Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-11-12
FARM HINTS.

fARM HINTS.
IF strawberry beds are to be protected
this winter, it is of Importance that the
material used should not cover the soil
with weeds.
NEITHER Indian corn, nor potatoes,
nor squashes, nor cabbage, nor turnips,
were known in England till the opening
Of the tenth century. The peasants sub.
sisted upon bread made of barley and
ground in band-mill.
AN English contemporary says: " The
real contest in England is not to be be-
tween the spade and the plow as in form
er years, but between animal power and
steam." The real contest, however,
from our standpoint, is between the land
lord and the tenant.
In 1923, a Boke of Husbandrie" was
published by Sir Anthony Fitzherbert,
who styles himself ga farmer of forty
years standing" In this work we read !:
A houseband can not thryve by his
corne without cattell, nor by his catsell
without corne." And he adds: "Shepe,
in my opinion, is the most profteblest
cattell any man can havep
HON. JAMES WILSON says" Just now
there is great demand for feeding
steers, which is an evidence of something
lacking. The most profitable way to
manage is to raise the steers you feed,
as you rarely can buy irst-class animals.
1t takes care to reach the point when
you are possessed of frst-class young
steers, and those who are enterprising
enough to raise good steers are generally
wise enough to feed them.
FARMERS who have money at COM
mand can not easily put it in more
profitable investment than a judicious
outlay on their farms. Draining wet
land is estimated to return from forty
to eighty per cent. on the yearly cost.
In the same way, good stock pays better
then poor; good fencing, well selected
fruit, carefully looked after homesteads,
all repay the money laid out, and besides
all that, add immensely to the comfort
of the occupier.
Hoes require moderate quantity of
salt, but they cannot use as much as
sheep without injury because of the
different character of their intestines;
the swine's stomach is small, and is easily
affected by .acid substances, while the
sleeps paunch is large, and large
quantity of salt may be eaten with i'm
punity, as it is largely diluted by the
half liquid contents. Half an ounce of
salt may be given occasionally to each
hog, separately-not when in bunch
otherwise some will take too muck.
STOCKS may rise, or stocks may fall,
usury be excessive, or interes. decrease !;
banks may suspend and great corpora
tions fail; but the farmer need never be
at loss where to use his surplus. Add
ing acres to acres is not always wise; but
to increase the productive power of the
land, to improve the home, is good use
of money when sensibly done and in the
increased profit secured, the good and
comfort gained, there will be a certain
reward, OF the prudent saving which
gathers the capital that makes progress
and prosperity possible.
IF man can fill his ears with cotton
or move out on the prairie where he has
no neighbors, it will pay to keep few
guinea hens They lay more eggs than
the common fowl. 1t is also claimed
that one of them will keep one half-acre
of potatoes clear of beetles, ETC., and at
the same time answer the purpose of s.
barometer in predicting the changes in
the weather. If their merits balance
their music, get some eggs and hatch out
some; they are good eating, and very
pretty.
WHERE the winters are open, and the
ground is but rarely frozen and covered
with snow, field sown with rye will
furnish excellent pasture for sheep or
COWS during the winter or early spring
months. The rye is eaten off closely,
but it soon thickens up, and if the stock
is taken off in March, an excellent crop
of grain nay be harvested. 1t is neces.
sary to watch for the production of the
sheath which contains the immature
spike or head; when this is found pas
turing should be stopped, as it will not
grow again if it is eaten.
In summer the pasture furnishes the
succulent food necessary to the health of
farm animals, and the considerate farmer
will plan to put in a supply Of some kind
of succulent food for winter. It is s.
very common thing in winter to see
horses with weak eyes, and the owner
wonders at the cause. The animals
want no medicine except an oc-
casional feed of succulent food, like
carrots or potatoes, something to fill the
place OF the summer pasture. A little
attention given to this matter in the
autumn gathering of vegetables is i'm
portant, for oftentimes in winter when
the vegetables are wanted, if not stored,
they are difficult to get. A street rail
way manager informs us that only a small
amount of succulent food is necessary
for horses TO keep them in perfect health,
providing it is given with regularity.
Cattle and sheep, also, should have reg
ular allowances Of juicy food after being
taken out of the pasture, to keep the
digestive organs in good health.
The high price that ounces bring in
market should induce at least the attempt
to grow more extensively then we see
tried. The borer, one of the chief troub.
les in some places, should not deter the
noon1o from p1onfinr 90 this 10 ooei1