Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-05-30
FARM AND HOME.

bors to initiate him. Nothing is more
contagious than the desire for gardening
when once 1t gets a footing.
WILD cattle feed m fiocks, because
they experience a sense of insecurity
and dread of attack; they act instinct
lvely upon the maxim that union is
strength, and thus guard against sur
prise. The domesticated varieties scat
ter and browse separately because they
have no such dre2d, and each animal
follows Its individual caprice or sense OF
enjoyment
CURE FOR CHOKING CATTLE. Should
cattle be at any time in danger of chok-
ing, by reason of any foreign substance
sticking IN the throat, take of fine chew
ing tobacco enough to make a ball as
large as hens egg. dampen it with
molasses SO that it can be compressed
into ball and will adhere closely, ele-
vate the animals head, pull out the
tongue and crowd the ball as far down
the throat as possible In fifteen min
utes 1t Will cause sickness and vomiting,
relaxing the muscles, so that the potato
Or whatever may cause the choking will
be thrown up.
DAIRY COWS.-The best COWS for a milk
dairy are grade Shorthorns. They milk
plentifully, giving rich, high favored
milk, and the cream does not rise rap
idly upon it. This renders the milk
most suitable for shipping to . city OF
town market. By good feeding, COWS
of this kind are kept in good flesh, and
when failing in milk, they fatten with
rapidity. We cannot see how milk
dairyman can afford to raise calves.
Profit is only made from milk, and a
dry cow soon leafs her head Off" A
good supply of dairy COWS is to be found
in Southern New York and Northern
Pennsylvania, in the region of the head
waters of the Delaware and Susquehan
ma rivers. A good class of stock is
kept there, bred to supply purchasers.
american AgricukeTis.
a CALIFORNIA paper says chat the 60
pher and the ground squirrel are the
most formidable pests the California
farmer has to contend with. He enjoys
comparative immunity from the pests
which affiict other agricultural regions.
There is pos sibly something in the soil
unfavorable to the propagation of for
eign pests, But the gopher and ground
squirrel are indigenous. Their presence
is made known in every nook and cor
ner in the state. They overrun gram
fields and orchards, burrowing the
ground in every direction, and destroy
ing the grain crops and fruit trees. For
years the question of how to get rid of
these pests has been one of growing i'm
portance to the farming community.
The climax was probably reached last
year. What with the drouth and these
pests many farmers found themselves
at the close of the harvest season with
out any crops. The farmers of one
county contra Costa) estimated their
losses last year, from gophers and
ground squirrels alone, at $4,000.
CLEANING BED-TICKINGs.- When mat.
tresses and feather beds are soiled, mix
equal quantities of soft soap and pull
verified wheat starch into a soft paste
and rub it thoroughly into spot. Let il
dry in the sun; then scrape off the paste
and wash it off with sponge. If il
docs not look clean when it is dry, apply
it again. If feather-beds have been in
use some years without being renovated,
put them on the grass when the rain
pours heavily, and let them become
thoroughly wetted. Then turn on the
other side and let the tickings have a
good soaking. When the sun shines
brightly, it will dry quickly. Let it lie
out several days, bringing it in at night
to keep it from the dews. When it is
perfectly dry, hang it on strong line,
and beat it as you would a carpet, until
all the dust is out of it, and you will
have clean, sweet bed, as well prepar-
ed as if the feathers had been run
through machine with steaming ap-
paratus attached. IF the hair mattress
es are lumpy, rip them open, take out
the hair and pull it apart thoroughly;
then let it lie on the grass, and if it does
not rain, turn water over it and shake If
up well, and put it in basket to dry.
Let the children pick it to pieces when
dried, and fill it up evenly Take a
long upholsterer's needle, with some
strong Irvine, and tack it down in dia-
monds, putting a rOsette Of cotton into
each place, if desired, and it will look
as we'll as if you had paid an upholster-
er six dollars for doing the work.
COLTS AND STEERS-As soon as colt
is born let the kind-hearted owner of his
mother appear to him and aid him in
his first search for the maternal fluid
which is to nodrish his young life; let
him see him every day, and hear moth
ing but the kindest notes of the human
voice. Having little halter ready for
him, and tie him kindly near his dam;
release him when necessary; accustom
him to the use of it. Let the children
handle and caress him day by day, call
ing him such pet names as their fancy
and affection may suggest. This is the
way the Arabs break their colts. They
educate them. They never need break
ing Thus will it be with ours. Edu-
cate them as they grow, and there will
be no more need of breaking them
than there is of calling upon Rarey to
break your grown children. The same
course should be pursued with steers;
begin with them as sucking calves; then
thew will always be handy, always ready
for work, and bring twice as much if
you wish to sell them. You never had
my ideas upon a horse college, did you ?
Well have got them. / have some,
too, with reference to educating those
who handle them. Both should be ed
ucated together. If my farm would
sell for enough, | would sell it and give
the money to endow a horse college and
herse-driver's institution, and all the
favor l would ask of the state would be
that nobody but graduates should
handle horse that graduated from this
institutlon.-PAUL KETCHUM, IN Rural
San. "..
Sale of the PenObscOt Mine.