Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-07-05

uull as llkely TO lanu you IN often ana
you can usually count on their not
playing out before you've reached your
destination.
The development of tractable and
desirable harness or work horse de-
ponds almost as much upon the dispo-
sition and character of the person hay-
Ing the care Of 1t as upon the original
temperament of the horse itself. A
careless driver can spoil mighty good
horse.
The era is past when 1t is safe to say
that the man who can't make go Of
it in any other line of business can
succeed at farming Brains and In
telligence are now required In this, as
in any other occupation, and he will
be disappointed who takes it up as q
last resort.
An item is going the rounds Of the
country press to the effect that two or
three grains of fiaxseed planted In
each hill Of potatoes will keep away the
potato bug We are somewhat skep-
tical in regard to the efficacy of this
preventive, being tempted to classify
it with that other agricultural super
stition which recommends planting in
the full of the moon.
Two farmers living but short dis
lance from the writer's home have
been called upon in the past few weeks
to pay $50 each for damages done a
neighbours flock of sheep by their
worthless dogs. II canine has once
committed this offense he can never be
trusted again, and the only remedy Is
shotgun loaded with buckshot or a
dose of poison. In dogdom this is a
capital offense, and the only penalty
commensurate is death.
In addition to planning to turn over
to the boy fine farm when you throw
off the harness, aim to give him the
best possible education that is within
your means. 1t is barely possible that
he may not at the time fully realize
what you are doing for him, but rest
assured that his gratitude and appre-
citation will find full expression as the
years pass by. The first thing you owe
the lad is good family name, the Sec
ond as good an education as you can
give him, and lastly and Of least i'm
+ portance is the bestowal of lands or
other property. He will likely forgive
you If you fall in the last particular,
but win hardly do SO If you are remiss
In the first two.
We do not recall the investment Of a
small amount Of time and effort that
brought a larger return of genuine sat
isfaction than that consumed In the
fixing Of little platform which was
suspended In large cherry tree with
In view Of the dining room windows,
on which supply Of bread and milk
was placed for the birds that nested
near by. A particularly entertaining
sight was that furnished when moth
er orfole and five Of her young, just
able to fly, came to the board for their
morning meal which quite often oc-
Cured during the breakfast hour. The
mother bird evidently thought this
supply was quite find, for she and
her brood visited 1t regularly, and to
see her feeding her little ones in turn
was most interesting spectacle for
ANY lover Of bird life A little pains
taken In some such manner to cult
vate the acquaintance and friendship
Of these little feathered friends is we'll
worth while.
Following a gradual and steady ad-
vance In value Of all Mississippi val
ley lands, the owners have been forced
to consider and adopt methods Of
draining wet and heretofore practically
unproductive land. AS result Of the
passage Of favorable legislation num-
Der Of big drainage bitches are now In
process of digging in several counties
OF western Iowa and southern Mime
sofa. 1t is estimated that the largest
Of these drainage bitches will cost
when completed in the neighborhood
Of 100000. 1t will be from FIVE to
seven feet deep and have width of
oooo1 AAIoSh AcoI' 1uiS OilCA VIII
serve as the main artery of a drainage
system that will accommodate the sur
face water from thousands Of acres Of
the finest and richest Of land that only
needs drying out to the point where It
can be properly titled to produce the
most abundant crops. Farms at dis
lance from the main ditch on either
side will be tile drained into smaller
bitches connecting with 1t. The work
connected with the digging Of the
drainage canal Is SO prosecuted as to
distribute the expense connected there.
with among those whose land Is bene.
flied by the drainage afforded