Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-01-24
THE FARM.

THE object of the farmer should be to
raise, from a given extent of land, the
largest quantity of the most valuable
produce at the least cost, in the shortest
period of time, and with the least per-
manent injury to the SOIL
A PROMINENT Georgia agriculturist
writes: Keep things we'll IN. The
least expense and the greatest efficiency
are both promoted thus. Land can be
saved from washing, mules from wear
ing out, tools kept in condition, harness
in repair-all to best advantage by early
attention"
A CROP of English hay, weighing two
tons, removes from the soil about sixty
two pounds of nitrogen, seventy pounds
of potash, and sixteen pounds of phos-
phoric acid. From an acre, crop of
clover hay, weighing two and half
tons, abstracts about 175 pounds of nj
trogen, ITO pounds of potash, and thirty
two pounds of phosphoric acid. Two
or three crops grown in succession, and
without manure, would partially exhaust
! even the best of land.
A KENTUCKY paper says: "There ap-
pears to be some little demand for farms,
few sales having been made, and
we hear of others who desire to pur-
| chase. Lands are very low Just now,
but we imagine the day is not far distant
when better figures will have to be paid.
The man who has ready money to in
vest in land should not delay his pur-
chase, unless he conscientiously desires
to pay a fair price. The bottom appears
to have been reached, and if there is
any change it must be upward"
AN intelligent farmer tried the expert
ment of spreading light covering of
straw on his wheat land after the grain
was sown, thinking that the growing
stalk would readily find its way through,
and that during the drouth of July and
August which almost always occurs, it
would act as mulch and be beneficial
to his crop. In this he was not mistak-
en-, for the average on that ten acres
was forty bushels to the acre, while on
the same kind of land adjoining, with
the same seed sOwn and as carefully put
in, the yield was but twenty-five bushels
to the acre. The increase was thus
nearly double, while the straw was in
excellent condition to turn under this
fall, and a double benefit consequently
secured.-Pioneer-Press.
The use of steam has now become so
much simplitied that in some shape it
has become almost indispensable on all
large farms. The ordinary farmer hardly
feels his machinery complete without
some one of the numerous devices for
steaming feed, scalding hogs and much
other work where heat is necessary.
Clark's sectional steam boiler would
seem to meet the various requirements
of the farmer. 1t occupies but little |
space, does not require constant watch |
ing, and besides its use for steaming
food, ETC., is said to have given excel
lent satisfaction in warming residences,
greenhouses, and for other like uses,
feeding itself with coal for from ten to
forty-eight hours We think its merits
will bear investigation.
CURE FOR HOG CHOLERA. David
Graham, one of the oldest settlers in
this vicinity, states that crude petroleum
is dead shot for hog cholera. He has
made practical test of this remedy
upon his own hogs and also upon the
herd of John Byers, near Langworthy,
year or two ago. Mr.. Byers had lost at
the rate of ten or dozen day, but not
one died after the petroleum was adj
This fact is remarkable to
say the least. The petroleum was given
IN doses of two or three spoonsful for
pigs and half pint to hogs year DID,
Seventy hogs were cured with two gal
Ions. Mr.. Graham says he has also
used this remedy on cattle and horses
and invariably with the most gratifying
results. If other parties test Mr.. Ora
hams specific we would be glad 10 hear
from them as to results -Anamosa(I Iowa. h
Eureka.
THE National Agricultural congress
will convene at Washington, d. c., on
the third Tuesday in February. A full j
is desired. Delegates from /
oranges. boards of agriculture, and other ,
agricultural bodies, are requested to be t
present at the first day of the session, if ]
possible. The usual papers and address '
rs on agricultural economy and kindred {
5oplcs are expected, and other import a
mt business will come before the con- G
yress. Journals devoted to agriculture, Y
md those interested in agricultural art \
md taste, are requested to notice The 2
Jonathan Periam, may be ad- b
dressed at Chicago, Illinois. C
HEREFoRDs AS FAT STOCK. cores Il
oondent of the London, ENG AgricuL h
.tral Gazette says: I" 1t is, think, well W
worth the notice of farmers, and all in
crested In cattle, that at the late Isling-
on show the Herefords, although not
aiming champion prizes, highly dis Il
themselves, both in weight of u
arcass and early maturity-notably so, Sc
1r: Wortley's third prize OK, which 81
Teighed nearly twenty-five hundred g
-eight at thirty-nine months old, and a:
lso Mr.. Rees Keene's second prize al
eifer, Rose, which weighed fifteen hum
red weight, three quarter, ten pounds, in
thirty-four months old. l cannot la
clip thinking that this is high testimony 70
5 to their two great important points nj
arly maturity and weight for age. 1t ia
also remarked in the Standard that w