Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-09-20
SEASONABLE FARM NOTES.

PoT-nAYERED strawberry plants should
be set out soon ii at all this fall. They
cost more than ordinary plants, but they
produce fruit sooner.
The melon worm is now ENJOYING it.
self In many a melon patch. 1t is of a
yellowish green color and about an inch
and quarter long. Give it plenty of
pyrethum, but it is not safe TO use paris
green.
WHEN potatoes are ripe and the tops
become dry they should be at once dug
and put into cool cellar. It is best to
put them in small bins. Great care
should be used in digging not to cut or
bruise the tubers, which hastens decay,
DAHLIA roots often decay during the
winter. Leave three or four inches of
the stalk on them, with the outer cover
ing well scraped away. Make small
opening at base of stalk, and they will
not decay; the watery deposit escapes.
If one will take the trouble, says Mr..
Felch, to count the rows of scales on a
cocks leg, in front down to the first
Joint in the middle toe, he will find that
there are seventeen. and that no matter
what the length of the shank is the num-
Der will be the same.
AMERICAN farmers do not value clover
hay as highly as the English do. Tim
othy is considered much inferior to clo-
yer by them; much superior by us.
Glover sells IN England for about 90 per
cent. more than timothy. Properly
cured it is valuable crop.
THERE is scarcely farmer who has
not provided himself with soiling crops
who does not feel their loss during
August and September. He may rely
on pasture mainly, but there are times
every year when pastures must be sup
plemented or stock must suffer.
IT is slovenly practice to take areap-
er in harvest field without first cutting
around with cradle. It is done, how
ever, more and more every year, one
reason being that few farmers have
cradles In good conditions for using, and
few men nowadays know how to use
them.
A CORRESPONDENT of the Country
Gentleman. says: "Having several
valuable young pear trees scratched by
cats, and being told that pine tar was a
reliable remedy foI all vegetable wounds,
/ applied a coat to the affected parts
The result is [ have more experience
and less trees.
F. FL. D., in the Country Gentleman,
asks: "Would it not be better for us
farmers to till our land better and crop
it more? As soon as we take off our
crop it would be best to manure the
land, pillow it and Immediately put in an
other crop, either to harvest or Craze off,
s1ol/ f,-.
NANCE in cattle has the same origin
as scratches in horses-flth. 1t is con-
tagious and easily spreads from one to
the other. The animals affected will
scratch themselves on every tree and
post they can reach, and others coming
in contact with these scratching posts
are sure to contract the disease.
To secure fine tomatoes for next year
thoughtful gardeners select smooth,
evenly shaped fruit this season for seed.
The requisites are medium size, thick,
solid flesh, few seeds, bright red color,
and a perfect outline entirely free of pro-
tuberances. Lay them in the sun until
decomposition sets in, then wash out the
seeds and dry perfectly.
THERE is just the same expense at
tached to marketing an inferior crop of
fruit that there is in putting a choice
crop of fruit In the market. The gath
ering, picking, hauling, box material,
express charges, and other expenses are
just the same on the inferior as on the
finer fruits. Your commission man has
to devote much more of his time trying
to get rid of it, and you usually have to
wait longer for returns.
If it is intended to cure a FESTIVE
horse, he must be used by one and the
same person and caught young, and let
his rider or driver bear in mind that
with both FESTIVE and nervous horses the
voice will prove more effectual than the
whip. Stuck to your nag, If possible,
under all circumstances, for, rely upon
1t, If he can once get away from you he
will redouble his efforts to do so again.
Unfortunately there is always risk in
buying once willful steed, for in fresh
hands he may revert to his tricks.
The signs of the times point to higher
prices for choice lots of freshly-made
butter. The present demand for fine
lump butter is beyond the supply, and a
continuance of the drought must still
further curtail production. Those dairy
men who rest content In producing only
an inferior article of butter will run in
direct competition with the manufacture
ers of oleomargarine, and thus derive
little or no advantage from a rise in
choice butter. The market for fine but
ter at remunerative prices is daily widen
ing and no farmer can afford to ignore
such demand.
The custom of breaking down the
leaves and seed stems of onions is to
prevent the exhaustion of the bulb by
the formation of the seed. Some grow
ers do this as soon as the leaves are full
grown, by twisting and bending them
down; as the bulb is not the root but
the enlarged stem of the plant, this con-
centrates the force of the plant into the
bulb or stem, and so produces vigorous
growth there. The practice may be of
questionable effect SO far as this view is
concerned, but would certainly be useful
in case seed stalk is forming, as the
production of seed would certainly weak
en- the bulb. The breaking down is done