The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-09-21
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.


CABBAGEs.-A writer in the american
Agricultuist says: Last fall was mourn
ing over an unusual number of half de-
veloped cabbages, which were only fit to
be fed to the cows, and mentioned the
fact TO Duchess Co. farmer, who is in
business in New York, and has lately
bought farm near us, asking if his crop
turned out badly. His answer was, that
he had no more soft heads than he wanted,
or to the effect that he would feel disap-
pointed if he had not considerable
number. Now we, neither of us, raise
cabbages for market, but for our own
consumption mainly, and was utterly
at a loss to know what he could do with
a quarter of his crops that failed to make
heads.
He told me that he dug wide trench,
80 deep that after some top soil was
thrown in he could set the cabbages out
in the trench as close as they could stand,
and their heads would not come up level
with the top of the ground. When
planted, he covers the trench with boards
and some brush, corn-stalks, salt-hay and
earth on the top, keeping it open at the
ends or elsewhere until cold weather, and
then covering it in close. lie said they
would all have firm, solid heads in the
spring.
l tried it, and at the time l write
(ApriD we are enjoying the best cab
bages we ever ate. They are rather
small to be marketable, say four and one
half to six inches in diameter, solid and
sound, crisp and tender, as delicate as
caulihOwers, and what is more remark
able, never know when we are going to
have cabbage for dinner until | see it
upon the table. The great objection
have to this most wholesome and deli
cious vegetable is, that it usually fills the
house with its perfectly detestable odor,
so to have cabbage without this draw.
back is worth all the trouble it costs. If
these winter-headed cabbages could once
become known in the market, / am con-
fidont that their merits would command
for them ready sale all through the
spring. The cabbages in market at this
season are very poor. They are very
apt to be slightly decayed, will keep but
little while, as they wilt at once, and
soon after rot. wish now that l had
enough to test the market with, but |
have not, and write this partly in the
hope, that somebody will do it next
year.
The PROFIT IN SHEEP.-The editor of
the Michigan Farmer gives the following
results, being the practical experience OF
wool.grower in that State. The editor
says: The estimates of our friend are as
follows: Take one hundred wether year
lings on the LIST of July, at their esti-
mated actual value in the market, say
shorn the first time. These yearlings to
be full-bred merinos, such as he has on
his place, and they ought to average, in
ordinary fair condition as store sheep,
seventy-fve pounds each in weight, and
be worth three and half cents per
pound live weight, or two dollars and
sixty-two and half cents per head. We
would then have
100 yearngs first cost. 30
Cost OF pasture and feed at the same rate as
he would keep for hire 100 sheep OF like
quality, for the months Of July, August,
September, October and November, allow
ing them twenty -f We acres OF grass, and the
run OF the fallows and stubbles, at two cents
per head per week, twenty-one weeks..." 43 90
Feed from Dec. 1 to May 1-150 days:
$50 bushels corn at 80 cents...."...."..S7500
10 tons OF hay at W per ton........,..... ~ w
acres OF corn stalks at S7............" 40 90
acres Of straw at ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. 700
Cost OF man TO 70 10
One barrel salt. -..."....................... 90
- 233 90
Washing and 15 90