Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-11-21

The process Of seed dissemination IL
worthy of ones attention. Running
water, winds, birds, animals, people
and stock trains all assist in scattering
the seeds abroad, and weed seeds trav-
ell just as well as any other kind.
Now is the time to be not only think
ing about but also getting out the
storm windows where they can be
brushed and cleaned ready for putting
up. You can recall the miserably cold
time you have had in getting them
ready after the cold weather is in full
swing.
A difference Of several degrees in
temperature and also the amount OF
money which goes out of your chimney
In smoke will be realized this winter
If your house is nestled in among the
trees, out Of the wind. A windy,
drafty house is not only hard to heat,
but a mighty uncomfortable place to
live in.
The day of the old fashioned buck
wheat cake Is passing. In its place
comes one of much lighter hue and Of
different flavor. This is due in great
measure to the reducing of the buck
wheat -four with wheat flour. While
many people prefer the lighter cake,
they also prefer to do their own adul-
terating.
In many places brown eggs are con-
sidered more choice than white ones,
but it depends good deal upon the
fancy of the consumer But regardless
of the fancy of the buyer it pays to
sell only fresh eggs, be the size large
or small. Many farmers reserve the
best eggs for the regular customers,
taking the surplus to the store.
The opinion used to prevail that land
wasn't much good If it didn't grow
trees, but this idea has had its day
along with a good many other foolish
ideas. Today the finest country we
have is found in the prairie region, and
much time and expense are saved in
clearing the land. If the soil is not fer
tile enough to grow treAs the matter is
an entirely different one
The scarcity Of labor over the coun-
try is beginning to have disastrous ef
fects on some Of the southern indus
tries, some of the cotton mills being
compelled to sell not more than 80 per
cent Of their average output simply be-
cause labor is so scarce that there is
no prospect that there will be more
than enough help to operate the mills
beyond so per cent of their capacity.
A north Iowa reader Of this depart
ment writes inquiring If redtop may be
sown with advantage in the fall-disk-
ed in on oat stubble. We know Of no
good reason why 1t should not A num-
Der Of instances have come under our
notice where timothy was disked on
stubble in the fall and produced an ex-
cellent stand the next season, and we
believe redtop would do equally well.
Spraying experience of the past sea-
son has proved beyond question that
the earlier treatments are by all odds
the most valuable in checking the ap-
pie scab and damage from codling
moth. So far as we can see, the fruit
on the trees which were given thor
ough sprayings just before the bios
som buds opened and just after the
petals fell is just about as sound as
that on trees which were also given
the two later sprayings.
There is not sufficient validity in the
goose bone and muskrat house prog
nostications of the old fashioned
weather prophet so that one would be
justified in making provisions for any
less than the usual amount Of food and
fuel for the coming winter. If fellow
lays in fuel supplies adequate for the
bin when spring comes it is certainly
a good omen, and he has that much at
least to be thankful for.
A wind break is one of the first
things to consider when one Is thinking
Of engaging in fruit raising. This is as
necessary for the smaller varieties OF
fruit as well as the orchard. The char
acter of the wind break should depend
somewhat upon how extensive ones
operations are to be. A thick hedgerow
Of eyergreens or stretch Of woodland
Is best and will serve to keep out the
severer currents Of air as well as keep
in the necessary moisture.
We have on our home lawn a Winter
Aport which this year bore a bushel
of very handsome apples. The fruit
is a bright russell red in color,
very uniform in size, trifie smaller
nosed and somewhat longer than the
Wealthy and as yet too hard to be
good eating. The apple is Of good
ruoItty hofpn yIoocon< IN Tho 70 ot~