Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-01-09

f It is entirely possible for the dairy
man to have the pasture for his cows
only occupy a very small part of his
Farm when he has it in the shape of a
silo
The agricultural products OF the Unit
ed States fer 1903 are of the value of
So, 600 100000 Such a country can at
ford,,to have a billion dollar congress
and build $20O,0o0,OO0 ship canal
The Wealthy apple has found it's
way into the New York market and
this year during its season was quoted
higher than any other apple on sale.
1t is hard to find an apple anywhere Of
finer quality or of more attractive APP
pearance.
A farmers mutual insurance COM
pany with sixteen cases of injury to
barns by lightning to settle last year
only had one fire loss to pay. This dis
proves the popular notion that when
lightning, strikes barn it is almost
sure to burn it up.
A move is on foot in some states to
secure special legislation to exempt the
horses and rigs of rural mail carriers
from taxation. This would be but a
petty relief, not over 50 per year. The
government should raise their wages
to 500 per month, which in most cases
would be fairly satisfactory compen-
sation.
It is almost as cruel to keep horse
tied in the barn day after day during
the cold weather in winter, without eX-
ercise, as it would be to neglect to feed
and water him properly. Turn the
horses out in the yard, no matter if the
weather Is cold. While their coats will
not look quite SO sleek, they will be in
every way harder and healthier for
such treatment.
There are a good many holes visible
all over the country just now-cattle
company holes, oil holes. real estate
holes holes down which the nice bank
accounts of western grangers have
mysteriously disappeared. Next time
when you get bank balance buy some
new furniture, send the boy off to
school, build a silo, buy some blooded
stock or let your bank pay you 4 per
cent on it. Don't drop it into hole.
The work undertaken by the govern
ment of transforming the worthless
sand hills of western Nebraska into pine
forests is progressing very satisfacto-
rily. 1t is expected that not less than
100000 trees-bull pines, jack pines,
red cedar and western yellow pine
will be planted and making fine
growth by ten years. This is one of the
most interesting forestry experiments
undertaken by the government.
An attempt will be made the present
winter to enact in some Of the western
states a good roads" law similar tt
that of Pennsylvania, a law which di
vides the cost of building good road
as follows: Fifty per cent to be paid by
the state, 25 per cent by the county, II
per cent by the township and 10 pei
cent by the owners of abutting farms
This plan is meeting with much favol
in all the eastern states where it is il
operation.
l. There is this to be said in favor O.
devoting portion Of the average farm
| to timber culture-that while from tn
money standpoint alone it may not pa.
| as well to grow trees as field crops it i
also incontestably true that nine out Q
! ten farmers have more land than the
can profitably work, and the assign
ment of, say, ten acres on the 160 acr
farm for timber culture is thus mad
entirely possible. Far better farm les
acres better and grow trees.
We have inquiries as to why the az
Piles were SO scabby this year. Thi
matter was brought up before til
meeting of the Iowa State Horticu
tural society lately. 1t was show
that spraying in no way prevented !
and it was ascribed to the peculit
weather conditions of 1908. In OF
own orchard Fameuse, N. W. Cree
Z, ing, Wealthy, Antonovka and Duche!
all scabbed, while Patterns Greenir
was almost entirely free.
Z Smart people are very apt to ha,
some cranky notions. A few yea
ago Mrs. Rorer, the noted cook, mao
a raid on the strawberry and assure
us that it was not fit for food, at whic
the whole world laughed, and now 81
takes new tack and says that we e.
too many eggs, especially the womel
that this egg eating habit makes the
lazy, cross and shiftless, and so we g
laugh again. If we had to give I
Strawberries and eggs life would
7 hardly worth living.
The state Of Iowa has turned out