Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-20

Recent experiments made in Eng
and show that power generated by
gasoline motors is 60 per cent cheaper
han steam power.
Ono Of the largo railway lines of the
west will not use cedar ties for the
reason that they are too soft to stand
The terrific impact of the modarn loco
motive.
Specializing on the board of trade,
betting on tho races and whisky are
the trinity of traps which IRE said to
catch 30 per cent Of the defaulters Of
the country.
We IRE running the cider mill these
early September days, and the Juice
Of the Wealthy apple makes drink
fit for the gods; it also makes the
finest Of vinegar.
Two things, very similarly named,
are looming up us most important fac
tors connected with the agriculture of
the southwestern portion of the coun-
try. They are alfalfa and the catalpa.
very unusual one-a large field Of
grain recently cut and the shocks set
with mathematical accuracy both
ways in straight lines. This field was
a fit subject for camera. This in
Nebraska.
A common idea prevails that light
frost which will pinch the leaves Of
the corn is a good thing for 1t in has
tening its maturity. We think this is
oil wrong and that the ear is never SO
well developed as when 1t ripens un-
touched by frost.
A tramp was recently killed while
riding the blind baggage, and when
the coroner sat on him it was found
that he had $3.50 sewed in the lining
of his old coat. He was, in spite of
this, beating his way from Texas to
North Dakota. Queer types are these
hoboes.
Either the humming bird Is short on
bird sense or else the fowers-cannas,
salvias, asters and the like-furnish q
continuous supply of nectar, for we
watched one of these little fellows WIS.,
it the same Gamma blossom twenty
times within the short space of fifteen
minutes.
The alberta peach made great rec
ord in the west this year. Beginning
down in Texas in June. it kept making
Its way north through Arkansas and
then Missouri, winding up with splen-
did fruit from the latter state up
to September. This peach will have to
be classed hereafter as a standard
southern product, as much so as cot
ton.
Good sense has returned to the
grain growers this year. and more of
them have put their grain into the
stack than for many years. The grain
was thus safely secured, the plows
were started on the stubble in August
the straw will be worth twice as much
when thrashed late in the fall, and the
grain will be brighter in color and bet,
ter in quality.
We met a fruit man recently who
lives in southeastern Nebraska. He
was engaged in harvesting the frui,
from 100 acres Of peaches, from which
orchard he had sold 10000 bushels al
a net profit to him Of $4,000. This
beats corn, hogs and alfalfa. He is 10
Gated forty miles west of Omaha anC
has raised peaches successfully fol
seventeen years.
A scientific friend of ours claims tina
grain tields-wheat and oats-are les
liable to be smitten with rust where
the prairie winds have a free SWEEP
over them than they are where pro
tected from the winds by belts of tim
her. The rust, which has almost ruin
GU lnS W uedl CIOp VI luc bdhOluS I'LL
year, would seem to have done It's worl
in spite of the winds.
A dairyman friend has tried this plal
with his cows during the dry and heat
ed term Of August and early Septem
Der: He brings his cows in from til
1 pasture at 10 O'Clock, puts them in til
basement barn and darkens it and the
gives them what silage they will ea1
| varying this with feed of sweet corr
! The cows are turned out again towar
/ evening. His milk check keeps Jun
/ pace.
1t is pitiful to read Of the injury sus
tanned by the great wheat crop Of tn
northwest section this year, magnif
cent oceans of wheat promising twer
/ ty-fve bushels an acre, in three day
smitten with rust which silently fe
on them as did the plaques in tn