Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-05-09

Good cheese with some people seems
to depend upon getting it with just the
right degree of putrefaction and stink.
Don't burn the dead leaves, for they
make the best Of all mulching and
should be. placed around the berry
bushes and fruit trees.
The planting of grove out on the
prairie always attracts bird life, they
seeming to prefer the shelter and food
afforded by such conditions to life in
native timbered sections.
When it forms considerable portion
of the bill of fare rice, which Is rich in
carbohydrates. should be supplement
ed by foods of high protein value, such
! as meat, cheese and legumes, beans,
peas, etc.
Among the list Of birds which were
quite plentiful when the western prai-
rie region was first settled fifty years
ago and which have entirely disap-
peared are the small gull, the long
billed curlew, the plover and the blue
winged teal.
Have any of our readers ever tried
the ferret as a means of getting rid of
the pocket gopher? We should be glad
to hear from them if they have, or to
receive the details of any other plan
that has been found successful in Grad
icating the pest.
A poultry fancier living near Chicago
will this year raise 5000 English
pheasants. 1t has been found that
these birds do very well in confine-
ment, while it is claimed they will
bring good prices both for useful and
ornamental purposes.
Under modern scientific methods the
art of buttermaking has attained such
perfection that 1t Is doubtful If any
better butter will ever be made than
! has been and is being made. The only
trouble is that there is not enough of
the best butter made.
A number of capitalists located near
Pasadena, Cal, have conceived the
rather unique idea of starting an ele-
plant ranch and raising the animals
both for pleasure and profit. The out
come of the enterprise will be watched
with considerable interest.
A cOmmendable sanitary precaution
which has been taken by one enter
prising western city consists in the APP
pointment of an assistant health physi-
clan to inspect all fruits and vegetables
retailed by stands and hucksters with
a view to ascertaining it's fitness for
food and the condemning of any por-
tons which are decayed and likely to
produce disease.
We are asked whether popcorn is a
paying crop to grow where other corn
does well. 1t is not as a general thing.
There Is often considerable difficulty
connected with drying and storing the
latter crop, while the market for it is
far away and very fuctuating. An
account is that popcorn stalks have lit
tie or no feeding value.
The placing of poultry and game in
cold storage in an undrawn condition
has been found to be responsible for a
large number of cases of ptomaine
poisoning, recent report attributing
the deathly sickness of 14S people In
one locality to this one cause. An agi-
tation is on foot looking to the passage
of legislation which will prevent the
placing of poultry and game in cold
storage in the above undressed cOndi-
ton.
Careful tests which have been made
go to show that of two mixers equal
ly careful and gentle with the dairy
cows the one who milks the faster
gets a greater per cent of butter into
his pail. A friend Of the writer, with
view to accomplishing this result to
the greatest possible extent, had his
boys milk COW between them, one on
one side and one on the other, results
obtained going to show that the plan
worked out even in this case.
The largest farm in the world is
owned by Don TerraZas Of Chihuahua,
Mexico. 1t comprises 100000 acres
and trains are half a day in crossing
his estate. He owns 100000 horses,
100000 sheep and brands 100000 calves
annually He conducts great slaughter
and packing houses and owns his own
refrigerator lines. He employs 10000
laborers and lives in a palace worth
$2,OOO,OOO, being the richest man in
Mexico and the wealthiest farmer In
the world.
A very useful as well as important
work which is being conducted by the