Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-04-07
SEASONABLE FARM HINTS.


In selecting turf for use around beds
and along walks, etc., see that no unwel.
come weeds are thereby introduced. The
foundation for the turf should be as care
fully prepared as for seed.
A SOLID foundation is the only surety
for o good walk or drive; and to secure
this, use large stones for the bottom, be-
gin below the reach of frost, and smaller
ones near the surface. A walk or drive
that is cheap in the beginning will al
ways be unsatisfactory and dear in the
end.
For keeping up the freshness and
vlgor of the lawn, spring dressing
should be given, either of ashes, guano.
fine bone, nitrate of soda, or rich and
thoroughly fine compost. Sow grass
seed on any bare spots. In planting or
namental trees, grouping, rather than
formal planting or setting in rows, is to
be encouraged, so far as the nature and
size of the grounds will permit it to be
done.
DIRECTLY after the SOW has her young
ones she must be fed with house slops,
containing scraps of meat, or it is very
probable when her family is small her
natural yearning for meat will cause her
to begin to eat them, and then farewell to
all hope ofproft. This earning for meat
is caused by by combining the mothers
diet altogether to heating corn or other
dry food. If the SOW has house Stops
and milk she will never be so likely to
eat her young.
THE bearing peach tree cannot be
cultivated too often. The soil must at
all times be kept loose. Cultivation can
be kept up until the fruit is ripe. The
new growth of wood in bearing tree
ceases to grow early in the season; and
there is no danger in stimulating late
growth, for the fruit consumes all the
extra sap caused by cultivation. Stir
ring the soil should be thoroughly kept
up, so that any time, between the setting
of the fruit and it's being picked, you
can run your hand right into the soil and
fill it with loose dirt
THE pernicious and miserable habit of
eaving fowls to forage for themselves
we have always condemned; and the
other equally indiscreet habit of half
feeding or supplying but scanty allow
ance to poultry is quite as Objectionable
and alike deserving of encouragement.
Give the chickens a good, warm house;
keep it clean. Let them have good,
clean food and water, and then you can
rest assured you have done your duty,
and they will do theirs with interest
added. Stocknaan.
In answer to questions as to the best
time and manner of sowing salt, as also
the proper quantity to use, the following
answers are given: The best time to
SOW salt is in the spring; and it ought to
be the first thing done on either fall or
spring blowing, as all the after-stirring
of the land assists in its equal distribu-
ton through the soil. The best and
easiest method of sowing salt, in the
absence of machine for that purpose,
Is to SOW it out from the rear end of
wagon-the sower using both hands,
while the team is moving at slow walk;
in this way, thirty to forty acres can be
sowed in one day. The quantity used
may be from $50 to 800 pounds per acre;
but the greater quantity is the better
Prairie Farmer.
Now that Alsike clover seed has be-
come comparatively plenty and cheap, it
is common to SOW from three to five
bushels to the acre. It should be sown
quite early in the spring and covered
very lightly. A pound of seed to the
acre may be sown to excellent advantage
on land seeded to timothy and red clover
two or three years previous. The red
clover generally disappears at the end of
three years, and Alsike may be made to
take it's place with little trouble. Before
setting apart field to pasture animals it
is well to SOW Alsike clover seed on the
sod and to scratch it in with light har-
row. No beekeeper can afford to be
without patch of this valuable honey
plant. Alsike clover is ornamental as
well as useful. Sown on the banks of
stream, along the sides of fences and
roads, and on hills and knobs, it pre-
sents beautiful appearance.
G. T. A1voRD contributes the follow
ing to the american Cultivato1' in re-
gard to his method of feeding lambs:
GAS soon as they bad got to eating hay
well, I commenced giving them Swedish
OF rutabaga turnips, cut fine, once day.
After they would eat turnips well [
commenced giving them a little
corn once day, and after that grad
ually increased the feed of turnips and
corn from week to week, as they would
bear it, being careful to give them no
more at time than they would eat up
clean. The same rule was also observed
in feeding them hay, only rowen hay
being fed to them. They were fed with
hay the first thing in the morning, and
after they had eaten their hay the tur-
nips were fed. At noon they were again
fed with hay. At night they were fed
with corn, and, after that hay was given
them again. They had access to water
once day, and were given salt once
week.
VERY few plants produce as much or
as valuable food as red clover. 1t makes
excellent hay, although it IS more diff
cult to cure than the common grasses.
Hogs will not do we'll on grass, but they
will thrive in clover pasture. They
will even eat large quantities of clover
after it is cured. The cheapest way to
cure hogs during the summer is to give