Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-04-19

The robin, which nests in March,
probably raises second brood later
on in the season.
When one can sell cord wood for SO
per cord and buy hard coal for $3.50
per ton, there is good money In selling
the wood and burning the coal.
We can readily see how cats can be
made to regulate the supply of rats
and mice, but what really interests US
more is to find out some way to regu-
late the supply of cats.
A long drawn out winter season Is
not 80 much of an objection where one
lives in timhered country or owns
timbered farm, but where one has
prairie farm it Is serious objection.
The Russian has but 120 days in the
whole year during which he can work.
The others are all either Sundays or
church holidays, which makes it a case
of piety begetting poverty with
vengeance.
The war in the far east Will cut off
the supply Of butter from Russia, and
the countries which she has been sup
plying will have to import 10000 tons
from the United States and Canadast to
take it's place.
It is rather curious trait in the dog
that when he falls into the habit Of
killing and worrying focks Of sheep he
will never do his work near home. He
will almost invariably travel several
miles for his victims.
Much interest and discussion Is be-
ing taken in the plan of teaching the
elementary principles of agriculture in
the country schools. The plan has
much to commend it. Plant and AMI
NAL life studies always interest the lit
tie folks.
We have friend who always sows
clover seed with all his small grain
crops. We do not know just what his
regular course Of rotation Is, but we do
know that he has wonderfully pro-
ductive farm, and it has been under
cultivation for sixty years.
Comparisons sometimes help one to
feel more contented with his lot in life.
1t would be hard to find any ab1ebodied
man in this country who earned SO
small a sum as $50 a year and fed him
self and family with 1t, but China and
India have such people by the hundred
million.
Alfalfa and trolley railways are re-
generating the state of Ohio-the al
falfa is restoring the lost fertility of
the soil and the trolley is making life
in the country accessible to the people,
with all its advantages. Indiana, ILL
nois and Iowa are beginning the good
work too.
The minimum rates Of transportation
are about reached by the great railway
corporations Of the country. They can
hardly further improve the physical
condition of their systems by eliminat-
ing grades, using bigger engines or lar
ger freight cars SO as to much further
lower freight rates.
A New York reader wishes to know
how to put up grated horseradish at
home and have it retain its color as
well as that which is put up by the
professional Gamers. We cannot an
swer his query further than to say that
the discoloration referred to is doubt
less due to the imperfect exclusion Of
the air.
A friend who set out wtndbreak. of
Scotch pines twelve years ago writes
us that it was one OF the best invest
ments he ever made; that the trees
are now perfect windbreak twenty
feet high. He planted selected nursery
trees from three to four feet high, set
two rows, breaking joints, trees six
teen feet apart each way.
In these days of sharp business COM
petition and improved commercial
methods eggs are still sold by count
and not by weight, an unjust and TN
fair method, the like of which is not
found in the buying and selling of any
other commodity that we know Of. The
French people long ago discarded the
count method, ard we wonder why it
is not done in this country.
Our observations lead us to believe
that not less than 60 per cent Of the
young birds which are Matched of al
most any species, save the sparrow,
are destroyed from one cause or an
other before they are able to leave
the nest and care for themselves. The
domestic cat Is one Of their worst enc
mics, the crow and blue Jay raid the
nests of the tree building birds, while
I, ell