Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-09-12

Weeds cut down or plowed under
during the first week in August are
generally done for. If any later growth
is made the frost gets 1t before any
seed can be matured.
There is peculiar connection be-
tween poor farming and mortgages.
Whether the poor farming makes the
mortgage or the mortgage the poor
farming has never been quite clear to
us.
Through nearly all Of the northwest
grain producing territory the pleasing
condition prevails this season of a
good crop, good weather to secure it in
and a good price for it when sold
This trinity of good things does not
often work in conjunction.
Profitable fruit raising consists
largely in being able to raise a fair
crop of fruit in those years when the
crop is short and the price high by the
use of fertilizers, spraying and extra
care given. The years of large crops
Of fruits are quite likely to be after
all Improbable crops because of the
lack OF market ana low prices
Over the great hog growing section
nf tho northwest y,-1,i Ios ctn 70
of Iowa for a center, there is almost
absolute immunity from any sort Of
epidemic disease, and with this happy
condition there is the largest crop Of
young pigs the farms have ever car
ried and one of the best crops of corn
in sight with which to fatten them
The agricultural wealth of that section
is associated with these black, white
and red beasts and the corn with which
to fit them for market
August blowing is a great thing for
the next years crop, and every effort
should be made to get as much Of it
done as possible. For this reason if
for no other it pays to stack the grain
instead Of trying 10 thrash from the
shocks, as by doing 50 a man is left
free to attend to this early blowing.
August blowing is Of immense value
as weed destroyer-prevents weeds
from ripening seed and further gives
a chance for dormant seed in the
ground to germinate, to be nicely
caught by the frost in the fall.
Before the merchant raises too much
of roar against the farmer for trad
ing with mail order houses he should
examine his stock and see what per
cent of his goods are of the cheap va
riety or are, out of date The day
when the farmer bought because there
was only one available store and he
must buy what was offered has
passed, and he now wants the best as
we'll as his friend in town. 1t might
not be amiss for the farmer to talk
with his home merchant and give him
a chance before going to the city for
his supplies, for often the latter finds
it possible to meet the mail order house
both as regards the quality and price
of goods.
A friend wants to know how to start
q lawn on his town lot right now.
We do not know of any way whereby
q satisfactory turf could be secured
for this season, as it is SO late that
neither blue grass nor white clover,
the only kinds of lawn grass seed
which 1t is Of much use to SOW,
would amount to anything this season
If sown, even If it terminated and
lived. 1t would be best to prepare the
soil this fall and SOW the seed early in
the spring. He might, however, plant
this lawn with chunks of blue grass
sod, taking irregular shaped pieces as
they would be turned over by the pillow,
and place them in holes dug for them
about ten inches apart, then level off
the lawn with fine earth and roll. This
blue grass would under such treatment
make a good fall growth provided it
was kept moist enough. Next year it
would make a fine lawn.
In the question and answer depart
ment of one of the most popular
monthly magazines we came across
the following case: A woman, the wife
Of minister. had written to the maya
zine and its readers saying that her
troubled her and she would
like to state the cause and see If some
one would not advise way out Of the
difficulty. 1t seems that this worthy
possessed railroad stocks to the
amount Of $6,O0O on which she had
never paid any tax whatever. Her
husband being of that denomination Of
ministers who change their pastorate
about every two years, the tax collect
ors had never, it seems, been able to
locate this $4,000. Consequently the
lady had never been called upon for
taxes, though, as she expressed it, she
had never made any effort either to
make known or conceal the fact that
she possessed the property. Notwitll-
that this lady was aware she
possessed goods uDOn which the law