Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-13

r.
1t is possible now to send 100 pounds
of freight half way around the world
for the small sum of 40 cents. We used
to get that much for hauling the same
amount by team a distance of fifty
miles.
Varieties of peaches which will stand
a temperature of 20 degrees below zero
are being successfully grown in many
parts of the country where heretofore
peach growing has been considered i'm
possible.
The twin evangelists of agriculture
always working and blessing the waste
places Of the country are blue grass
and white clover, ever creeping by way
side and highway, unlimited and al
ways welcome.
Old black walnut stumps are being
dug up all over the west for use in the
manufacture of gun stocks, the stumps
in some cases bringing more money
than the tree which grew upon them
did fifty years ago.
For some years there has been craze
or fad for the all red Shorthorn, and
this, too, in spite Of the fact that the
prize winning animals at the big shows
have quite generally been of some other
color, mostly roam. The color fad is
sometimes carried to an extreme.
The close of the year 1902 sees more
hogs in sight than ever before and
more active demand for their product
at higher prices than the hog raisers
have known for many years. Coupled
with this condition of things is an al
most entire absence of epidemic dis
eases among the herds.
Here's a point: If you empty the
warm cream from the farm separator
taken from the mornings milk into the
cold cream skinned the previous even
ing, you have done about all you could
well do to spoil the whole batch. If
you have to mix the cream, cool down
the morning product before mixing.
Don't forget this.
While it is true that your eighty dol
lar an acre farm will not, If rented for
cash, pay you much in excess of per
cent, we still would hang on to the land
in preference to selling and investing
the proceeds in some other form of in
vestment Farm land will neither burn
up nor be lugged off and for all time to
come is bound to be most valuable of
all assets.
| A very common mistake in the plant
| ing of groves of timber around the
prairie farm homestead is to have the
belt of timber too narrow and too near
| the premises. In such case it operates
| to catch the drifting SHOWS and becomes
tirely prevented by planting another
row or two of trees out away from the
grove at distance Of fifteen or twenty
rods.
Some of our most successful feeders
are coming to the conclusion that 0
steer may be more economically and
probably fed by mixing his grain ra
ton with his roughage, the claim being
made with reason that this manner OF
| feeding secures a more thorough and
| perfect mastication and assimilation OF
the ration. This fact has been brought
prominently forward by the few mer
/ who have fed ration of silage to theil
| beef cattle.
The wet season of 1902 has given q
great impetus to drainage schemes OF
all sorts and kinds. Many of the wet
counties of the west are conducting
large drainage enterprises involving
the expenditure of thousands of dol
lars to provide ample and permanent
outlets for the surplus water of theil
wet areas, while thousands of men are
preparing to tile large tracts of farm
lands which such season as the pas
has rendered entirely unproductiye.
/ The production Of farm and garden
crops is being carried on very success
fully in connection with the state insti
tutions of the western states. In thu
state Of Iowa extensive additions hav'
been made during the past year to tn,
farm lands of nearly all the state insti
tutions, it being found that when unde
proper supervision the convicts and ;
very large per cent of the imbeciles cal
thus not only contribute largely to thei
own support, but in the doing of th
work are greatly benefited mental.
and physically. A sight which nigh
have been seen last July at one of tn
insane hospitals was brigade of sey
enty-fye patients engaged in hoeing
forty acre field of potatoes. The super
intendent had told them that if the,
did not hoe for dear life they would no