Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-10-06

we would neither buy nor set out
tsees of any kind in the fall of the year
through any of the northwestern coun-
try. The spring is the time for tree
planting.
When man comes to sixty years of
age he then begins to realize on his
early investment of good sense in
spending the years of soung manhood
in right way.
The scientists inform us that fifty
bushels of corn is equal in fuel value to
two tons of coal. The time has been
when this fact might be worth noting,
but the day Of using corn for fuel has
gone.
No modern farm tool is coming into
favor faster than the manure spreader.
Manufacturers can hardly supply the
demand. There is good reason for this,
US the tool will pay for itself in two
years on any stock farm.
Intensive agriculture as practiced in
France, the island of Jersey. Holland,
Japan and other densely populated
countries would, il applied to the fer
tile lands of the west, easily double the
average product of the soil.
One reason why SO many men remain
toilers and poor all their lives is that
they have been too careful not to give
more than dollars worth of work for
a dollars worth of wage. This thing
bars promotion to easier places and
higher wages.
Our attention was called not long
since in a thrifty western town to q
$4,000 schoolhouse on one side of a
street and q $1,000 Jail on the other.
The schoolhouse was full and the Jail
empty. This tells the story of our west
ern civilization.
Corn. which is unusually backward
thfs year owing to the excessive rains
and prevailing low temperature OF the
central west, is, we notice, at least ten
days ahead where it was planted on a
clover sod DER that planted the same
time on other soils. Here is practical
fact worth needing.
There is no agricultural prosperity il
the whole world like that enjoyed by
the western farmer who feeds out the
raw material raised on his farm-the
seller OF beef, pork, mutton, wool. eggs
inevitably becomes richer and more
productive each year
We note, as usual. this fall the ole
chestnut going the rounds that light
frost would help the belated corn tt
mature. This is an error, for under NJ
circumstances will frost ever prove
beneficial to immature corn. If the
crop is not well ripened and a frost is
looked for it is infinitely better to GU
up the crop and let it ripen on tn.
juices of the stalk in the shock.
We knew of number of cases in til,
middle of September where men ha,
from fifty to hundred tons of goo(
tame hay in their barns and from thir
ty to fifty acres of good corn in thu
field. The hay will sell this winter fol
from $3.50 to $500, but they will feed i
out and let the corn fodder which coult
well take the place Of the hay go IL
waste. This is poor management.
is one Of the leaks on the average farm
which should be stopped.
| New Zealand farmers are given tn,
privilege Of placing their own valuation
on their farms for the purposes of tax
alton, which some would regard as
snap were this privilege not coupled
with the right reserved by the govern
ment to buy the mans land any TIM
within twelve months of the time o
making the assessment at 10 per cen
above the valuation placed upon tn
land. This plan, it is said, secures
very satisfactory assessment
A friend who has recently purchase,
a brush land tract and who wishes t
get it cleared up at the least expens
wants to know how best to do it. l
we had it we would cut the wood an,
the brush off clean, leaving the stump
and grubs in the ground; would the
| fence it and run just as many sheep o.
the tract MS it would possibly carry
Goats would do the work quicker. Il
three years it would be nice, smootl
blue grass and white clover pasture
and team of four good horses woul
turn it all over in nice shape save for
few of the largest roots and stumps.
On the 10th day Of September Will
working in the orchard we found tn
nests of two cuckoos, or rain crows, a
they are commonly known. One mes
contained two eggs about twice a
large as those of robin and brigh