Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-03-20

it's quantity of milk? If so, you'll be
deeper than that.
Beet sugar enterprises, like matrimo-
ny, should only be entered upon after
calm elaboration and reflection, sue
cess in either case being accompanied
by much pains and self denial as well
as large rewards.
If in doubt as to what you want to
put into the home garden this spring,
just take mental inventory of the
family's likes and dislikes. Don't spend
time and space in putting in what they
don't care for, but do plan for plenty
Of the vegetables which are liked.
In many agricultural communities in
Europe labor saving machinery of
American make is condemned simply
because it does too much work. The
customs and practices Of centuries
seem to make necessary the perpetual
ton of slow and tedious hand labor.
Observation leads to the belief that
the fellow who plants poor seed corn
is the same chap that signs his note
for a stranger and buys ounces and
apricots of fruit tree peddlers for plant
ing north of latitude AZ degrees. This
kind seldom read, and, if they do, fail
to comprehend.
A man told us the other day that
twelve years ago, when he bought a
piece Of land in Iowa and paid $50 per
acre for it, his neighbors made fun of
him, but that now some Of them had Of
fered to take 1t off his hands at twice
that and $40 more per acre. Some men
see farther ahead than others.
One year with another, a good mule
will fetch mere than a horse by about
10 per cent, this estimate based upon
the cost Of raising. Furthermore, the
mule requires less care, Is less liable
to be injured because Of a less nervous
disposition and seems to be immune to
- 41AA4OCl VI IAO 1lluQCAlS WHICH Ill
f1ict a horse.
Get hold of a root of the English vio-
let if possible this spring and put it in
some shady and sheltered spot where
it will not be disturbed. If allowed to
grow, it ought to bring good returns.
We had little bed last year that
was full of buds and blossoms before
the snow was fairly gone and blossom
ed off and on all the season. The color
and sweetness Of the English violet are
especially pleasing.
With the innumerable books and
magazines and papers which are being
turned out daily in the interest of the
farmer and his work it would be pretty
poor logic on the part of any one to
suppose for an instant that as class
they weren't progressive and intel
ligent set of people. Agriculture is
highly esteemed in this age Of CONNER
cialism and is constantly being pushed
to the front by conventions, schools
and the press.
A writer Of one Of our leading maya
1ineR, discussing the material progress
In the south, is authority for the state
nent that an expenditure OF. about
$aoo00o 900 on levee work on the Mis-
sissippi river would reclaim IN area Of
20,O00,O0O acres of land fertile enough
to produce bale Of cotton to the
acre, which would result in an increase
Of wealth Of between $500, 100000 and
100000. If the facts are as stat
ed the proposition is one which should
receive the serious consideration of the
federal government.
While engaged in pruning in his
large orchard last spring the writer
noticed a rather strange thing. Max
ing it practice to remove the cocoons
of worms nests from the crotches and
limbs Of the trees. he found one in
which the occupant-the chrysalis-h
been removed and a kernel Of corn
tucked in It's place. That this might
be accidental suggested itself, but a
close inspection of dozen other CO.
coons showed that some shrewd bird,
possibly crow or blue jay, had de-
voured the tenant and was using his
home as storehouse.
The finest product Of the myriads Of
farms of this splendid country Of ours
is not pedigreed seed corn, the No. i
hard wheat, the sleek coated horses
and thoroughbred cattle and hogs, but
the rosy checked and healthy boys and
girls that annually come to maturity
and leave the old home farm or re-
main thereupon to fill positions Of re-
sponsibility and opportunity in busy,
bustling world. Viewed from the high
standards, it is this product Of our
American farms that brings the highest
return, most credit and largest meas
ure Of satisfaction and upon which de-
pend more than on all else the contin-
ued success and prosperity of our gov
eminent and free Institutions.