Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-01-31

kEGlSI EKd %Als
DIES MONIES, A.I T
.8NN @&P
CORRESPONDENCE A ~ W
SOLICITED ~
The farmers Of some sections of the
south propose to set fire to a part Of
their cotton crop and burn it up to
thus reduce the supply and keep up
the price. Fools are these. The pros
pect is that the boil weevil inside Of
three years will make the crop short
enough without burning it up.
II some man will discover a simple
remedy for preventing the borer from
destroying the black locust tree he will
confer a wonderful blessing on the ar
Horticultural interests Of the country, for
none of N forest trees possesses so
great a value for post timber or is
adapted to a wider range of soil, lati-
tude and climatic conditions. AS it
is, it is simply useless to plant this
tree.
We have q friend who lives In a
small country town. He keeps two
Jersey cows, and it is needless to say
that he gives them the best of care.
He told us recently that his cash re-
turns from these two cows, aside from
what butter and milk he and his wife
used, was $3.50, mostly from the sale
of the milk to town patrons. A man
with cows.tof that sort. a good garden
and a few hens could live pretty easy.
When a poor old horse has reached
the limit Of his useful life we think
the law ought to step in and take
such as are traded off to that class who
by dint Of whip and club will try to
pound out a few more days work be-
fore the patient and faithful animals
drop dead on the ~street-take them and
mercifully kill them. We favor the de-
velopment of the plan of using horse
meat as food for the sole reason that
were such the practice it would secure
for the old horse at least good food
and care during his last days and a
merciful death.
1t is quite a common thing for horse
men to refer to the horse which does
not keep his end Of the whifhetree up
as a lazy horse, one not doing his fair
share Of the work, when the truth is
that whenever a horse thus hangs back
and causes the doubletree to defect
from q right angle line Of draft that
horse is pulling more than his share
Of the load, IS such a position short
ems his end Of the doubletree and
lengthens that Of the other horse CORE
spondingly. The tagging horse should
not be whipped up to make him pull
more Of the load. but rather that he
may not have SO much to do.
There should be a small orchard on
every farm, enough trees to supply the
family with an abundance Of good
fruit. The kind and variety Of fruit
which should be planted will vary
greatly with latitude, altitude, soil and
location. Some varieties of plums and
apples will grow upon almost any farm
in the United States, save possibly the
~semitropical sections. Peaches may be
grown In thousands of places where
none are now produced. Given a sunny
hillside and intelligent care, the grape
will load down the vines from Texas
to Winnipeg. The strawberry is at
home everywhere and is by all odds
the most accommodating fruit Of the
whole list Of horticultural luxuries.
Fruit, especially that raised by tie
eater, Is to living what art is to bust
ness-the refined essence Of toll and eff
fort. Boys who have to steal applies
in order to get them sometimes grow
up to be good men. but this temptation
should be removed from them.
We passed a model farm home while
riding on the train the other day. Here
Is what we saw: The farm contained,
as we could judge. about eighty acres.
1t was well fenced and under a good
state Of cultivation. The homestead
was the most attractive feature; the
barn and other buildings were removed
from the home lot by a lane bordered
with trees. the buildings were neatly
painted and the fences in good repair.
The house was not large-perhaps con
tanned six or seven rooms. 1t had O
pretty porch. with vines trained over
1t, with flower garden and lawn fenced
In to keep out the pigs and chickens.
There was a half acre devoted to small
fruits and garden. an acre Of orchard
trees, and inclosing both home ground
md farm buildings on the north and
west was a fine evergreen grove. There
was an air Of neatness, carr and taste
about his whole establishment that
could not fail to attract the attention
and favorable comment of every pass.
erby. It was almost impossible to be.
lieve that there was a mortgage on this