Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-02-28
AGRICULTURAL.

thousand bushels of clover seed are an
nually sent from this country to
Europe
Of the farms in Pennsylvania, Il per
cent. are cultivated by their owners, p
per cent, are farmed on shares, and 9
! per cent. are rented.
Indiana farmers say that either the
dogs must be killed off, or they will
/ stop raising sheep. So much mischief
has been done to flocks of fine sheep by
/ worthless ours recently that the raisers
are completely discouraged.
The Nebraska farmer says: Corn piles
IN the yards in Nebraska are nearly as
plenty as wood piles in the east, and for
the same purpose, to wit: to burn fol-
! fuel.
FoWLS.-Fowls drink water freely, but
they know just how much they need.
and when they have access to the t1lid
clean, sweet and fresh, they imt no
more than is good for them. 1t is,
/ therefore, unnecessary to mix your
dough too thin, and sloppy, at the
morning feeding. Have the meal well
scalded, and feed the mixture to the
stock stiff and dry, comparatively. This
feed should, generally, be composed of
both corn and rye meal, with vegetables
say one-third each. In our own prac-
tlce we have found this preferable, both
for the birds and as an economical GRO
vision, for the old or growing stock. A
little pepper occasionally in this dough,
and always salt, will improve the mess.
t-Pouty H1orid.
TSDN- - A
food for pigs except for fattening. For
growing pigs there is nothing better than
bran with the corn, and milk if it can
be procured. Milk and equal parts of
bran with the corn meal will make
good food for pigs. If grain has to be
grown for the feed, we should advise rye
as the best and easiest to be raised
american AgricstRurist
COTTON AND COWs.-If cotton is king.
the COW ought to be crowned queen
without delay Statistics, recently com
piled, show that in 1875 there were in
this country, 100000 mich COWS.
which, at $40 per head, represented a
capital of $450,000000. In the same
year there were manufactured 203 500,
6S5 pounds of cheese, and 625, 191, 219
pounds of butter, and 326.5O0, 800 gal
Ions Of milk were sold, Besides this,
an enormous quantity of milk was con-
sumed in families, of which no account
can be taken, but evidently four times
the quantity sold, which would make
the total amount consumed and sold
1902. 002,39 gallons.
This would make the probable yearly
yield of the COW in butter, cheese. ETC., |
as follows: Cheese, 202, 669, 1884 pounds, |
at II cents per pound. $24 Az, 1877; but |
ter, 625, l01 ,219 pounds. at % cents per
pound, $137 ,542 048: milk, 100000, 500
gallons, at cents per gallon, $104, $780, |
191; and 100000 calves, at 81 per
head, 100000. Total, 1915, 124, 5S5,
as the annual product Of our dairy in
terests.
These figures, it will be noted, are III
several instances less than obtained in
this section. In 1875 the total value of
the cotton crop only slightly exceeded
100000, SO thai the COW is not only the
equal, but the better of the monrach,
whose sway has so long been acknowl-
edged
GOOD BEDS FOR SToCK.-A good bed
for the horse, cow, and other stock kept
housed during the winter, goes much |
further towards saving feed and keeping |
stock thriving and comfortable, than a
large class of farmers and others are
willing to allow. Four tons of fodder
will more than equal five tons, where
damp, scanty bedding and hard, cold
uncomfortable standing places only are
provided. There are very few farmers
who cannot provide with little difficulty |
or expense plenty of litter to give their
stock good, comfortable beds through |
the usual season Of necessary shelter |
and stabling.
There is usually refuse fodder, straw
and much other matter which may be
thus utilized and made into manure by |
this process, forest leaves and muck are
at his command very frequently, where
the disposition is not wanting, but the |
whole involves some labor. What is
there IN connection with the farm that !
does not involve labor? The coarse
refuse fodder needs to be cut, or in some
way made fine, before going into the
manure heap. This cutting up may be |
made light matter where the will is |
not wanting For corn stalks, block |
and part of an old scythe with wood |
handle affixed TO one end, will make /
short work where any more eco
nomical implement is wanting
Muck should be dug and we'll dried. |
and then be housed conveniently for |
use. Straw and other long litter should |
be made shorter in some way before |
passing into the manure heap for ease
in handling, Fine sand makes good |
bedding material, where it is to be had |
conveniently, and makes a good dress
ing for any heavy soil Sawdust makes |
about as comfortable bed as anything, |
but all may not be able to procure it as
needed. Sawdust very frequently is al
lowed to 90 to waste at the mills, or is
used as fuel, but the farmer could
afford to pay fuel value, where within a
reasonable distance of his place, for
bedding. 1t makes neat, clean bed
ding material where we'll dried and APP
piled judiciously. 1t should be confin-
ed within the standing or lying space of
the stock, by suitable cleats or parti-
tons, and be spread two or four inches
deep, aud when wet must be removed
to be mixed with the droppings of the
stock.
Io3WuuSG furnishes most agreeable
and refreshing standing bed for tired
teams, cooling and soothing to hard
used feet, to a greater extent than any
other common bedding. 1t will not re-
quire large amount for single ami
NAL, SO that the storage room need only
be proportioned to the number of ami
mails, or to the available supply. / have
known farmers to haul sawdust five to
eight miles for bedding in the horse