Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-04-21
SEASONABLE FARM HINTS.

hens, and they like them too.
A FEW camphor pills about the size of
a garden pea are recommended as q sure
cure for gapes.
RENDERING loose or dry soil firm af-
ter seeds are sown, by a roller or by the
feet, is an aid to their termination. But
Ii the soil is moist when the seeds are
sown, the use of roller or of the feet is
to be avoided
In some places rats have become q
great pest III farm houses and barns.
Copperas is the dread of rats. In every
crevlce or every hole where rat treads,
scatter the grains of copperas; and the
result is stampede of rats and mice.
A CORRESPONDENT at Keene, N. H.,
recommends boiled potatoes as remedy
for diarrhoea in cattle. He says that
three pecks day, fed warm, cured in two
days an OK OF his that was badly affected
in that way.
those who want something for hot,
dry places, that will take fair care of
themselves, must look out for double
portulacas. There are now double yell
low, crimson, rose, white, striped, and
other shades; and they come tolerably
true from seed.
EARLY potatoes should be put into the
ground at the earliest possible date
When started in boxes they may be
greatly FASTENED; in planting take care
that the tender sprouts are not taken off.
The soil should be light and warm for
early potatoes.
Mr.. WILLIAM HALLIrr, of Canada,
writes as follows: 81 am going to give
you some information. In place of
hellebore for the currant and gooseberry
worm, try plaster Of Paris. The worm
only needs to crawl through it. Recon-
coed, stop my paper.
A VIRGINIA stock-raiser writes that
since he commenced the use of bells on
his sheep he has had none killed by dogs.
They serve double purpose-frighte
off the dogs and attract the attention of
any one near at hand, as the sheep run
If attacked by strange dog. He aver
ages one bell for three sheep, and says
the cost is very small and their use is
effectual.
Rye meal is believed by many bee
keepers to be the very best substitute
for bee-bread when the latter is not in
full supply. The meal should be put in
shallow boxes or troughs near the
apiary. A few pieces of empty comb
would soon attract the attention of the
bees to it. This food causes the bees to
send out larger and earlier swarms than
those not similarly treated.
ONE of the most useful implements
that can be used on a farm is the field
roller. 1t brushes the clods, levels and
smooths the ground and presses the
earth firmly upon and mound the seed,
which causes them to sprout and grow
much earlier. OF course the ground
should be dry when the roller is used.
In very dry weather good rolling of the
ground will frequently cause seed to
grow when otherwise they would not
have terminated.
DESTROY the eggs of the teri caterpil-
lar, which are to be found In small, close
fitting rings or bands near the end of the
smaller twigs. and may be cut away.
Many insects harbor between the loose
bark of trees, and by scraping this off
and washing the trunk and limbs with
solution OF soft soap, much good may be
done. To prevent the ascent of the
wingless female of the canker worm, use
heavy brown paper bound closely around
the trees trunk, and then smear with
cheap printers ink Or tar. The bands
will have to be recoated at frequent in
tervals during the season.
The old ideas about the elaborate
preparation of an asparagus bed are out
of date; it is as easy to make bed of
asparagus as almost any other plant, and
nothing pays any better for the little
trouble. Set the new bed so soon as the
plants can be had, giving it generous
manur1ng, and putting the crowns about
four inches below the surface. Rows
two feet apart, with foot between the
plants, is good distance for the family
garden, but if room can be spared the
distance may be increased. Let the
plants grow until the third year before
cutting. The coarse litter should be
raked from the old bed to make it smooth
and clean, before the stems begin to
come through the ground.
A CORRESPONDENT writes as follows:
Every one who has tried them knows
how difficult it is to grow the larger and
finer kind of English gooseberries on &C
count of mildew. Recently there has
come to the knowledge of the writer two
instances in which the growers have sue
ceeded with them, the choicest English
kinds proving as hardy and free from
leaf-blght as Houghton's or any of the
native seedlings. The mIdew was pre-
vented by the application of a liberal
coating of common soft-coal ashes; and
coal ashes, so far as relates to the i'm
ported gooseberry, may be considered
specific for mildew-at least on some
soils.
Now that wool is high and mutton is
beginning to be appreciated, a very large
number of persons are preparing to en-
gage in the business of sheep-raising.
Many of them will fail in the enterprise
they are about to undertake, not because
the business is not profitable when well
conducted, but because they are not
adapted to it. Sheep require very care
full attention, and unless they receive it
they will not do well, even if they are
kept where the soil, climate and vegeta-
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