Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-01-16

Lumber has become a very, knotty
problem.
Wherever sweet clover will grow,
fhere alfalfa will grow If it is proper
~ treated.
1t may be assumed safely that If
the soil and climatic conditions in any
country are such that grass will not
grow such country is in hopeless way
agriculturally.
Farming without weeds is not thing
of itself to guarantee good type of
agriculture, for the land may be al
lowed to become SO worn that even
weeds will not grow.
There are two places where the
pocket gopher seems to work the most
the clover field and
along the rights Of way of the rail-
roads. these latter being honeycombed
for miles ut stretch with the bur-
rows Of the pest.
The Kherson oats, a recent importa-
ton from central Russia, are making
a good record in Nebraska, where they
were first introduced, and In Iowa
these oats are yielding fifteen bushels
an acre over other varieties. This
grain is worth looking up.
The dried blood, byproduct of the
packing houses sold under the name Of
tankage, Is most valuable poultry
food used with other rations. This
tankage is rich, In protein content and
fed during the winter season furnishes
the hen with food specially suited for
egg production.
The milk cow is always badly out Of
place In a stalk field In winter. To
make her pay in winter the warmest
corner Of the barn, the best early cut
hay and generous ration Of chop feed
are simply indispensable. Then do not
fill her up with Ice water once day.
She Is no boiler.
A warm horse shed at the rear of a
country church looks better to US as in
1icating the religious zeal Of the men,
bersh1p than large subscription by
them for the heather without 1t. No
real Christian can afford to give money
FOR a heather in warm country when
the old mare that brought him to
church stands outside Of the building
in a bitter winter wind.
A friend of ours owns good farm
and was lucky enough recently to Sc
cure as n tenant Dutchman with a
good husky wife and thirteen children.
There is not the least doubt that in
this case the farm will be well taken
care of and both parties do well. The
care of thirteen children would seem to
be quit a domestic and economic prob
lem, but it is one which, a Dutchman
can solve much more readily than the
average American.
The sowing Of about two pounds Of
rape seed to the acre in q cornfeld at
the time Of the last cultivation proves
to be good preventive for the loss of
stock when turned into the cornflelds
by the 80 called cornstalk disease. The
green food which the rape affords
helps to balance up what Is very IN
balanced ration without It. We have
never heard Of any one losing cattle
from this disease where little rape Is
growing in the cornfeld.
All over the corn belt Of the country
a wonderful interest is being taken In
the improvement of the corn plant,
which is being studied az never before.
Four years ago such thing a. corn
show or corn judging school was un-
known, while today 1t is difficult 10 find
county anywhere In the corn belt
which Is not promoting such. enter
prises. 1t is resulting in the greatest
Of good. Better types Of corn are being
distributed for seed, and much valuable
knowledge is being obtained and dis
seminated relative to seed corn, meth
DDS of culture and preparation Of soil
for the crop. This work is bound to be
reflected in larger general yield Of
the corn crop all over the country.
The cheapest and most practical
method for improving many of the
highways Of the country is to tile drain
the roadbed, putting a line Of four
Inch tile about twenty inches outside
Of each wheel track. Where sufficient
fall can be obtained this plan and the
use Of the road drag will result in Civ
Ing almost perfect dirt road at any
season of the year. The great thing in
road building is first to get rid of the