Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1858-07-10


vest, should sit cody down and calculate,
without prejudice, the improvements of
the day. If his crops are not sufficient to
warrant the purchase Of the best improved
machinery, it may be that he could aford
to hire neighbor Jones to use his reaper or
mower for a sam that would pay.
Tile best method Of caring is quite as inn
portant as the time aud process of cutting.
FOO many Of our farmers lose half Of the
value Of their crops by negecting TO take
care Of them at the proper time, and the
proper manner.
Especially requires to be cured without
rain or heavy dews, and had better go into
the barn or stack little too fresh, than a
little TOO dry, if tina drying must be at
the expense Of the most savory and nutr
tious qualities a few pounds Of salt to the
wagon load will preserve it and give it all
the better relish.
Herdsgrass, and rei-top, should be
stacked, if possible the day on which it is
cut, and clover. which, because Of larger
and more succulent stalks may require Il
longer time, should be cooked, or, at least,
winrowed every night while exposed to the
weather. The tidy farmers Of New Eng
land, who do business on small scale
are in the habit Of using caps made of thick
streng sheeting, and there is nothing more
Icertain than that, during rainy seasons
they pay for themselves ten times over
1t may be that some Of our enterprlsing
farmers Of Wisconsin, who do business on
a larger scale than is possible down East,
would like to make the experiment, and so
we propose the following method of pre-
pairing the caps.
Take strong sheeting yard and quar-
ter, or yard and half wide, and cut in
to pieces of equal length,so that each cap
shall be square: paint one side with mix
.ure Of linseed oil, beeswax and japa /, in
the proportion of two gallohs of the oil,
eight pounds Of wax and two quarts OF
japan for one hundred caps: the oil to be
simmerel with the wax until dissolved,
and lie japan to be added afterwards
Apply with whitewash brush or with the
hand and dry in the sun. The paint will
prevent rayelling, and The cap may be Sc
cured in its place by sewing up small
stone in each corner. Caps Of this sort
will cost about 90 cents each, and woald
last ten years if properly taken care Of
OF course they should only be kept on the
hay during the night in fair weather, and
during the storms 10 bad weather.
One word more: Let the farmer re-
member that three tons Of hay IN tie barn,
will be worth, in the spring, as mlcl as
four wintered out in the storms; and that
if the spacious barns are not to be had,
The stack should DE matched with straw.
GRAIN CROPS
Mcguire but little less care, and should be
threshed as soon as sufficiently dry. This
thing Of leaving the ssshocks" to stand in
the field until the straw is ruined and the
grain is half sprouted is miserable policy
which too many see fit to practice.
THE CORN FIELD
Must not be forgotten. Now before tie
ears begin to set, root out the weeds again
and stir the soil with isht double shovel
plow. There is less danger that the roots
Of corn will BE injured in this manner, than
that it will suffer for moisture, AMI aeration
if neglected.
July is also the month for
SOWING TURNIPs.
We would be glad to see our Western
farmers giving more att ention to root crops
and less to wheat. Nothing is better for
stock during the late fall aud winter, and
certainly no other crop is SO economical.
Moreover, by a proper system OF rotation,
in this way, two crops can be grown in one
season. That field which has been IN
clover for three or four years, after The tlrsi
crop of grass for the season has been cut,
may, with advantage, be broken up, thor
louehIy narrowed, and put into turniPs.-
So also, the oat and wheat stubble, after
thorough manaring, may be appropriated
to the same use. Some are IL the habit
of sowing turnip seed with herdsgrass ami
red-top, and report fayorably upon the sue
cess of all three.
But whatever the system Of rotation, il
is certain that turnips require COOL rich
ground, deeply plowed and well pulyer-
lied.
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