Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-11-17

dollar q buShel pays wen, anu flbstOTalSs
having few taxes IN comparison to other
pursuits ought to be content. Not being
entirely satisfied with my own figures l re-
ques5ed q neighbor one of the most in
dust1ious and shrewedest farmers l know
Of TO Give me q statsment Of the cost of n
bushe of wheat. Here it is. 1t will be
observed that my neighbor put theyalue of
land at fifty dollars, and he says:
The interest on $50 at 6 per cent. is IS,
which, divided by 20, glyes,--........ 10
Cost OF. seed, G3..-...- -.-,......- -.---.. 10
Cost.of pIowing, 81. So. ,........,. ......... y
Putting the ground IN order, Sl.5O.. q
Drilling in, Sl.50.. .....--..s..--s.s .--- y
Rsapiag. Sl-....... 49,. --.-.....-.
Binding, SIPS. ....,......-.
Shocking, 40c ...-..,..-.
Boarding hands while cutting. 40c.-.-....
Hauling and staclliE Q, S1,25 ---....=...... %
Ihresnlng, 9l =. .-'-.- 49, ...''.'''
Boarding hands, 81. ......#........- D
Hauliffy TO market, 81. ,.......: ....... D
Taxes On mon 4 invested in seed, plow-
ing, narrowing, and drilling, .,,,,.. 24
Total cost per bushel. .....-...-..... 9O4
Considering the straw and pasture worth
the wear and tear Of tools, harness, ETC.,
the above consider q fair estimate Of the
eosc OF one bushel of wheat
The land may be estimated too high; but
that very fact, taken III connection with the
inflated condition of the currency, is a
strong one, in evidence of the distressed
condition. Of the farmer. On the Other
hand, he puts the average production OF
wheat TO thea acre at twenty bushels. 1t Is
not much more than one-half that.
Now, the dollar the farmer receives is not
a gold dollar nor is it even paper dollar.
Pie farmers as a class are, perhaps, the
heaviest consumers in the country, and IN
b., ,E,ao N
tic]es sold on an inflated currency, aggra-
waited, or rather sustained by the tariff. Let
us see. While he sells on gold valuation,
he purchases on a paper basis. On salt he
paws a fearful bonus 10 the salt manutac-
turer that never reaches the government,
and therefore, not considered taxation.
The same is true on iron, that enters so
largely, through machinery, into the busl-
ness Of farming. To benefit the pig iron
interest of Pennsylvania he is forced to
paw a heavy bonus. This is the same OF
his hat his coat, his pantaloons, his boots
all that his wife and children wear. -
This is what he gets IN return for his
wheat. But, you say, look at his corn; see
what he gets for his corn. Corn is high
because it is scarce, and if we average this
article as we have the wheat 1T Will be
found that it fetches less, although consld-
cred the better crop in this section of coun-
try. Nor will il do to assert that any OF
this loss is to be attributed to bad manage
menG. Here is my neighbor, John Enoch.
He has over i, 500 acres of the best land IN
the world. This is the accumulation of his
own hands; and the net result of his own
head And yet 1 viii venture to assert that
for the last four years Mr.. Enoch has moth
ing to show for his heavy investments and
labor He has probably kept out of debt,
which is more than bis neighbors, who had
to borrow money to pay their losses, can
assert
EXPERIMENTS WITH OATs-During the
present year the Michigan Agricultural Col
Iege tested eight varieties Of oats, all of
which were shown at the Michigan State
Fair. We give n summarr of the results:
Excelsior Oats-An English variety.
Sewn broadcast, April 50. Weight OF seed
per bushel, A lbs. Harvested Aug. 5.
Yield, per acre, go. 6 bushels. Weight 35.7
lbs. per bushel;
Somerset oats, English variety. Sown
in drills. April 80. Weight Of seed, per
bushel, A lbs. Harvested Aug. 9. Yield,
per acre, 942 bushels. Weight, per bush
ell, 81 lbs
White .Sc5onen Oats.-Imported from
Hamburger Sown in drills, April %.
b
vested Aug. 2. Yield, per acre, 81 3 bush
els. Weight, per bushel, 37.5 lbs.
PJacIe SsoediSb Ods.-Impor from Ham
burgh. Sowed IN drills, April %. Weight
of seed per bushel, 40 lbs. Harvested Aug.
%. Yield, per acre, 66, 2 bushels Weight
3Of lbs.
Prince Ea,card's Island 0ats.-Imported
from Prince Edwards Island. Sown broad
cast, May 1. Weight of seed per bushel,
38 5 lbs Harvested Aug. II. Yield, per
acre. 622 bushels. Weight, per bushel,
342 pounds.
Brooks Oats.-Sown broadcast, May 1.
Weight of seed per bushel Is TBS. Har-
vested Aug. II. Yield per acre, 68.6 bus.
Weight, per bushel, 81 lbs.
N0rl5dy Oats (RdmSLeH )-Sown May IL.
Harvested Aug. "a Yield, per acre, 50.3
bushels. Weight, per bushel, % lbs.
Surprise Oats-Sown broadcast, May 5.
Harye ted August T. Weight, per bushel,
46 Tbs. Yield interfered with by shade OF
trees.
The seed of the four varieties first named
was furnished by the Department of Agrl-
culture Tt viii be noticed that, in every
case where the weight of the seed and that
Of the grain raised are given, the latter Is
the smaller. We have omitted the guam
titY of seed sown and the amount OF land
used.
The difficulty of SO conducting such ex-
periments as to make them entirely salts
| factory is well shown above. Some of the
varieties were sown broadcast, some in
| drills There was difference of thirteen
! days in the time Of sowing, 30 that 1t IS
very difficult to compare the results with
fairness.
Breeds OF. 6HEEP.-The following state
ments are condensed from a report made
/ by Mr. G. Howard, of Bedford, England,
before the London Farmers Club,
i. Leicesters cut q good fleece of wool,
upon an average Of pounds each, and
weight at IA or 15 months old from, from
8 to 10 stones each.
2. Cotswold average, when fit fer butch
er, at IA or Is months old, from II to IL
stones; and the weight of wool OF the
whole flock approaches to S pounds each.
3, Lineolns are not generally TT for the
butcher at Il or 10 months old, but they
+ are kept until they are % to % months old,
wnen their weight will be from 81 TO 40
hounds per Quarter; and they cut s. second
fleece, weighing from 10 to IA pounds. The
weight Of wool of an entire flock, under
fair average management, is about eight
! and a half pounds each. a
4. Shropshires, as yearlings, cut from
five and a half to seven pounds of wool,
) and if they have been well kept, will weigh
I from is to Is pounds per quarter; but they
are not calculated to come out as yearlings,
4 and are more frequently run on until the
following Christmas or second years clip,
when they can be made twenty-five or
thirty pounds per quarter
I 5. Oxford Downs (of which Mr. How,
ard has been for many years distinguish.
ed breeder) generally drop their lambs il
the month of February, and at thirteen tt
fourteen months old they are ready fol
market, Weighing upon an average ter
stones each. with fleece varying from
seven to ten pounds. The ewes are gooo
mothers, and produce a great proportion
of twins.
4 A BUSINESS WEDDING. "A novel wedding
was celebrated in Memphis on tine Zoth
p ali, hITJ