Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-03-12
AGRICULTURE.

! SHoRT-HoRss VS.. SCRUBs.-A few years
since an experimental test was made
In Illinois with view of ascertaining
the actual difference in value and
weight between calves sired by Short
| horn bulls and out Of common scrub
COWS and those sired by scrub bulls,
and out Of scrlb COWS. The test was, in
fact, between half-blood Short-horns
and full-blood scrubs. In every respect
the cattle were upon an equal footing
IN regard to good careful attention.
AT the end of three years the half-blood
short-horns weighed each 500 pounds
more than the scrub three-year-olds,
and sold for $50 each more than the
scrubs brought. This experiment was
conclusive that the calves of full
blooded Short-horn bull gained an
average of IS 33 in value and 1876
pounds in weight every year for three
years, or more than the calves from
a scrub bull did--all the calves being
out of scrub cows.-Ftun,ers' Home
Journal
EARLY CHICKENS.-kansas is "a good
State for fowls, and ought to be especially
so for early broilers. The clear, sunny
skies have quickening influence on
mems, and our observations 60 to prove
that laying commences early. If care
fully provided with warm shelters, hav-
ing southern exposures, and fed with
cooked, vegetable food, meat and milk,
fowls will lay abundantly in February,
and commence to set in March. BY
proper care, warm quarters and suitable
food, the chickens will keep healthy,
grow rapidly and be ready for broiling
in May, when they find ready sale at
good prices. Eggs in February, March
and April keep fresh longer and sell at
better prices than later in the season.
Early chickens are more healthy and
harder, If they have proper shelter and
care, than those Matched later in the
season. In fact this is true of all farm
stock. Early lambs, calves and pigs
are healthier and grow more rapidly
when they come early, if provided with
comfortable, sunny qurters and proper
food. The egg and tawl produce of a
farm can be made, with ordinary care
a source of considerable profit, in addi-
ton to furnishing large amount of
very wholesome and palatabe diet for
the family. The thrifty matron will
have Accommodations provided for her
fowls and encourage them to lay and
sit early, and she will be well satisfied
and repaid for any extra trouble and
care the effort may cost.
GRAPE CULTURE AND THE ROT.-We
have before us two or three letters max
ing inquiry about grape rot, its cause,
and remedy. We have not the in
formation we desire on the subject, and
there is among grape growers variety
or diversity of opinions. Some varie-
ties of grapes are more exempt
from rot than others, yet these varie-
ties are more or less liable to mildew.
With many G ape-growers the expert
ence is that old vines are more subject
to the rot than younger ones, and thrift
ty vines than those of more moderate
growth. Rich soils and such as retain
the water of summer showers, are worse
than hard clayey lands of moderate fer
tility, especially if the latter are suffici-
emily sloping to cause water to run off
quickly. In some cases fertilizing the
vines with ashes has proven advantage
Gus, while in other instances ashes,
bone-dust, super-phosphate, etc, have
caused the vine to grow and did not pre-
vent rot, Hot, damp weather in June
and about that time generally produces
rot; during dry summer, with con-
slant winds, the vine is apt to be ex-
empt from rot. Some parties have
partially sheltered their vines, and think
with beneficial effects. This they did
by training the vines on the east or south
side Of buildings. Some parties seed
the ground in spring with oats so as to
cover the whole surface during mid
summer, and cut it before it ripens-it
acts as a mulch to the grapes, and in
some cases has acted as a protection
from ROT. We have read of reliable
parties who insist that row of thrifty
tomato plants, growing between rows Of
grapes, saved them from rotting. Other
parties have tried covering the clusters
of fruit with paper bags from the time
the grapes are farley set until ripe, and
saved the fruit not only from rot but
also from mildew and birds. 1t is gen
orally believed that heat and moisture
cause grapes TO rot. Something else n
the atmosphere may help produce it.
Pearblight doubtless originates from the
same cause. There are cases where
grape-growers have mulched the ground
with litter during the summer, and
they thought with good results Allan
tn Constitution.
GrrrrNc Coon SrOC, AT SNAIL COs1'