Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-01-19

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We had always rather lend than
borrow, though there is grief at even
that end Of the deal sometimes. Is
We notice that farmers are always
more ready to sell their farm produce
on falling rather than a rising mar
ket.
Make note Of it that, the hay crop
OF the country for 1903 more than
equaled in value the net earnings of
all the railways of the country.
Nine thousand people, largely Scan
dinayians, returned from America. to
the fatherland this fall / for. visit.
They came here poor few years ago
They return as prosperous American
citizens
1t is going to cost less to build the
coming year. Help will be more plen-
tiful and not so unreliable Hardware
will be cheaper, and possibly lumber,
and bricklayers will not be able to hold
q man up for So per day.:
One reading of the peace offering
given at the time of the dedication Of
the temple in King Solomon's time is
reminded Of stock yards report of
these modern times, for $4,000 head Of
cattle and 100000 head of sheep were
slaughtered on that memorable occa-
sion.
A bushel of corn will make ten
pounds of pork; it will make eight
!, pounds Of beef; will furnish good bread
timber for family of five for week
for more; it will also make three gallons
of whisky, which shows how the in
genuity Of man can prostitute the good
things given us.
A friend of ours had an old barn
struck by lightning one day last sum
mer. 1t was we'll insured. Strangely,
while the current tore out the corner
of the barn and passed to the earth
through some hay it did not set it son
ere. In the morning the young son of
the owner, when he looked over the
work Of the lightning, remarked to his
father that it seemed as though he
was an unlucky man that fire did not
start. l
Where the whole milk creameries
are operated and have to cover radius
of four or five mixes from the creamery
we are very much of the opinion that
even if the butter product did not
grade and sell quite SO high the COM
munity would in the long run be better
off to separate the cream on the farm
and send cream instead of milk to the
factory. The saving in. hauling and
the vastly improved quality of the
skim milk would more than make up
any probable loss on the butter.
A writer in woman's department
of a farm journal says that every wom-
an should take rest and nap in the
middle Of the day. This is no doubt
excellent advice where it can be fol-
lowed, but the average farmers wife
will not find it easy to spare the time.
With three meals day to cook, fam
lily washing, the ironing and baking to
do, the children's clothes and stockings
to mend, the poultry to look after and
sometimes the garden as well and some
company to entertain, she is lucky if
she can get eight hours, rest at night,
saying nothing about a ssiesta in the
middle Of the day. y
Z a friend wishes te qSfew whether a
willow tree is ever struck by light
ming. Yes, they are occasionally, but
not often. So far as we Shave observed
no variety Of tree is lightning proof,
though some kinds are more frequently
hit than Others The cottonwood. balm
of Gilead and bur oak seem specially
attractive to the electric current, while
eyergreens, hard naples. box elders
and hicllories are rarely hit. Anyway
. no tree is safe to get under during a
storm. Lightning will often hit dry
fence post or shock of grain and
dodge every tree in the vicinity. 1t
. will usually strike whatever stands in
Is the way Of its path to the earth, no
matter what tits.
The most satisfactory and successful
system of leasing farms is on shares
on a five year term with landlord and
tenant owning stock jointly to the full
capacity Of the farm to support. The
very poorest method is to rent farm
to Tom, Dick and Harry for year and
let them skin it to finish in .produc-
ing a grain crop to sell. Some fool
landlords can never view a tenant il
any other light than to look upon him
as a fellow to be squeezed to a finish,
and this begets a class of tenants who
will set it to a landlord every time
they have the chance. Successful leas-
ing of fhrms is only possible whera
landlord and tenant work together as
copartners. and This is why the long
lease has every advantage over the
short one. The draining of the land.
the growing of clover and the proper
use of the farm fertilizers are only pos
sible jn connection with the long term
lease.