Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-05-23
THE FARM.

A garden is constant amusement; a
happy combination of work and play:
study and a recreation; a source of
health both for body and mind. ri
Fowls, as well as animals and human
ments with their food. Cayenne pep
per, mustard, or ginger, increases the
vigor and egg production of fowls.
This apparently artificial diet is needed
to supply that which birds get in their
wild state spiced berries, buds, etc. 1t
is these that give wild fowl their pecu-
liar "game flavor"
PRESERVING FENCE PosTS.-The Jour
nal Of Fofetry gives some excellent in
structions On this subject Tt is i'm
portant that the posts bevery thorough
ly seasoned before external paints are
applied, otherwise the moisture will be
confined and increase the, decay. 1t is
therefore important to season the posts
as rapidly as practicable after they are
out, in an exposed windy place. Coat
ing them with coal tar is espeeiallv re-
commended. The acid in the tar is to
be destroyed with fresh quicklime, and
the tar thoroughly boiled to eyaporate
all the water. Apply it to the posts
| while hot. The recommendation of
that journal to char the posts we can
not endorse, as the charred part will
not exclude water from the inside A
thick coat of weil-applied gas-tar would
be far better. But baking the wood so
as to turn it slightly brown, would not
render it weaker, and would give it
some of the durable properties of char
coal: and if the coal tar Is then applied
the preparation will be nearly perfect.
1t must be remembered that coal tar
does not do well on wood above ground.
exposed to the sun and weather. A CO.
pious application of crude petroleum is
the thing for such. exposed surfaces
Er.
RAISING Colts. is crude no
ton prevailing that hardships make
young stock hardy. A colt that is
weaned in the fall, as is commonly the
case, should not be allowed to become
poor in its first winter 1t is true that
it will often improve SO rapidly in
spring that its Wretched condition
during the winter will seem really to
have been an advantage to it, but this
is grave mistake. If the same condi-
ton we're imposed during the whole
period of growth the effect would be
very perceptible. Although the sum-
mer may in some degree remove the
effect of winter, no animal so treated
ever becomes what it might have been
IN size, symmetry of form and useful
ness by generous treatm ent. / believe
that there is profit in breeding nice car
riage and draft horses. AS a general
rule it cost no more to raise a good
colt than poor one, while the former
will bring two or three times as much
as the latter. l have seen colts that
were kept in stable as dark as a cellar.
A dark stable is poor place to. keep a
colt.-Ohio Farmer ..a *.
FACTS FOR THE FARMERS is worth
while for all the farmers everywhere, to
remember that thorough culture is bet
ter than three mortgages on the farm.
That an offensive war against the weeds
is five times less expensive than de-
fensive one. That good fences always
pay better than lawsuit with neighbors.
That hay is a great deal cheaper made
in summer than purchased in winter.
That more stock perish from famine
than founder. That horse who laws
his ears back, and looks lightning when
any one approaches, is vicious. That
scrimping the feed of fattening hogs is a
waste of grain. That educating child
rem properly is money. lent at 10 per
cent. That one evening spent at home
In study is more profitable than ten
spent in lounging about saloons and
towns. That COWS should be MIXED REQ.
ularly and clean. ...... ......s
Things THAT PAY.-It pays to have
garden, if you will take care of it; if YOU
can't or won't, don't attempt it. Per-
haps dozen of your neighbors are in
the same fix; in which case you might
club together and hire gardener on
the cooperative plan" If you make
a garden, it pays to enrich the ground
literally. Nothing from nothing is one
Of natures bylaws. if not part of the
constitution of things Stable manure is
adequate for nearly all purposes, but
good superphosphate is more convent
ent, and has the advantage of being free
from weeds. The value of wood ashes.
especially for potatoes, peas, early beans,
etc, is also very great. 1t pays to with
hold your seeding until the ground is
dry and can be thoroughly pulverized,
particularly for all root crops, and for
corn. Tie distorted and crooked pars-
nips, satisfy and radishes, and the slow
growing and stunted corn. are results
generally due to soggy and lumpy soil. |
1t paysto have a walk through your
garden, each way, made with loose
stone foundation and filled in with coal
ashes. 1t pays to SOW your vegetables
in long rows, instead of the old-fashioned
beds, and to use stakes and line in plant
ing everything, that your rows may be
straight and even. 1t pays to rotate
crops from one spot in the garden to
another. When the ground is wormy it
pays to use lime. 1t pays to kill weed
wherever and as soon as you see it,
Golden Rule.
SHADE TREEs.-No other element of
beauty is as completely manageable as
trees, and the resources of this section
of the country in that respect are very
great. Situated in the middle of the
temperate zone, we have all the best of
the deciduous trees, the oaks, elms, |
beeches, ashes, hickories, walnuts cher
ries, naples, the chestnut, linden, but |
tOnwood of the temperate regions, to-
gether with the finest of the evergreens,
the pines, tirs, spruces, cedars and hem
locks and the delicate birches of more |
northern climate. Each one of these
trees has its own peculiar and distinctly
marked character and produces an eff
feet which need not be mistaken for
that of any other. 1t is surprising how
small is the number of trees necessary |
to nrodnce q striking effect Ten or l