Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-08-09

the destruction OF weeds produces q
somewhat similar wilt" in workmen
and horses.
The ravages of San Jose scale in a
number of eastern orchards have been
almost entirely done away by careful
and persistent spraying with bordeaux
mixture.
| A fellow never knows all about boys
until he has supervised their work in
a four acre onion patch. 1t serves as
sort Of kaleidoscope of boy thoughts,
feelings and actions. The real boy
shows here.
! Were it not for the operation Of a
law Of natural selection and an elimi.
nation Of the fruit of weaker vitality,
apple trees would be broken to the
ground could they furnish nourishment
sufficient to bring all the fruit that
sets to maturity.
There is no product Of the home gar.
den that is more easily raised, more
readily prepared for the table or that
gives greater measure Of satisfaction
than tomatoes. When canned for win
ter use they may be put to variety of
culinary uses, making one Of the best
standbys that the housewife can have
1t Is the Indication Of a rather de-
PRAYED municipal and individual moral
x1yhjn J, nccin To hn
next fellow or next town buns, small
pox suspects or the carcasses Of dead
animals that are often dumped into
running streams. We are all too often
well contented If, the affliction is only
on the other fellow.
If there is a wet patch on the farm
which is so situated that it cannot be
conveniently drained, willows may be
planted there to advantage, not only
providing shade for the farm animals
In case it happens to be in the pasture,
but limited supply Of summer wood.
Anything that can be raised on such
low places is clear gain.
There is no cover crop for the or
chard that approaches alfalfa in lati-
tudes where it can be grown or red
clover. we have the latter in large
portion Of our orchard this year, and it
is making a fine and rank growth, In
many cases choking out other grasses
and weeds. The second crop will be
allowed to seed and stand on the
ground SO as to catch the snow and
serve as cover during the winter.
] A portion Of the writer's orchard
which has been left unsprayed this
year, with view to serving as check
on the rest of the tract and giving a
practical demonstration of the benefits
of spraying, already shows marked
damage from the apple scab and leaf
spot fungi, even though the apples are
barely three-fourths Of an inch through.
AS result of the two further spray
ings there is good reason to believe
that the difference between the sprayed
and unsprayed fruit will be even more
vested in the fall.
Secretary f. D. Coburn of the Kan
sas State Agricultural society, who is
an enthusiast of the first order and
has done and is doing a great work for
the agricultural interests of the west
and southwest, has refused prefer
Of United States senatorship as q
successor to the disgraced Burton. He
preferred to continue the work in which
he is so wrapped up and in which he
is rendering exceptional service rather
than to enter what he considers the
doubtful and disappointing career Of
politics. While few will doubt the wis
dom of his choice from the standpoint
Of personal satisfaction, there will be
many who will feel regret that he did
not see fit to accept the offer that
came, our political system being in as
great need Of Improvement and regen-
GRAFTON as are methods of agriculture.
The call is loud for men of the head
and heart qualities of Professor Co.
burn.
1t seems to be the consensus of opin-
ION OF InOSe VINO nave naQ nrSt mana
experience with the Canada thistle and
quack grass, both root stalks and with
out question the two worst pests in
the agricultural vocabulary, that they
can only be eradicated by being dug
out bodily by the roots repeatedly dur
ing the season as fast as any new
growth shows or by a process Of stran-
gulation, which consists of deep and
thorough blowing, followed by careful
narrowing and a late sowing Of buck
wheat. With the most careful han,
ding by either method it is seldom that
one seasons warfare will suffice to
eradicate the pests. 1t is true with
these plant pests as with good many
other disagreeable things in everyday
life that IAN ounce of prevention is
worth pound of cure it being far
easier to take the necessary precaution
to examine the imported seeds with
which the seeds of the quack grass and
Lf.l-