Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-04-16
THE FARM AND GARDEN.
Selecting Seed--Late Milking Cause of
AbOrtiOn--Cattle Gad-Fiy--The Dear
Butter.

from the butt and tip ends OF an ear Of
corn, and to favor the seed-end of a
potato. In direct opposition to this
practice, we clip the following from the
NeoU England Farmer: According to an
experiment made with potatoes and
corn last season by Mr.. S. B. West, of
Columbia, Conn, and reported in the
Ohio Farmer by William II. Yeomans,
the butt ends OF potatoes, and the ker-
nels Of corn from the butt ends of the
ears, each produced crops that were
materially better than where the oppOs-
tie course was pursued. In the case OF
potato, the stalks from the butt ends
were much the larger and more for
ward at the first hoeing The increase
in the corn was some 20 per cent. in ia
vor of the BAIT end kernels. OF course,
repeated experiments are needed to set
tie a question of this character. One
experiment does not go tar toward
proving anything, but we have read &C
counts recently Of a number of just
such experiments, all Of which corrobo-
rate that above. There is reason in it,
too. The butt end grains are first
formed, and are fully matured sooner
than the tip ends: why, then, should
they not produce more and earlier?
LATE MILKING A CAUSE OF ABORTION.
"A medical gentleman, writing to the
Rural New- Yorker, thinks that he has
| discovered one cause Of abortion in
COWS. He says: The last number of the
Rural was received by this mornings
mail. In perusing it find an article
on "Abortion in Cows,"-a matter Of
great Importance to stock-raisers and
dairymen. On this subject [ would
like to give an opinion, however little
1t may be worth. Several years ago [
was IN Herklmer county, New York,
when dairymen were suffering serious
| loss by the trouble above referred to,
and could discover no cause or remedy.
[ visited and examined a number OF
stables, made many inquiries, and
| formed an opinion, and told the dairy
men how | believed it could be avoided.
| The COWS had been well fed, and were
in good condition. The water furnished
them was the best we'll or spring water.
They were we'll cared for,-only large
numbers were stabbed in we'll and
closely built barns. But / found that
the COWS were MIXED very late before
calving; and reasoned that, no mat
ter how we'll COWS are fed Or kept, sIf-
ficient nutriment could not be supplied
to nourish the foetus and furnish milk
at the same time. Acting on this hint
the trouble was stopped. While the
statements made by the RuraPs CORE
spondent may have weight, and may
be true, none of the conditions he men
tons were found in the region [ refer
to. We presume that this subject has
been fully discussed before by dairy
mems associations, but we have never
before seen the idea so tersely stated.
CATTLE GAD-FLY.-One of the pests
Of neat-cattle, especially where they
are not we'll cared for is this fly. We
recently noticed hide with over fifty
holes in it caused by this insect. The
hide was almost worthless; but what
must have been the misery endured by
the poor, tortured animal that owned
the hide? We have seldom found the
grubs in fat cattle, but they doubtless
exist to some extent. The presence of
the grub may be known by slight swell
ings along the back of the animal. The
New York Times says: These contain
each one grub, which is the larva of
Estrus bowls, the cattle gad-fy. This
| fly is something similar in shape to
| bee, and worries cattle in August and
September by singing them along the
back and depositing eggs in the skin.
The cattle have an instructive dread of
this fly, and endeavor to avoid it by
darling hither and thither furiously
when attacked by it. This unwonted
exercise is a great injury to milk
ing-cows, and in many cases is
undoubtedly the cause of mysterious
shrinkings Of milk. Besides this injury,
the poor beasts suffer greatly from the
irritation caused by the presence of the
grubs under the skin; and, when these
are numerous, the animals may fall off
greatly in condition. There is but little
difficulty in exterminating this pest, if
q concerted and general effort be made
The grubs are now to be found lnhabit-
ing the tumors, ana in each swelling is
small hole through which the insect
breathes, while it subsists upon the pus
formed IN the tumOr in consequence of
Of It's Irritating presence. By gently
squeezing the swellings' the grub may
be dislodged and destroyed, and this
will put an end to it so far. If every
| farmer or cattle-oWner in a neighbor-
hood would do this just now, the flies
would become practically extinct in that
locality. If this is neglected the iarva
will soon emerge of its own accord from
It's hiding place and drop upon the
ground, form a pupa, and in proper
season become perfect fly, ready to
propagate its kind once more.
DEAR BUTTER.-We frequently notice
accounts in the eastern agricultural
press of butter selling at rs cents and
81 per pound. These figures may ap-
pear exorbitant to those who never, in
times of scarcity, realize more than 25
cents for a fair article But that such
large prices are paid is certain, and
there is good reason for it. The ar
ticle is always the same, winter and
summer. In color, taste, and general
appearance there is no change. Gus
toners pay for the "gilt-edged" article
because Of these characteristics. How
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