Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-03-28

wood ashes and superphosphate is a
special fertilizer for strawberries. Hen
manure in a fine condition may also be
used, and should be scattered over the
plants in time to be washed down bv
the rains.
The soil is said to influence the color
of fruit, it being claimed that sandy
soil will give lighter color to russell ap-
Piles than will heavier soil. The degree
of temperature also affects the color.
If the wood ashes be carefully saved
and applied to the canes of blackberries
and raspberries early in the spring the
result will be rapid growth and strong
canes.
Now is the time to scatter lime
around the trees and vines. It may be
used freely and literally
A Western fruit grower used seventy
| five bushels of wood ashes on his straw
berry vines last season, and the crop
yielded $50 bushels per acre. He
thinks the ashes also counteracted the
effects of the drought to a considerable
extent.
Cut out the old canes from raspberries
and blackberries, if you have not al
ready done SO, and trim up the grape
vines. This work is best done in cold
weather. Rake up allthe old canes and
vines and burn them. Much of the
busy work of spring in that direction
can be done now, and as but few
weeks remain before out door work will
begin all work done now will be an ad-
vantage.
A mixture of two bushels of ground
plaster with thirty bushels of wood
ashes is one of the best fertilizers that
can be applied to the clover field, and
it should be put on early, being evenly
broadcasted. The work should be done
on damp day, and the rains will carry
it down. The effects of the application
will be noticed during the whole sea-
son.
There is nothing gained by adding
large amount of coarse litter to the ma
nure heap, as it only causes more loads
to be drawn. Litter should first be
made fine and then covered with the
manure in the heap in order to rot it as
much as possible.
The farmer who means to keep up
with the times, says the Rural New
Yorker, will make sure to have barrel
of plaster kept constantly in his stable
for use back of the cows. When farm
er begins to ''fall in love with manure"
he gives one of the best indications of a
well balanced mind.
The miserable appearance of most
yearlings is due to ignorance of their
requirments. The young calf has not IN
its first year teeth adapted to chewing
dry. solid food, and if fed whole grain
will void larger portion of it than an
older animal. While it has succulent
grass there is no trouble, but when con-
fined to dry cornstalks and straw it is
impossible for it to get sufficient nutri-
ment. Glover hay is best, and if to this
bo oHdoH hand f111 Hoilu of norm on6
oatmeal mixed, the animal. il warmly
sheltered, will keep on growing in win
ter nearly as we'll as it does in summer.
Give it water that has at least had the
icy chill taken from it if you wish to see
its coat continue smooth.
There is still hope for sheep being
profitable, as it is claimed that Canada
furnishes more sheep for Boston market
than any state in our Union.
The prize yearling steer at the Chica-
go Fat Stock Show weighed $50 pounds,
its net weight being 562 pounds Or 1886
per cent. 1t was of the Hereford breed
and produced an excellent quality of
beef. By grading up the stock it should
pay farmers to raise their calves as the
weight attained by this yearling shows
what is possible on all farms.
There is a breed of sheep that has Gre
ated some note recently. They are
the Chinese or Napkin sheep. Their
particular characteristic is that they fire.
quently give birth to three or four
lambs at time and also breed twice
year. They probably will not prove of
much value as mutton sheep compared
with the English Dorset and Somerset.
shire sheep, which are superior. The
Chinese sheep are considered almost
worthless as wool producers.