Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-12-17
RURAL NOTES.

RURAL NOTES.
OVER so, 600 bushels of potatoes have
been bought and shipped in Dubuque
this fall.
TEE Maine Farmer estimates that at
least 1000 acres of sugar beets were
raised in chat state this year.
AT q recent potato show in England,
where nearly 1,400 plates were shown,
large number were of American
varieties.
PENNSYLVANIA has eighty incorpora-
ted county agricultural societies, thirty.
one of which have representation in the
State Board of Agriculture.
A STRONG decoction of peach tree
leaves is reported to be a specific for
chicken cholera; dose, one-half tea
spoonful.
Rot among the sheep is late disaster
announced to have overtaken English
focks. 1t is laid to the deluge o. rain
there for the past year, keeping the
ground 80 wet as to be unwholesome for
sheep pasturage.
A LITTLE dry sand covered over
potatoes when they are first put in the
cellar will destroy any unpleasant odor
they may have. A sprinkling of dry
air-slacked lime will mitigate tendency
to rot.
We know of no richer paying enter
prise in the immediate future than be-
ginning to grade up from the native cow
with the pure short-horn bull. The
progeny will assimilate our cheap feed
rapidly and mature early.-James VIZ
SON.
OVER fifty patents have been obtain
ed for cow-milkers-thirteen in England
and forty in America. These machines
have been divided into three classes:
First, tube-milkers, second, sucking
machines; third mechanical hand milk
ers. The first are tapers, the second,
suckers, the third squeezers and strip
pers.
The damage which is frequently done
to manure by exposure to the hot sun
may be avoided by keeping it in COM
pact, fattened heaps, and watering now
and then, if need be, with few barrels
of water. Cut all weeds out of tb g
pastures, lest they may be cropped by
COWS or horses and the seeds brought
home to go upon the fields again in
manure.
SCATTER well rotted compost over the
lawn. Wind thick pasteboard round
young trees and daub it over on the out
side with gas tar to keep vermin away.
If your orchards or fruit trees stand on
low or wettish ground back furrow up
to the trees, leaving dead burrows half
way between. Give the fruit trees a
liberal coat of whitewash to protect the
bodies against sudden changes.
AN eastern farmer recently saw two
men attempting to drive hog by his
house, but the animal was 80 obstinate
that they finally told the farmer that,
If he would kill it for them, they would
give him half of the meat. He accepted
the offer with alacrity, and not only kill
ed the hog but dressed it, after which
the strangers drove away with their half
When, however, he went at night to feed
his hogs he found that he had killed his
own property, receiving half of it for his
trouble.
IT has become an assured fact by those
who have by practical experience tested
the system of root feeding, that there is
no feed that will give as good results,
fed judiciously, as roots; none that can
be raised cheaper, and, if rightly manag-
ed, yield large returns The wholesome
ness of roots fed in winter, when cattle
are more or less liable to constipation,
can not be questioned, and it only needs
fair trial to convince the stock owner
that in a crop of roots he has cheap,
wholesome and profitable feed.
Prof. STEWART lately informed the
American Dairyman's Association that
he once tried an experiment with ten
cows. giving each three quarts of corn
meal day, fed alone. This was con-
tinued a month. Then three quarts
mixed with peck of cut and moistened
hay were fed to each COW. By weighing
the result showed gain of Is per cent.
in favor of mixing the meal and cut
hay. If the meal is fed alone, is is better
to feed it dry as this favors digestion.
The destruction of crops by squirrels
is not confined to California. The loss
of corn in Overton county, Tenn, from
this cause last season was estimated at
one tenth of the crop. One farmer
reported that they were "swimming
across the Cumberland by thousands"
The equilibrium between these lower
links in the chain of animal life is SER
iously disturbed by mans arbitrary in
reference with the natural course of
production, and he must pay the penalty
or modify it if he can.
The Cultivator says: "Fall blowing
is practiced largely in gardens to work
in manure for the early crops of next
year such as onions, radishes, cabbages,
lettuce, etc. Manure plowed under at
this season makes the land work mellow
and dry very early the following spring
points of very great Importance to the
early bird who wishes the first worm
In some of the sandy plain lands there
are hollows which will be apt to work
wet in spring. It is good plan, in the
fall, to dig hole in such places about
four feet deep, so chat the water in
spring NAV rapidly drain into the SUBJ