Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-27

! ! !; Us ]! !; s.
DES MONIES, Ia. 3
.&6SS@ ~
so: sGiis;YgS 0 81 . ]
There is no need to worry any more
about the weeds, for they have gone
to seed to curse both you and your
neighbor for next year.
We now have concrete streets and
sidewalks. cement buildings. posts and
piling. The coming architecture is
largely going to dispense with brick,
stone and lumber.
We have good many so called
statesmen who. like the modern air.
ship, are able to rise by virtue of the
gas they carry, but who drift which
ever way the wind blows when they
are up in the air.
A man never liyeth to himself alone
If he is resident of small town His
dear neighbors will find out everything
about him. his business and domestic
affairs and some besides. 1t is probable
that this sort of gratuitous detective
service does not a little to keep some
people straight.
All are agreed that the willow hedges
untrimmed are nothing but public nui-
sance when grown bordering the pub
lie roads. They cause impossible drifts
Of snow in winter, keep the road mud
dy after rains and shut off any view
of the good farms on either side. These
hedges are generally being removed.
During the seven years drought in
Australia mare Of native stock made
the discovery that there were green
and tender grasses growing at the bot
tom Of large pool of water, and she
learned to dive to get them. Her prog
eny also took up the diving habit, and
the chances are that had the necessity
continued new race of diving horses
would have been created
The present prices for farm products
fully justify present prices for farm
lands. In fact if assured of continu-
IF cyoh rrsinnc "a of
farm land would easily bear an adj
vance of 20 per cent. Good land Is to-
day one of the cheapest things on the
market as well as one Of the safest in
yestments. Farmers wives will do a
good thing If they balk and refuse to
sign deeds of the farm at present val
ues.
We give the following figures as Civ.
en- to US lately by manufacturer of
the new cement blocks which are now
coming into use. He said that silo
sixteen feet In diameter and twenty
five feet in height could be built at q
cost for the blocks of S134; that these
blocks are SO dovetailed into each 9th
er that they make practically solid
wall. II to this be added the cost Of
laying up it would seem as though here
was silo for something about $500
that would be the cheapest and best
thing yet worked out. This idea is
worth investigating.
A farmer is never quite ready to
move to the town If he can't get rid
Of hankering to raise hogs. A hog
in town is always out Of place unless
he is dead. AS begetter of original
and uncomfortable stinks the hog in con-
finement takes the cake. Hens in town
are bad enough, lowering the moral
status Of any locality where they run
at large. But when coupled with the
odor Of hogpen on warm August
evening the two combined can neu-
tralize the best efforts Of the churches.
If you think you must keep hogs, stay
on the farm, where there are plenty of
wind and neighbors half mile apart.
The cement blocks for building pur
fSoSS
munity and used in constructive work
at just about two-thirds the cost of
brick, with the added advantage that
the work, while equally durable and
fireproof, looks much handsomer. The
best Of it is that wherever there is
sand Of good quality these cement
blocks may be profitably manufac-
tured. While we have not as yet noted
that it has been done, we see no rea-
son why cheap and excellent drain
tile could not be made from this mate
rial which ought to give q fine bust
ness all through the prairie regions,
where fuel is high priced and tile
draining necessity.
There are still many localities where
the first crop raised on the land will
pay for it. 1t may be done in the new
ny-