Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-06-30
SEASONABLE FARM NOTES.

spouts. They should be removed this
month or next.
The Western Stock Journal says
that milk fever never attacks COW with
her first calf, and very rarely with the
second.
EVERY dairymen should raise at least
one-eighth of an acre of corn fodder for
each COW, to help the pasture through
the dry season.
FIRECRACKERs are said to be an
effectual method of keeping crows out of
the corn-tield, as the birds dislike the
smell of powder, and the boys do love
the fun of firing the crackers, and crows
dislike both noise and smell.
POTATOES or any other root crop may
be grown in young orchard. It would
not do any injury to grow corn, but
grain crops should not be attempted.
They take from the soil the very elements
which the trees require.
The advantage of spreading the
manure from the wagon as it is drawn
out is saving of labor, and a more even
distribution of the double salts lam
monia, potash, phosphate, etc., in the
soil by rain. If the manure is heaped
on the field and gets heavy rain before
being spread, the ground under the
heaps receives an undue share of the
best part of the manure, which not I'M
frequently renders these spots barren for
season or two.
A CORRESPONDENT of the English
Farmer gives the following method for
destroying field mice: "Cut common
sponge in small pieces (half an inch at
most), and fry them in dripping like
fritters until they harden, then scatter
them at the spots infested by the field
mice, and in few days their dead and
swollen bodies will be found everywhere
The bait should be laid in dry weather."
Perhaps the same remedy would be
available in case Of other mice and rats.
NEVER feed the young pigs on strong,
concentrated food, such as ground corn,
peas, or other grain alone Give milk,
Gf Obtainable) or water, with equal pro-
portions Of bran, shorts and boiled pota-
toes, or rather roots or vegetables, if the
roots and vegetables can be scalded, SO
much the better. If you must feed peas
or corn meal, mix sparingly with the
vegetable diet until the pig is four months
old at least, when the grain may be in
creased. But all through the pigs life
give him plenty of roots, boiled or raw.
In short, feed the pigs generously, but
not to excess, with good, pure, mixed
diet, and then there will be neither sick
ness OF want of fertility.
ANY time during the present month
the seed of Hungarian grass may be
sown with good prospect of securing a
hnac to,,I l,o4 1,o,
been in corn, potatoes or small grain,
or on new breaking. 1t is good crop
to grow with view of subduing tough
grass sod. The amount of seed required
for an acre is about half bushel. It
may be sown broadcast OF covered with
a cultivator OF harrow, or put in with
seeder in the same way as is practiced
with wheat and other small grains So
far as the seed and labor is concerned, it
is the cheapest crop that can be raised on
farm. The fact that it can be sown
and harvested at times when other farm
work is not pressing is enough to COM
mend it to farmers.
FRANK PRUYN, wealthy Mechanics
vile farmer, protects his two hundred
fowls from feathered and other thieves
by keeping a flock of dozen Guinea
hens. The latter are very prolific layers
depositing their eggs in community nests
until late in the summer, when each
bird goes by herself and raises brood
A few days since he discovered two fami-
ly nests containing forty three and seven
ty-one respectively. Four of the latter
were laid by pea hen however, she hay
ing affiliated with her Guinea neighbors
hoo Nd ~ hoe
birds drive off hawks and owls from the
farm, and at night they are quick to in
dictate the presence of strangers on the
premises, one of the flock standing SEN
tinel while the others sleep. He regards
them as much more reliable guardians
Of the night than the best watchdog.
A SPECIES of weevil or snout beetle,
the OttOr hynchus picipes, has of late
years been very destructive to raspberry
plantations in England. In 1873 fruit
grower in Cornwall reported the destruc-
ton of two acres of plants, and since
that time the pest seems to have spread
quite rapidly, and the past season many
plantations in different parts of England
were attacked. The weevil not only
strips the leaves from the plants, but de-
stroys the tender shoots and eats the
bark from the growing canes. Gather
ing the beetle with sweep-net after
dark, has thus far proved to be the most
efficacious method of destroying the pest.
Our importers of plants should be on
their guard against introducing this
weevil, as it would undoubtedly flourish
in this country, as we have already sew
eral closely-allied species belonging to
the same genus. Many of the most de-
structive insects that annoy the horticul-
turist were imported from Europe.
To protect vines from bugs: Take
some old screen cloth Chat which has
done duty for window or door screens is
as good as any and cut it into squares
large enough to cover the space where
the seeds are planted. Let it lie very
loosely on the hill, SO as to give room for
the plants to grow, then lay stones or
earth upon the corners, or sides, and it
is the best protection that have ever
tried. It admits air, sunshine and dew
to the plants, and keeps out all the bugs.