Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-08-18
A Gang of Counterfeiters Broken In.


Col G. L. Beker has returned to Washing
ton from the West, bring ng with him and
lodging in the Old Capitol Prison sixteen per-
! sons whom he arrested for manufacturing and
circulating counterfeit notes of the denomina-
tlon OF $50, $50, 800 and so cents. He also
Drought with him the plates. eleven presses,
! paper INKS, dies, &c, for forging % cent me-
tame pieces, the latter to be circulated in
| MEXICO ana other foreign countries. The
| manufactory near indianapolis was the most
! extensive An entire family of six or seven
persons were engaged in the printing and
trimming OF the notes, which are all good inn
itatlons OF the genuine notes Branches ex-
lSted IN Saint Louis, Cusiagton and Nauvoo,
Ill., winch are now suppressed. Their prin-
| cipals and employees are in prison.
while travelling with the prisoners, when
! between Altoona and Harrisburg, one of the
gun! parties, although his legs were fastened
with irons, made his escape from car while
in motion and was killed by the fall.
1t is said very large quantity of spurious
paper has been secured, much of that manu-
factured has found its way into the hands of
the soldiers IN the west. Agents for its sale
and circulation had been established in va
rlous localities. The precise extent of the
1raud Is not yet known, but it is believed
millions are in circulation. This is bv far the
most important arrest of forgers and capture
OF Instruments which has ever taken place
IN the United States or any other county.
AWARDING PREMIUMS AT FAIRs-A iud;
! clous and careful manner of awarding premi
| ums at our agricultural exhibitions is thinp
OF considerable Importance, and something
| that if well considered, will have decided
influence in properly developing the resour
nj y bur l NOT inJi al
ted, will be a means of consuming the funds
of society and return no permanent good.
We care not what the managers of certain
societies may say, but we affirm it to be an
injudlcious plan, although it may draw a
crowd, and therefore add to the financial
department. of the s0ciety-to award aeg.g
large premium to the fastest trotting horse, or
the best example Of horseback riding for la
dies, although in their proper places they are
both legitimate and deserve encouragement
and tely small one for the best managed
farm, the best example in thorough drainage,
or the permanent Improvement of pasture nd
moving lands 1t is also very often the case
that insufficient premiums are awarded for
certain crops or improvements-that is, pre-
miums which are no inducement for farmer
to raise the specified crop, or undertake the
Improvement for which the premium is Of
ii
upon by the trustees of society, should be
liberal, and such as will offer on inducement
to competitors Again, it may be well to
award premiums to the best crops grown at
least expense, or special improvements car
ried out at least cost. This is another matter
which cannot be too highly commended or
recommended to all societies, viz, the award
ing premiums to young lads for the discipline
of oxen, steers and colts, or for growing GER
tain crops-say one-fourth of an acre of corn,
grain or roots-performing the entire labor
themselves. This plan would at least stimu-
late them to be careful, selfdepending and
thorough.-Natne Farmer.
A WORD FROM AN OLD SHEEP RAIsER.-The
present prices obtained for wool, and which
are likely to continue for number of years,
have induced many farmers to invest in
sheep, and no doubt great many expert
enced farmers will have the wool pulled
over their eyes" as the saying is, and in
few years abandon the whole thing, jumping
into the next current of high prices in some
thing else, forgetting that :" Care is the mother
of hsck." The great art in raising flock of
sheed is to secure for them sound, health
constitutions, and next to this it is important
| to get the largest amount of wool ON a given
| surface. To accomplish these ends, care is
| required in selecting your breeding ewes, Sc
lecting only short-legged, wool-to-the-toe
| and woody faced ewes, well built and "heavy
set" A eve can not be relied upon as kind
and good sucker before the age of three
years at the age of four years she may be
considered in her prime, and her strong and
vigorous constitution is impaired to her prog
eny. The reason why we have so many i'll
shaped and unproductive focks through our
entire country is the hap-hazard, careless
manner of too many of our farmers in select
ing their ewes, yearlings, two-year-olds,
three, four, and indeed often up to twelve
and filteen-year- old-ewes The season ar
rives for turning in" and without any
thought about his business, the careless far
mer expects to raise a flock of healthy lambs,
simply because he is following in the way his
father went before him.-American Aqyicaa-
turist.
Sow TURNIPs.-Farmes we conjure You
to SOW turnips. Now to-day this week, or
certainly before the 18th of August The
Od-time- adage says: "On the twentv-ffth
day Of July SOW your turnips, wet or dry
The rule is very good one, but we have of
ten got great yield from seed sown three
weeks later than that time, and in very favor
able seasons have been well paid for all labor
when the seed was sown Sept. l. The right
time, however, is the last week in July. The
best sort is called "Purple Top Strap Leaf"
1t makes rapid growth, very solid, sweet,
nutritious roots Of medium size. 1t is the
most sure Of any sort that we have ever tried
or seen others try. The next best is the
yellowstone" which keeps better than the
Red-Top, and is esteemed better for the ta-
bic. A sort called "Cow-Horn,. or Long
White" is much liked by some farmers We
do not like it. 1t grows high out of ground,
and is more apt to be woody than the others,
which are fiat and very handsomely shaped.
If the season is very favorable, rutabagas
planted in July will grow large enough for
the table, and will be better than those plant
ed this year i'll the fore part of June What
ever the Sort if large enough to eat or feed,
they will be very valuable this year, as all
other root crops have measurably failed in
the great drouth-N Y Tribune. .s .-.
PRUNING BLACKBERRIES.- Persons having
cultivated the New Rochelle blackberry are
possessed Of sufficient knowledge to under
stand the fact that the longer they allow the
canes to remain unpruned the lateral branch
es are proportionately shorter and the fruit
smaller. To obtain the largest-size berries
and the largest quantity too, cut back the
leading canes to not exceeding four feet in
length, and shorten in also the lateral branch
es. This will be found to increase also the
breadth Of the stool, affording more bearing
room, and generally to result in greatly i'm
proving the crop. In field planting, the
author Of g Ten Fuouoh -