Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-02-24
A0tieHltnral.
Os1ox GROWING rS ILLINOIS,

QNIoy GROWING rN ILLTxo7s.-A
correspondent Of the Iowa Homestead
says the onion crop Of Lower Egypt"
Is one Of the most important and remun-
erative crops in that portion of the state of
Illinois Probably no crop is more easily
raised, and none meets more ready de-
mand in the market. Two dollars per
bushel has been heretofore (since the war
commenced, at least, a common price for
onions delivered at almost any railroad
station in Southern Illinois; but at the
present time they are worth only one dol
lar. Even at the low price which they
command at the present time, the price
IS remuRerative. The "multipliers" are
raised chiefly; and the sets, and not seed,
are planted for the crop. They are set
late in the fall, after all other farm work
is over, the later the better-after all
crops are taken off the ground. They
start early in the spring, and sometimes
in the latter part of winter, before any,
thing else thinks of it, and require but
little labor to keep ;hem clean until they
mature. which is from the first to the
middle of June, when they are gathered,
and the ground is ready for another crop.
So that, in fact, they are not in the
way of any other crop, during the whole
season of growth. The usual crop is
about 300 bushels per acre. The setting
and ga herring are the principal items Of
labor connected with their production.
When the crop is gathered AID market
ed, the small onions are selected for sets,
aid from each set come several onions.
The onions grow very large, and have
rather more neck than onions from seed
They are rather more mild in taste. But
observation will prove to any person, that
onions, grown IN warm climate, are
more mild in taste than those grown in a
cold climate A clay loan seems to suit
them well.
Cows-GRow Corn FoDDER.-A cor
respondent to the Canada Farmer says that
he keeps dairy of twenty-s six cows, the
milk of which is disposed of at cheese
factory that last June he sowed an acre
of corn in drills, and commenced cutting
and feeding to the COWS daily the first of
July. When the September rains came
on be omitted the corn feeding four days,
and the result was elimination of ffty-two
pounds of milk per day. The corn feed
ing was again resumed, and in TOUR days
the cows gave their customary quantity of
milk. The increased flow of milk doubly
paid the cost of food given. This is an
important fact, and should induce dairy
men to provide this kind of nourishment
for their stock at season of the year
when pasturage Is short. In fact it would
seem that the former may be ro6tably
substituted for the latter under any or all
circumstances, as the yield of green corn
fodder to the acre is very great, and the
cost Of producing it omparatiyely light.
DEFEND THE WEAK CArTLE.-An ex.
change SAYS some farmers (and per APPS
it is SCI are not as careful as their true
interests require them to be in separating
weak stock from the strong and aggressive
when the season of storms and feeding
comes round. In some herds embracing
any considerable number, will be found
some animals diminutive in size and timid
in proportion to their physical weakness,
which the more vigorous attack wherever
modest effort is made to share in the
food supplied. They are hooked here and
chased there by the strong, aud should
enlist the care and sympathy of their
owner. 1t will pay well to provide a
separate inclosure fer such animals till
sufficiently developed to hold their own,
at feeding time, OF, till they are rendered
tit to lie disposed of in some other way to
advantage
SHEEP RAoK-One Of the most con-
yenient forms Of sheep rack, says the
Massachusetts P2oughn,an, may be made
with posts three feet high in the corners.
a bottom Of boards, the sides and ends of
two boards each, and the lower one the
widest, with narrow perpendicular strips
nailed on to keep the stronger sheep from
croHding the weaker. The spaces are
larger in their perpendicular than in the r
horizontal opening The size of these,
as we'll as the width of the rack, must be
IN proportion to the size of the sheep.
VALUE OF SHEEP.-We believe that
sheep judicously managed, pay better all
things considered, than any other class of
stock while as a general thing, they are
less trouble than most other stock. They
are rather law at present and SO too is the
price of wool, but like other things, the
business will have its cups and downs"
Our farmers will have to come to it, to
improve their pastures.-Iassochusetts
F9omghmon.
To REMOVE THE TASTE OF New
WooD.-A new keg, churn, bucket, or
other wooden vessel, vii generally com
muuicate very disagreeabIe odor and
taste to anything that is pat into it To
prevent this Inconvenience, first scald the
vessel with boiling water, letting the
water remain in it until cold then dis
solve some pearlash or soda in lu e-warm
water adding lime to it, and wash the
inside Of the vessel well with this solution.
Afterward, scald it well with plain hot
water and rinse it with cold water before
yon use it. The reason of this is the
ready combination Of resinous matters
with alkalines to form compounds soluble
IN water The resinous substances of wood
While new, cause a disagreeable taste an d