Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-08-23
Farm and Household.

W preserve Il neat appearance. as, When
the grass Is allowed to get too long with
out cutting, instead of saving it. entails
more labor. During the summer months
moving machines should be set so as to
leave the grass half an inch longer than
earlier IN the season and late in the
autumn. This is especially needful
where the land is dry, and the roots
OF the grass are liable to be burnt up.
WATERING PLANTs.-Plants set against
walls and piazzas frequently suffer from
want of water at this season, when other
ground near them Is quite wet. Draw
away the soil around each plant so as to
form basin; fill it with a bucketful of
water, allowing it time to soak gradu-
ally away, and when the surface has
dried little, draw IN loosely the soil
over 1t, and 1t will do without water for
some weeks. This applies to al plants
wanting water through the season. If
water IS merely poured on the surface,
1t Is made more compact by the weight
OF water, and the harder the soil be-
comes the easier it dries, and the result
IS, the more water you give the the more
Is Wanted.-G Gardeners Monthly
- LIS AMI IftE WAY 10 hEEp I'M EN-
Use great care in packing them from
the trees, and when transferring them
from the basket to the barrel handle
them like eggs. Get the best granulated
sugar barrels to keep them in, and when
the barrels are full cover them With a
thick paper to keep them from the air.
Then with barrel-header press the
heads in, and keep them out OF the Gel
lar as late as you can without having
them freeze. Put them in the dryest
and coolest part of the cellar, and raise
them from the ground three feet or
more on skids, and do not open or dis
turb them until they are wanted for
use. If exposed to the air by opening
the barrels to pick them over, some of
the apples will rot and others will
wither.
Wool SUGGESTIONS.-It will ALWAYS be
best for a farmer te produce wool of one
sort or the other. Wool that is neither
one thing nor the other-neither long
nor short-will not usually command
satisfactory price so readily as if
it were either the wool clipped from
Merino sheep or from the backs of some
long-wooled breed An intelligent deal
er in wool assures us that delaine wool
should be at least three inches in length,
and be round, strong staple The
practice of buying wool at an average
price per pound, without regard to Its
quality and condition, is paying a
premium for and encouraging the
growth of poor and dirty wool, for grease
and filth cost but a triae per pound
compared with choice, clean wool.
WoOlgrowerS who raise wool above the
average as to quality and condition can
do better than to sell it at an average
price by sending it to reliable com
mission merchant, where 1t will be sor-
ted and sold according to its merits.
This is a safe and satisfactory way to
sell good wool. 1t is not to be expected
that wool-buyers will advise farmers to
thus dispose of their wool, for it de
prives them of all the commission for
buying besides some Il cents per pound
extra in addition for all the delaine
wool sorted out by them.
WHEN TO Cut GRAIN.-The proper
time for cutting all cereals is on the
maturity of the grain; when the green
color of the straw just below the ears
changes to yellow, the grain can not af-
forwards be more fully developed, what
ever may be its stage of ripeness. Any
improvement is rendered impossible
by the changed condition Of the upper
part of the stem, indicated by its alter
ed hue, which cuts off the supply of sap
to the ears, while the latter possess no
power of absorbing nutriment from the
air. When these vital processes which
continually affect the growing plant are
checked then purely chemical forces
come into play, and if seed perfectly
ested it is attacked by the forces of
light and air, and its good qualities
suffer rapid deterioration.
In the case of wheat, C.ninently
practical authorities decide in favor of
early cutting. Within three weeks of
being fully ripe the straw begins to di-
minish in weight, and the longer it re-
mains uncut after that time the lighter
it becomes and the less nourishng, ifde-
signed for cattle food On the other
hand the ear. which is sweet and milky
a month previous to being ripe, gradu-
ally consolidates, the sugar changing
into starch, while the milk thickens in
to the gluten and albumen of the -four
If reaped at this time, when the grain
contains the largest proportion of starch
and gluten, which change Is completed
about two weeks before the grain be-
comes dead ripe, it will produce the
most fine flour, the least bran and the
greatest weight per bushel. At this
period the grain has a thin skin, and
hence, as it is intended for consump-
ton as food, the less bran it contains
the better. The bran, or covering of
the seed, is the last part to be perfected,
and the growth OF the seed for several
days before It's perfect development is
directed solely towards It's covering
Since this is the least valuable part of
the grain, its increase is undesirable,
and when in excess it is really of less
value to the miller.-Anle1icd1s Cohiudtor.
VERMIN DESTROYER.-Th following is
a specific for destroying vermin: Two
pounds Of alum dissolved in three or
four quarts of boiling water. Let it re-
main over the fire till all the alum has
dissolved. Then apply it with brush,
while boiling hot, to every joint or Gre
vice In the closet where ants and cock
reaches intrude; to all the pantry
shelves, and to the joints and crevices Of
bedsteads Brush all the cracks in the
floor and the mopboards with this mix
ture. A cement of chloride Of lime
and powdered alum used to stop up rat
holes, and the walls and cracks and
corners washed with the above men
toned hot alum and borax, will drive
away rats as well as insects.
COOKING CABBAGE.-Instead of cutting