Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1903-07-22

Edited for - - - -
OPINION ~ -
ockford, Iowa - .
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We want to call attention to the ex-
ceptionally fine flavor Of the Candy
strawberry. In this particular 1t is the
king of all the berries of our acquaint-
ance.
Every season, as with the opera,
brings out some new carnation as a
candidate for public favor. In two
years both the flower and the singer
are forgotten.
Many of our common wild flowers
are very pretty and attractive, but we
find that any attempt to dOmesticate
them meets with more or less failure.
Like other wild things, they seem to
resent the effort of civilization.
1t takes about twenty years for any
new variety of apple to make its place
sure. in public favor. Only within the
past three or four years has the
Wealthy apple come to be recognized
as standard apple through the coun-
try.
The sheep herders of the west are
protesting that it will be very serious
thing to shut them out from the gov
eminent forest reserves. But it will not
be one-half so serious as to let them
remain on these reserves and destroy
all the young timber.
The dry season of 1901 and the wet
one of 1902 taught great many les
sons both to farmers and fruit growers,
almost more than they can take in and
remember. After learning how best to
conserve moisture they were immedi-
ately confronted with the problem Of
how to get rid of it, and If the season
of 1903 is an average one good many
of them will hardly know what to do.
We wish to commend the adjustable
disk harrow for orchard use. With it
cultivation is possible as with no other
tool, and it further secures an entirely
level surface at all times. In country
where the rainfall is hardly ever sufii-
cient to secure the best development of
~, -,
ly level cultivation is very important
one in conserving the moisture avail
able.
There is no doubt whatever that In
an early day before the forests were
all removed the timbered sections of
the country were much better adapted
to the growth and development of fruit
than they are today. During the fifties
in the state of Wisconsin it was an
easy matter to raise the finest kind Of
Pippins, Baldwins, Spies, Greetings
and other choice varieties Of apples
which today it is folly there to plant.
Here is a recipe for raising prize
crop Of corn, 10 bushels per acre: A
clover sod turned over in September,
forty loads of manure to the acre, one
blowing and six draggings in the spring
before planting, an average of two
stalks In hill, one dragging after
planting, one deep and four shallow
civilizations and the removal Of all bar
rem stalks and suckers. You can raise
just such crop as this If you want to.
Wherever class legislation character
ICES the government of a country it will
be found invariably that the favored
few get possession Of the land, the
masses becoming in some form or other
the tenants and so called interiors. II
this country is wise, it will enact re-
straining legislation Of some sort which
will prevent the corporate ownership
Of real estate in large quantities. So
long as the land is free the people are
free.
The foreign laborer rarely eats meat.
1t is beyond his reach. He supports life
on brown bread, macarOni, spaghetti,
skimmilk, oatmeal, potatoes, olive oil
and vegetables, coupled with ration
of cheap beer or wine. The labOring
man in America usually gets meat
twice a day and often three times and
Is without any doubt the best fed Ia
boring man on the face of the earth.
The attempt to feed him as the Euro /
pean labOrer is fed would start an in
at once.
The apple tree blight, which was 80
common last year, Is of bacterial orr
gin, for which 1t is useless to spray.
The only available remedy seems to be
the cutting Off of the blighted limbs
below the point of infection and burn
ing them up. Wet seasons superinduce
blight more than dry ones, and espe-
cially should certain varieties Of apple
trees, such as the Transcendent crab
and the TetOfsky, both good apples, be
kept out of the orchard. as the disease
Ia certainly spread by infection.