Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-20
rnorIrs or rRuc1s rAIM.SG.

PROFITS OF TRUCK FARMING.
An Ohio reader wishes to know if She
can safely assume a debt to the
amount Of $500 for the purchase OF
sixteen acre tract of land Of fairly
good quality, situated close to a large
city, the land to be devoted to market
gardening and poultry. This is one OF
those questions which are more cas-
lily asked than answered, for it oil de-
ponds upon the man. Some men may
incur a debt of this size with i'm
point never to owe any man dol
lar. Where good market is handy
and the growing Of vegetables and
small fruits is intelligently carried on.
as much income may be derived as
from q good sized farm. We recent
ly asked market gardener, a Swede,
who Of course was industrious and
saving, how much gross revenue he
could get from his ten acre patch in
the course Of the year. He said that
take one year with another he man
aged to make the land average about
$125 per acre, and that his best profits
came from his greenhouse and hot
beds. This income would hardly
justify such a load Of debt unless a
man could, with his family, do most
of the work himself. There is always
very sharp competition in this line
in all our cities, and stuff is often sold
very cheap to the retail trade For in
stance, as we were talking with him
his man sold ten baskets of as fine
tomatoes as we ever saw for 10 cents
basket, and the baskets held peck
each. OF course good part of this
mans living was obtained from his
garden and was not included in his
estimate of returns given US.
'STHE EARTH AND THE FULLNEsg
THEREOF"
This Biblical text has a peculiar and
| forceful significance these glorious har-
vest days, when field, garden and or
chard vie with each other in rewardtnS
honest toll. Just as man in his intel
| ligence, or too often his ignorance,
shall have treated the earth is he now
| being rewarded; for his generous work
J hundredfold, and even thirty and
/, fifty fold where his mistakes and blum.
ders have been condoned and in g
! measure rectihed. No employer OF
man so fair and just, none so generous
and responsive, as the earth. The cat
tie on the hills, the dniry herds by the
river bank, the cackle and gable of the
poultry yard, the bursting barns and
fields Of tasseled, well cared corn, the
j bending boughs of the orchard, the
white flecked cotton fields, are the be-
ginnings of national wealth. Because
Of these, steamship and freight train
move ceaseleSsly, men wrangle in the
grain pits of the market places, gold in
continuous yellow stream flows into
banks, the factory spindles hum and
all humanity is busy as ants or bees.
and all because the crops are good and
the earth has yielded of her fullness.
LIVES ON THE FAT OF THE LAND
4 He had just finished stacking the
last Of the grain and went into the
I house to supper; no company expected.
just an ordinary meal for the family.
Illustrating how an up to date farmer
may live on his own resources that sup-
per was worth noting. On the table
there We're cold fried chicken and
poached eggs, cottage cheese, baked
potatoes, sliced tomatoes, apple sauce.
corn bread and riz biscuit, beet and
cauliflower pickles, the finest of butt
ter, thick cream and pitcher of milk.
q fruit salad and tea, and with the ex-
ception of the sugar and tea every
thing on the splendid bill of fare was
produced on his own farm. But doesn't
that layout make town mans mouth
water when he thinks that all he has
to fall back on is salary, telephone
and a downtown grocer? And the
above menu could be changed and
never deteriorate either in quantity OF
quality 1865 days in the year. Best
: fed people on earth, these American
farm families, just as soon as they
find out how to use their privileges and
opportunities.
THE SHELTER BELT.
l We always pity that dweller on the
: prairie farm who either does not know
: enough or is too Indifferent and un