Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-11-18
FARM NOTES.

Ammonlacal Odors prevail in all stables
at this season if they are not kept yerv
clean. The best plan for doing this is to
give the stalls an overhauling ia the
morning, removing the bedding at the
same time. Such a method will admit
air to every portion of the floors and
thoroughly dry them, thus preventing
filth and greatly assisting to promote the
health of the stock. Escaping gases, bad
nearly all the evils that befall stock
when confined in the stables and yards.
Don't allow the water to stand in the
fields or in any sink holes about the
buildings or yards. In fact, don't have
any sink-holes about the premises to hold
water. scraper is good thing to have
about every farm. Many fields have little
knobs and holes that might easily and
cheaply be leveled by the use of the
scraper. If much soil is taken from the
place the manure cart must follow after
the scraper. A depression of any consi-
derable extent must, of course, be drain
ed. Even little surface drainage will
often accomplish wonders.
It has for some years been known that
trichina not only infest hogs, but rats as
well, and as hogs often cate rats. it has
been suggested that from them most of
the trichinosis in hogs has come. Recent
Investigations in Europe confirm this
suggestion, and give evidence that trichi-
nosis in due entirely to rats. A com
mittee of Vienna physicians found in
Moravia 81 per cent of rats examined
trichnosis; in vienna and its environs 10
per cent, and in Lower Australia about 4
per cent. The well-known voracity of
IL ncr
meat cause 1t 20 feed upon the flesh and
excrements of other animals infested
with these parasites, and especially rats.
The practical application of the results
of this investigation is to destroy all rats,
and to exercise especial caution about
the careles storage of grain and the &C
emulation Of litter about hog pens.
Prizes for essays on various subjects
connected with agriculture are offered by
the Society of French Agriculturists, to
be awarded during the session of 1887.
Among the topics are the rotation of
crops and systems of culture, better
method of incubation with attenuated
virus than that now in vogue, the fatten-
ing of animals on pastures, the organiza-
ton and working of mutual agricultural
credit associations, treaties of commerce,
other fruit trees. In 1890 prizes are to
be given for the creation of fruit farms.
1t is likely that the common elder,
which grows on most land in all the
Northern States and Canada, would be
valuable in portions in the Northwest,
where there is a scarcity of fuel. On
moist ground it makes a very rapid
growth, and throws up many sprouts
from the roots. It furnishes excellent
poles for running beans, and the branches
make good pea-sticks. The small twigs
are used for making brooms for sweep
ing out barns and stables. The roots are
very useful in binding the earth on the
banks of streams, SO that it will not wash
away.
The arrival of the first carload of pigs
ever received from Manitoba is reported
at the stock yards of the Canadian Pacific
Railway in Montreal. The animals arriV-
ed in irst-class condition, and came
from Griswold, Manitoba, settlement
26 miles west of Brandon. This Is the
first shipment of live stock of this de-
Ecription ever received in Montreal from
Manitoba, and the indications are that 1t
is the precursor of many more. Large
numbers of pigs are raised in that pro-
vince, and the shipment ia question con-
sisted of good average-sized animals and
we'll fattened.