Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-07-28
agricultural.
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.


marks on this subject:
We have had some experience in crtt;nc,
grass; have heard the opinions of hundreds
OF good farmers on the subject and have
read the opinions of hundreds more and
the summing up of the whole is that Grass
is not generally cut as early as it should
be- Grass that has any pant of its driving
done before 1t is cut loses q proport;onate
part OF Its nutrient qualities. This is gem
erally understood by farmers; but we thin,,
that as general thing they do not appre
clate the amount of loss that is sustained
by allowing grass to stand too lone.
And IN this region we notice still great
or indifference in regard to the time Of cnt-
ting wild grass. Some farmers act as if
they think it no matter as to when such
grass is cut, If ii Is only done before snow
comes. 1t is true that there isa greater
dl1erence IN the time of maturity of wild
grass than of tame; but there is also inst
as great necessity of its being cut when it
lsproperly matired as there is in REGARD to
tame grass. We believe that wild hay that
stands n month too long is not worth over.
half as mnch as that cut in time; and vet
we think 1T is not une ommon for such
grass to stand two months after it should
| be cut.
1T has been frequently remarked in re-
gard to the cattle of this region that they
come out OF winter spring poor" and there
Is some truth In the remark, though there
| ale many exceptions. But these Door ami
lLais lat rapidly after getting the growing
leed OF spring. Now we do not believe
that this poverty of the cattle comes SO
much from the natural poverty of the wild
| nay rs from its poverty occasioned by neg
iect to cut 1t IN season. There seems to be
q large amount of nutriment in onr wild
grass, and it should not be allowed TO es-
cape before it is cut.
| VALUE OF FMETEoRoLoGIcAr, ORsEpv, ,rro>,e
An instrument which can accomplish the
| registration OF sunshine and cloud wonId
| lufnlSh information OF the utmost yalue to
agriculture and some of the most industrial
pursuits OF our country We NAV illustrate
what is here meant by taking one of the
most valuable of our farm erops-the hav
crop-as our example, though as will be
seen, the remarks apply to all other aeri-
cultural products. On n fertile soil tbe
weight OF grass that may be produced de-
penas on TWO cond1tlons-the supply of a
suihclency OF RAIN, and the furnishing suf-
flclency OF sunlight in the eleven weeks he
tween the middle of April and the last of
June The rain brings into the prowino,
plants the 1gnoranic materials they reo11ire
from the soil, and of course furnishes their
requisite supply of water; the sun
hight forms in them their yarious organic
ana nutnt1ve material. Now last wear
(Io6o), during the period referred to. there
was copIous supply of water, but OWING
to prolonged cloudy weather. AN insnffi7
elent supply of light-the grass was all The
time growing, rs it were, in the shade
When haymaking came, observing farmers
remarked how much longer than thew ex-
pected 1t took to cure the grass, that is. to
get rld OF It's water, and how great q falling
OH thefe was IN the resulting weight of hay.
Nor was tl1s all. The diminished quanti-
" OF nltrogenlzed material it contained
caused IL TO be less nutritive; a great
er weight of it was required TO fatter
cattle, or even to keep them in good condi-
ton The effect was felt by those inter-
ested IN raising animals for sale. and eyentu-
ally III the quality and cost of butchar's
meat .
Inc object OF meteorological observations
Is 10 enable us to record the past and pre-
dlct the future state of the weather. and
that the imperfect manner in which tbis
has heretofore been ACCOMPLISHED has been
manly due to the unreliable and unsatis-
factory mode in which the observations
nave been made When self-recordino
machinery such as New York has now in
Cehtfal Park, shall have been established
III III al our large cities, the problem of pre-
d1ctlng the weather will undoubtedlv he
solved One more important agency is.
however, essential to this result@it is teIe.
graphlc communication between such yari-
Gus observatories. A little consideration
VIII SHOW how this, which is at pres
ent vague conception floating in
the popular mind, can be carried
INTO effect. Already telegraphic compa-
mes, deslrous of aiding the PROGRESS
OF science, send over their lines without
compensation brief dispatches of the state
OF the weather and aspect of the sky. They
report for instance that at st. Louis it is
cloudy-at Charleston the wind ia from the
north. They also give the height of the
thermometer. But this information is
really OF little use. What is wanted is a
statement OF changes in the weather, with
Tue tlme OF their beginning and end Thus
- - ~ were sttIed That rain storm began at
r'''ieigh, III North Carolina at a. m that
ram STORM began IN Richmond, Virginia,
at III a. m. that the same Occurrences ham
pened at Washington at d. M. at phila-
delphla at 10 p. m., the inference would he
taat this was in fact the same rain
storm advancing northwestwardly, and that
1T would reach New York at about three
CLOCK ON the following morning; In like
manner II the time of ending were given at
such successive stations, It's time of ending
at others not gwen might be foretold If
to this information were added the ouan-
tlty OF rain that had fallen in succession at
each place, the condition of the storm. AZ
} to whether it was on the increase or de-
crease, could be indicated, and perhaps the
point at which it would die out. Now
what Is here said by way of illustration in
the case OF rain, applies also to wind
storms, tornadoes, periods of great heat.
periods of great cold, and other atmospher-
lc phenomena.-J. w. DRAPER. in HaTper's s
Magazine for Augasst.
PREMIUM BUTTER. AT the fair of the Or
leans County (Vt.) Agricultural society,
George b. Brewster, of Irasburg, was
awarded The first premium on a tub of but
ter, and submitted the following statement:
Il keep twenty-tLree COWS of the native
stock, with slight mixture of Durham
their feed was the fall feed in my moving
, fields, with pumpkins in the morning; the
cream was gathered III three days from
, milk that set th1rty-six hours after milking:
the cream then set twenty hours, then
was churned; when the butter came it
F was put into q wooden bowl and washed
! WIN NtboCI I'LL tIl5 LtiIh WIS all
washed out. and the water ceased to be
colored, and remained clear; then the Ash.
ton salt is worked III by hand at the rate of
one ounce to a pound of butter; the butter
IS then set away to stand twenty four hours
then it is worked over by hand taking q
small quantity at q time, and working out
all the brine; then it is pounded down in
the tub; the tub is filed within a half inch
, of the top: then it is covered with cloth,
! over which is spread thin layer of salt
) This tub was packed the 4th of October.
Cream is not churned the same day that it
,, is skinned, as it will sometimes have a
peculiar taste, which it does not have after
standing twenty-four hours In the fall
the pans are filled two-thirds full, and the
cream rises as well, but in summer it