Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-04-17
THE FARM AND GARDEN.

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
Nea0 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 Fl. Yeomans,
the butt ends or potatoes, and the ker-
nels of corn from the butt ends of the
ears, each produced crops that wore
materially better than where the oppos-
lite 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 fa-
vor of the bait end kernels. OF course,
repeated experiments are needed to set
tie question of this character. One
experiment does not 60 far toward
proving anything, but we have read ac-
counts recently of d number of lust
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 NeU- Yorker, thinks that he has
discovered one cause Of abortion in
COWS. He says: The last number of the
Rurdl was received by this mornings
mail. In perusing it find an article
on Abortion IN Cows" matter of
great Importance to stock-raisers and
dairymen. On this subject l would
like to give an opinion, however little
it 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 orremedy.
| visited and examined 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 l reasoned that, no mat
ter how we'll COWS are fed or kept, suf-
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 RurdFs CORE
spondent may have weight, and may
be true, none Of the conditions he men
tious 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 a
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 great injury to milk
ing-cows, and in many cases is
undoubtedly the cause of mysterious
shrinkings ofmilk. 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
a concerted and general effort be made.
The grubs are now to be found inhabit-
ing the tumors, and in each swelling is
a small hole through which the insect
breathes, while it subsists upon the pus
formed in the tumor in consequence of
of its 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 larva
will soon emerge of its own accord from |
It's hiding place ard drop upon the
ground, form pupa, and in proper
season become a perfect fly, ready to
propagate its kind once more.
DEAR BUTTER.-We frequently notice
accounts in the eastern agricultural |
press of butter selling at Is 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 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
different with the average butter-maker. |
No two churnings are exactly alike, un- |
less it happens by accident. The COM
mon article of butter presents a half |
dozen different colored streaks in the |
same roll. Most of our farms are not
provided with the facilities for making
a prime article-and never will be. A
stream Of water from a spring, |
an ice-house, the best of pastures, and
the best of COWS, can only be made to
produce butter that will sell for high |
price. 1t is not much use to try to emu
late these butter-makers without all the
and, even then, skill will