should have her vacation when the
parson takes his-during fly time.
A man can get a lot of dandelions
dug out of his lawn very cheapiy q
few days before the circus comes tt
town if he manages it right.
The excess of rain, which is death to
the chinch bug, is encouraging to the
propagation of the Hessian fly. There
are bugs to suit all kinds of weather.
Assessors and boards of equalization
are looking after the man with his
property in money and mortgages
much closer than they have ever done
before.
In the case Of two recent fires at farm
homesteads the loss Of barns, stock
grain and everything was complete
just because the farm buildings were
all punched.
There is nothing wrong In letting the
boys go to the circus, go a-fishing, hunt.
ing and swimming and letting them
have just as good a time as possible
but the little rascals should at the same
time be taught how to work.
1t is little late for practical appli
cation this season, but we mention the
fact that sheep If allowed to run over
a lawn infested with dandelions will
pick every blossom head of this noxious
plant in preference to any other food.
1t Is with the water Of the country
as it is with its wealth-there Is enough
Of both, but neither is properly dis
tributed. The excess of water in the
northwest this year would make par
adise of west Texas If it could only be
used there.
We notice that the lightning rod men
have been recently getting in their
work among the farmers of Pennsyl-
vania. One would think those old fell
lows had lived long enough and were
wise enough not to get caught by this
hairy old swindle.
Binding Irvine is higher this year
than last and is likely to be still higher
by the time the harvest is ready. The
state Of Minnesota has demonstrated
that the best use to make of convict
labor is in the manufacture Of binding
Irvine, and it would pay other states to
look the matter, up.
A serviceable silo can now be built
at cost of about 81 per ton Of its ca
pacity, which makes it not only one of
the best methods Of preserving the
corn crop, but also one of the cheapest.
Any man growing twenty acres of field
corn and keeping stock should look the
siao up, for there is good money in the
use Of it for him.
There is almost an entire absence OF
the heavy draft horse in the southern
states. A few Of this sort will be seen
on the trucks and drays Of the cities,
but the farm work is almost wholly
done either by mules or the range
horse. AS we noted southern methods
of farming, there is need Of a better,
heavier animal, the teams used being
too light to do the work properly.
a mixed cross of standard French
coach and Norman blood resulted in
the birth Of colt on q farm in the
west which possessed as 1t grew up to
maturity speed, size and action of a
kind that prompted an offer Of $3.50 to
the owner Of the unbroken colt by a
sharp Chicago horse buyer. This ami
NAL when broken and fitted will be-
come one Of those $500 drivers the sales
of which are frequently noted.
The owner Of large tract Of valu-
able pasture land in the west who has
heretofore pastured stock for his neigh
bors for so much per head for the sea-
son has this year adopted the plan of
charging cents per pound for the gain
in flesh made by the animal during the
season, weighing the stock in tle
spring and again in the fall when they
are taken out. This is more euuita-
BILE plan than making uniform charge
per head
Here was d difficult situation The
farm team had worked very hard all
the week with disk and drag putting
in the crops. On Sunday the hired man,
without asking his employer, took the
tired team and drove ten miles to see
his girl. When demonstrated with the
h. m. got on his ear and said he
would quit II he could not have the
team on Sunday for his own moo Tho