Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-05-08
AGRICULTURE.

the market. This root is said to impart
a peculiar flavor to the fowls greatly
relished by epicures. The Yellow Bel
glan IS the favorite variety.
EVERY farmer might we'll SOW a bed
of celery seed this spring. OF the new
sorts the Golden Dwarf and the London
Red are by some considered the best.
Peter Henderson has always contended
that the red varieties are superior to the
white. Celery is without DOUBT the
most powerful nervIne of all our vege-
table products.
A HOMESTEAD bill has been introduced
IN the lower house of the Missouri leg
stature exempting from execution 100
acres Of land, not exceeding 81 800 in
value; IN cities of a population of 40
OOO or upward, eighteen square rods of
ground, not exceeding, the value of
s., 1000, and IN cities or towns. of less
than 10000 population, thirty square
rods of ground, not worth more than
$1,000.
IT is folly 10 keep old sheep. They
should be turned off to the butcher
while in their prime. 1t does not take
half as much to fatten them then.
When they get old and thin, in order to
put them in condition to slaughter, the
whole substructure must be rebuilt.
Four sets of lambs are all a eve should
bear; this will bring her to five years,
and this is an age when, with little extra
care, she VIII round up to a fine and
full carcass. Exceptions may be made
when the breed is scarce, and the blood
is more durable than anything else
Ne1O York Tribune
OF the many touching tributes paid
10 flowers, there is one associated with
the closing hours of Henry Heine, the
poet, which appears to US as very beau
tlful. He was dying in Paris. The
doctor was paying his usual visit, when
Heine, pressing his hand, said: "Doc-
tor-you are my friend-I ask last
favor. Tell me the truth-the end is
approaching, is it not?" The doctor was
silent. "Thank you," said Heine, calm
ly. " Have you any request to make?"
asked the doctor, moved to tears.
" YES" replied the poet; "my wife
sleeps-do not disturb her. Take from
the table the fragrant flowers she
brought me this morning. | love flow
ers so dearly. 1hanks-place them
upon my breast" He paused as he in
hailed their perfume. His eyes closed, |
and he murmured. Flowers, flowers,
how beautiful is nature" These were
his last words as his spirit took It's
flight into eternity.
SPRING PIGs.-Many farme rs are COM
planning of thumps and sore mouths in
pigs. When herd is in right condi- |
ton for those diseases it makes it |
troublesome work, many times taking
a good share of the best pigs. The1e |
is one satisfaction in the thumps, you
can tell when a pig is about to have it,
at least four days prior to the time.
Look at that little fat fellow with such
a short neck and q little roll Of fat
everybody calls him the incest pig in
the lot: he is the pig marked out for
thumps. Now with your fingers press
the soW's teat; YOU will find the milk
rich, yellow, but thick. What is the
matter? The milk is too rich and par
TALLY indigestib!e; don't blame the pig,
the SOW is out Of order; you have been
feeding too much corn; she is full of
old grease, of which nature is trying to
manufacture milk. You ought to have |
kept her blood pure and cool by the
use of bran and vegetables. Yes, but |
what can a farmer do when the pigs !
begin to thump? Feed the SOW on !
bran and oats; give plenty of charcoal;
take sulphur, saleratus and epson salts |
in equal parts, and feed tablespoon |
full to each SOW once day till they be- |
gin to show the effects, then slacken,
but continue the medicine in smaller |
doses for week. Treat the same way
for sore mouth in pigs, and in addition
wash the pigs mouth with alumni water. |
After the blood OF the SOW is purified |
observe the following regulations
First-FOr the first two weeks let the |
flow Of milk be retarded by feeding less
than the SOW will eat. Second-The
milk of the SOW should be made strong
in nitrogen and poor in fatty matter by |
feeding bran, oats and the like for two
weeks. As the pigs grow older the
milk may be richer.
SHEEP ON Wharf.-The value of |
sheep in connection with wheat raising
is too we'll established to need argu-
ment, but we hear of instances so di-
rectly in point that we cannot do our
farmer readers greater service than |
to mention them. Mr.. John Pugh had
a piece OF fall wheat that promised |
largely and yet he was advised to put
his sheep On it, which he concluded to
do. The wheat grew remarkably, there |
was heavy straw and the yield was
twenty bushels per acre. 1t is evident
that sheep would have cropped down
the heavy growth, added richness to
soil and insured less straw and double |
the amount Of wheat, Or at least much
heavier yield. So he thinks, and no
doubt correctly. Mr.. VIM. j. Herren
tells us Of a case over in Polk county,
near Bethel, where two neighbor5 had
fields Of wheat on similar soil and in
all respects but one with similar cult !
walton. One-Mr. Keyte-last spring
put sheep on his wheat and let them
crop it quite close. Some of his neigh
bors predicted that it was ruined, but
he realized sixty-one bushels to the
acre while his neighbor who let the first
rank growth mature got only half that
yield. Mr.. Dan Clark, near Salem,
has a small field that was in potatoes, |
and as the growth was rank, last spring
he let hogs and stock run on it until the
wheat seemed almost exterminated. 1t
was his intention to resow it, but as
other work claimed his attention he
deferred it until it appeared that there
would be wheat enough come up. The
result is that it is the best wheat he has.
1t is evidently true that good wheat
farming can not be done without sheep,
for their utility on summer-fallow is
beyond uestion.- Willamette Farmer.
SOILING A COMING NECESSITY. new
departure in the business of farming in
our country, especially in the older por-