Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-02-14
For the Farmer.

Water of moderate temperature
is better for stock than when it is ice
cold.
Wisconsin sheep-owners say that if
it were not for the dogs that State
would have ten sheep where it now has
only one.
The old and well-tried plan for pro-
tecting trees from injury from mice
when the snow has come to stay is to
trample it down hard around the young
frult trees. A better plan is to tie
strips OF lath or barrel-stayes around
the trunks.
A farmer reports the effect of an APP
| pllcatlon of one tcI of bran to the acre
as equal to that obtained from the usual
application OF n mixture of hone dust.
guano, lime, and wood-ashes, and the
difference in yield of the crop that re-
celved bran as compared with those not
so treated was very great.
The egg product of the United States
stands second in value only to corn and
wheat. and often surpasses the latter
During the last fiscal year, for instance.
the corn crop was worth $3.50, GAS, 400,
the wheat crop $484, 675, 779, and the
egg crop $475, $50, SS9. The hen, in her
relation to our domestic, economy, is
thus entitled to more respect than has
commonly been paid to her.
Keep the barnyards drained so thor
oughly that they are at all times solid
and navigable. 1t does cattle no good
to 90 wading about knee deep in filth,
and the eXhalations from deposits of
liquid and solid manure, such as are
too often seen on the farm, 90 fer to-
ward poisoning the air for long dis
tances around The thrifty farmer
will keep his barnyards free from
mire.
Mr.. n. Atwell, one of the Michigan
Commissioners, whose duty it is to
look after the peach districts of that
State and check if possible the raYages
of the destructive disease known as
''yellows," claims that there is no
known remedy, and that the only safe
plan is to uproot and burn the trees
upon the first appearance of the dis
ease.
Agriculture, says the JournaI of Aq-
ricultaxre, should never be entirely di-
~
not whole farm, unless there is some
where home upon it, and true rural
home cannot be without shade trees.
and fruit trees, and lawn and garden.
Agriculture may provide the income,
but horticulture makes the home. The
beauties and delicacies of the farm pro-
ceed more from the orchard and garden
than from the farm; and the farmer
who ignores horticulture is ignoring
one source of comfort and happiness.
An Eastern paper says; ''See that
skeleton of a woman Juggling two pals
of water up that hill to the house, while
at a cost of $50 an aqueduct would
bring water into every building. That
man has $4,000 at interest and three
wives of blessed memory in yonder
yard. The fourth will soon be beside
them, after which there will be an ca
ger contest for the dead woman's har-
ness" The paper forgets how hard it
is to get a good bank account. And
yet it does seem to be a pity that all
murderers cannot be hung.
The Swiss COW, says an exchange, is
large-bodied but fne-bodied, of the
style of Short-horn; the horns are
light, short, clear and tipped with
black; the color is of chestnut brown.
mixed with white; the nose, tongue,
hoof and switch are black; a mealy-col-
ored band surrounds the black nose;
the udder and teats are large and well
formed-and, while they differ to
great extent from our common notions
about the right form which a COW
should have, yet they are excellent and
profitable COWS, yielding twenty to
twenty-five quarts of milk daily, and
the milk is rich in butter of an excel
lent quality. The skin is yellow, soft,
elastic and covered with soft, silky
hair; they carry remarkable escutch-
cons, and are extremely even in ap-
pearance, showing careful and good
breeding, for considerable length of