Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-05-22
AGRICULTURAL.

going is what counts In long race, and
the farmers race is a long one. 1t takes
but few hours, or even few minutes,
to so tax horse that he is out of fix
! for months.
A MOST valuable remedy for heayes,
and said to be a sure cure: Forty su-
mac buds, one pound of resin, one pint
of ginger, half a pound of mustard, one
pound of unslacked lime, one pound of
EPSON salts, four ounces of gum guiac-
UNI, six ounces Of cream tartar. Mix
thoroughly and divide into thirty pow
ders, and give one every morning in
their feed before watering:
| The old writers on agriculture were
wont to put practice first and Theory
last. The order of which seems TO have
changed, and modern writer's have
many pet theories that are forced to
the front, some of which have f How
ing that will be greatly reduced when
practice has been so thoroughly applied
as to be entitled to be called experience.
Thousands of farmers would achieve
more if they would give as much atten-
ton to improving the details of their
practice. as they do now to the follow
ing Of some pet theory.
FooD FOR CALvEs.-They should
never be ruined by an effort to save
either care or food while quite young.
Plenty of food, though of the kinds that
are cheaper than milk, will cause
healthy calf to grow and hold his
smooth coat and rounded form. What
Il pitiful sight is a pen of calves that
have been knocked on the head with
a churn-dasher ?" Cruel made ofllour,
buckwheat flour, oat meal, cornmeal,
and hay tea, and added to skim milk or
buttermilk, and fed with care, will raise
a calm fine style. There must be care
not to over-feed. This is very import
ant. A hungry calf is q glutton,
whether fed on milk or anything else.
As three weeks old, or less, calf will
take shelled corn and oats, and soon
thereafter will eat hay. Do not ruin the
calves by starvation. The rounded
form once lost is seldom fully restored.
TILE-DRAINING.-J. G. Brown writes
for the Marshall, Iowa, Republican that
he has been putting in some tile, and is
pleased with the results. He began by
putting tile in the sioughs, through the
pastures and feed lots, where the rains
and live stock have been tearing out
deep gulies. Places that before drain
ing would mire down cattle are now as
dry as the highway. He secured water
for the stock by raising it from the
drains, and allowing the surplus to re-
turn TO them, and thus had a running
stream of cool and clear water at all
times in the troughs. He estimates
that his slougs, when drained, will yield
nearly three times as much grass as
land that is supposed to need draining
He thinks the popular estimate that
tiled land is at least doubled in pro-
ductiveness is not an over-estimate.
PRESERVING EGGs.-A writer in the
English Mechanic says: "In the year
1912, 1 preserved eggs so perfectly
that, after lapse of six months, they
were mistaken when brought to the
table, for fresh laid eggs, and | believe
they would have kept equally good for
twelve months. My mode of preserva-
ton was to varnish the eggs as soon
after they were laid as possible with
thin copal varnish, taking care that the
whole of the shell was covered with the
varnish. [ subsequently found that by
painting the eggs with fresh albumen,
beaten up with little salt, they were
preserved eqnally well, and for as long
period. After vanishing or painting
with albumen, [ lay the eggs upon a
rough blotting-paper, as | found that,
when allowed to rest till dry upon
plate or on the table, the albumen
stuck 80 fast to the table or plate as to
take away a chip out of the shell. This
is entirely obviated by the use of the
blotting paper. | pack the eggs in
boxes of dry BRAN"
EARLY Melons, Gardeners generally
find it difficult to get as early melons as
they would like, for the reason that
they will not bear transplanting. Ihave
tried way by which they can be start
ed early and transplanted when wanted.
Save all the pasteboard collar boxes,
and fill them with the best soil. Any
kind of boxes will do: they can be made
of wood with bottoms tackled on. After
warming the soil plant the seed, about
five to the box. They can now be sunk
in the hot bed, or if you do not have
one, they can be kept In the house by
the stove. When the young plants are
large enough they can be transplanted.
After making the ground mellow, make
hole the size of the box; then slip out
the bottom and the earth with the plants,
will slip through without being disturb
ed. This plan will do for other plants
besides melons, cucumbers, ETC., the
tender egg plant, and some varieties of
flowers. By starting plants early in
this way, several weeks can be gained.
BEE DISEASES AND FEEDING.-In the
latter part Of winter and early in spring,
many apiarists experience considerable
trouble and loss from dysentery of their
bees. The presence of this disease is
known by seeing dark discharges over
the hive and combs, and the offensive
odor therefrom. The cause is either
sour or fermented honey, improper
food, or too warm and poorly ventilated
quarters. An effectual cure may be
made by giving the bees good capped
if the weather be not too cold. If, how
ever, such is the case, take the hive to
a warm room, and fit box made with |
a front and top of wire screen or mos
quito netting to the entrance Of the |
hive, so that the bees will have to enter
it on leaving the hive. In order to
keep the colony strong, and to stimu-
late breeding, it is advisable to feed
early in the spring; or if their stores are
insufficient, feeding pays either in the
fall or winter. A good quality of coffee
(A) sugar reduced to the consistency of
honey, or extracted honey, is good for
feeding; but let us warn the bee-keeper
against feeding glucose, or the poorer
grades of sugar-either is certain death
to the bees. A pound of the A sugar