Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-07-12

livery load of grave, put in the prop
ar place on the dirt road and every
oad Of manure put on the pasture or
,orntield Is well worth 81.
II. is unfortunate that the best time
to work the highways is the very bust
est season on the farm, for road work
with corn blowing.
The two great problems which more
thnn any other are receiving attention
all through the west are how to get wa
tef on the land and how to get it off.
We found few days ago, hanging
by fine piece Of twine, robin dead
by the side of its nest. 1t was not a
case of suicide, but of miscalculatlon,
as In trying to weave the string into
the nest it became entangled and was
JWc rights or way or the railroads
Though the western prairie country
are alone preserving specimens of much
of the native grasses and flora. These
strips of land are never plowed or
pasturcd, while all the rest of the
country is.
.!,n electric light company hunted for
long to find the cause of the failure of
a lot of its lights to burn and found
at last that pesky sparrow in build
Ing its nest had woven into it n piece
Of fine wire in such manner as to
short circuit the current.
The long horned Texas steer has been
as nearly obliterated from the plains
of Texas as the buffalo. A pair of
those gigantic horns, properly mount
ed, now commands a big price. Its
place has been taken with good grade
Shprthorns, Herefords and Anguses.
tG you have come to that period of
li!:s where your nose is trying to touch
your chin, don't get owly aud grouty.
Nature intended all her work as it be-
came old to become more and more
beautiful. Old dogs sometimes become
Cross, but an old man never should.
We incline to the tropical method Of
liuing during our hot summer days
curly rising and good snooze in the
middle Of the day. AS q matter of fact
the early morning hours during the hot
season are the most delightful part Of
the day, altogether too nice to waste
III bed.
The lately opened Indian Territory,
properly rated as the choicest tract OF
untitled land in the United States,
seems likely to become more noted for
It'll oil and mineral deposits than for
its fertile acres. 1t is not at all un-
likely that In this territory will be
developed the greatest oil and natural
gas field in the country.
The Tamworth hog, that heavy jowl-
ed, long bodied, ugly looking brute, a
direct descendant of the wild bears OF
the Black forest, in Germany, is in
spite of his ornery looks making q
most valuable record for himself right
in among his aristocratic and handsome
fellows, the Poland Chinas. He takes
to grass and clover like steer and
makes the best Of bacon.
1t is the general adaptability of some
plants which makes them so valuable.
Here is corn, for instance, Of scores Of
types md varieties, adapting itself to
the radically varying climatic condi-
tons extending from Minnesota to the
gulf: here is the Irish potato at home
in Texas and Manitoba; then we have
the tomato. one of the most valuable
of our garden products, growing equal
ly well in Florida and New England.
Because a man lives on farm 1t is
no excuse why he should violate the
fish and game laws of his state. The
law gives him only common right so
far as the fish In the streams and lakes
are concerned, but it gives him an ex-
elusive right to the game which may
be raised on his farm in most states by
preventing any shooting on his farm
without his consent, and still some of
the worst violators Of these wholesome
laws are farmers and farmers boys
We are asked which possesses the
greater intelligence-the horse or the
dog. There is but little difference. In
dividual dogs and individual horses
have been taught to do some remark
able things. OF the two, the dog is the
more easily trained. And. while speak
ing Of animal Intelligence, there Is
nothing very slow about the pig. When
hog can be taught to play cards he is