Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-03-04
FARM NOTES.

FARM NOTES.
Hoilyhock seeds started now will
make plants of nice size for setting
out by May, if then set in good rich
soil they will grow rapidly and bloom
at about the ordinary time.
Grape cuttings for spring planting
may be made now, Gut into convent
ent lengths tor packing. Tie cuttings
into small bur ches and pack in sand,
standing them on end to remain until
needed for use.
When wintering early cabbage
plants in frames it must not be for
gotten that they need plenty Of air
when the temperature is above the
thawing point, in very cold weather,
however, the frames may remain clos
ed for days together without Injury.
Mice may be cleared out of root eel
lars or pits by the following process !:
Soak some peas In water until they
are swollen, then roll thena in arsenic
and bury very shallow in light earth.
The mice will find them and devour
them in preference to plants Or vege-
tables.
AS SOON as made, butter should be
set in cool, dry. sweet place, and
kept at a temperature of about 500.
Do not set the tubs on the ground, to
apsorbe an earthly smell and flavor,
nor permit any mold or decaying sub
stance, Or anything that gives off an
offensive odor, to be in the same de-
partment with the butter. Much good
b,,tto1, ie s,,oI1od NV iv,o,,,.o,oo,, l-oo-;, =.
and handling between the make room
and the consuna ption market.
THE Boston CuItiUdtor declares it
to be matter of fact rather than
of fancy that there is more
nutriaent in dark than a white-sheIl-
ed egg. The white of the white she'll
cd egg is like milk of lime water,
while that of dark eggs has substance,
is gelatinous in appearance, and will
hold together if lifted a few inches,
and, it is claimed, is one-third more
valuable for any culinary purpose.
All this may Or may not be true, but
it is certain that the dark-shelIed eggs
sell for oRe-fourth more in the markets
than the white-shelled ones.
Extracted honey should be thor
oughly SKINNED of all bits of comb,
Or other substances, before it is mar
keted. 1t is often damaged by being
rut into whisky barrels, which have
charcoal on the inside Of the slaves,
and particles of this get into the hon
ely, spelling its appearance. Clean
barrels are indispensable. Comb hon
ely must be white, we'll capped and put
up in neat, attractive manner. Only
thus can the producer obtain the top
figure of the market In New York
the principal demand for honey is for
honey IN glassed sections, Or in paper
boxes. In the West such are unsala-
bic. In Cincinnati the market re-
quires it in unglassed sections, but
with the crates glassed.
Many farmers do not feed turniDs
because the stock will not partake Of
them when they can get better mater
ial. Something depends upon the
manner in which the turnips are fed.
No animal cares for q hard, woody or
frozen turnip, nor should the roots be
fed without some preparation. The
better method is to steam them and
add ground grain, but the majority of
farmers object to the labor of such
proceeding. A root-slicer, however,
may be used, by which the turnips
may be sliced. They should then be
covered with water over night, sprink-
led with meal and salt the next
morning, and fed. They are, of
course. not as valuable as hay, corn,
fodder or grain, but they serve an ex-
cellent dietary purpose, increasing
the appetite and assisting to keep the
animals in good condition.
An orchard of some 5000 trees,
planted near Trenton, n. j., under a
former owner. failed from yellows
and other causes to produce either
trees or fruit, A new owner dug out
all the old trees, and again planted the
orchard, using as fertilizer kainit
and bone dust in liberal quantities.
The orchard is now six years old, is
marvel OF beauty, and bears album
dainty. 4 more healthy orchard can
not be found, We find plenty of cas-
es where new orchards were planted
after old ones failed, and they grew
finely. We find in all such cases the
orchard had new owner, and that
seemed to be a great benefit to trees.
Neglect of the former owner was re
placed by careful attention and ferti1-
izers, and always IN all the cases we
observe the complete eradiction of dis
ease.