Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-05-16
Agricultural and Domestic.

writes the GAINESVILLE Gdsette an ac-
count of an experiment tried by Mr..
John Alexander, of Milton Junction,
Wis, to test the question of the ad-
visibility of steaming food for hogs.
On April 4th be had Is hogs weigh
ed, the aggregate weight being 3, $40
lbs, an average of 1929 lbs. The
same hogs were weighed IA days
afterward, when theaggregate weight
was 1910 lbs, gain of 430 lbs. a
gain per day for each hog of 2 and
l-2l lbs. During this time each hog
ate each day 5 and 5-26 lbs, of meal,
made by grinding corn and cobs to-
gether. This is small fraction over
"a lbs. of meal for one pound increase
in live weight of hogs. At 60 cents
for 20 pounds of the corn and cob
meal, the cost of the food to produce
one pound increase in weight was a
little less than ct cents. To this is
to be added the cost of preparing and
feeding it.
AT the present prices Of feathers,
is not the fleece Of poultry stock an
itemn of profit of more Importance
than it is generally considered to be
by farmers? The other day, (says a
contemporary, we had occasion to
price feathers at the upholstery stores
in Boston, and found the retail price
of the best quality Of "Iive geese
feathers" to be $110 per pound the
second quality, rs to 80 cents, and a
pretty coarse article of mixed feath-
ers at so cents. On referring to the
quotations of the prices for geese
feathers in the Neo0 England farmer
for 1853, VIC found that the price was
at that time thirty five to forty cents.
At the same time wool was quoted
at thirty to sixty cents a pound ;
-four, 1915 TO 612 a barrel corn,
sixty-five to seventy-four cents a
bushel With these remarks, we
leave the subject for the consideration
of those who raise poultry and pluck
feathers.
The Rural Nea0 Yorker calls at
tention to the fact that the supply
of California and Oregon wool, com
ing to the Eastern market by way
of the Pacific Railroad, in advance of
western" woods, will take the edge
off high prices and counterbalance
the present scarcity in the market
1t estimates the supply from this
source at "a 100000 pounds. The
price at which these woods have
opened is from rs to 20 cents, gold.
There never has been since 1862
such complete drainage of wool in
the East as at the present time.
Medium fleece wool is very scarce in
all the seaboard and interior markets,
and there is a general tendency up
wards in price. Combing fieeces are
also higher, In truth there has been
clean sweeping Of both domestic
and foreign woods. As to prices for
next clip, at present every thing looks
encouraging to the wool-growers.
The size to which vegetables at
tain in California is almost incredi-
ble-pumpkins weighing $50 pounds,
squashes $50 pounds, beets 100,
pounds, and carrots 80 pounds; and,
astonishing as these facts may seem,
it is easy to understand how these
results are obtained where growth
never ceases.
"A. G. Moore, the most extensive
breeder of Poland China hogs in this
country, allows his sows to have
but one litter year, that to be drop
ped in April, May or June. Eight
months is as young as he allows pigs
to copulate. He thinks in-and-in
breeding very injurious.
"A physician claims that 10000
women have been squeezed to death
by corsets during the last five years.
Still, this same weak folly is INDUCED
in, and women are daily losing their
health, and even their lives, at the
mandate of fashion.
"A London correspondent says
that Queen Victoria visits Prince
Albert.s tomb every day at Windsor,
places basket of fresh flowers near
it, reads chapter in the Bible, kneels
down, and offers up a prayer that
she may meet him in the world to
come.
Horace Greeley's new book, en-
titled "What l Know of Farming"
bids fair to be one of the greatest
publishing successes this year. Large
advance orders have been received by
the publishers, who expect that the
first edition will be over 20, 900 copies.
To rid your apple trees of borers,
you will need to follow their bur-
rows by cutting with a chisel or
knife until you can crowd a small
wire, or twig from off the trees, to
the end of their holes f; in this way
you can punch them to death.
To ascertain what cows are
hurtful in butter diary, our prac.
tice and that of our friends, has been
to test the cow by churning the
cream separate. In this way, good
COWS or ordinary mixers are also
found out.
Wheat, grass, and fruit trees seem
to derive the greatest benefit from
the use Of ashes but vegetables of
all kinds thrive and are less liable to
be troubled by worms than when
other manures are used.
Many of the Welsh peasants live
almost wholly upon oatmeal-cakes
and buttermilk, and seldom suffer
from indigestion. The acid (lactiC
acid is regarded as promoter OF
digestion.
Good whitewash, well applied
to fences, rough siding, and the walls
and ceilings of buildings, has high
ly sanitary influence, as well as bo
ing in the highest degree pressrvative
in its effects.
"A Western writer gives it as his
belief that if as much attention were
paid to improving corn as is given t.
grapes, q hundred million bushels
| might he added tn the animal cron