Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-11-08
FARM NOTES.

Corn is the most profitable cereal crop
grown, as the value of the fodder is
sometimes more than equal to that of the
gram.
Experiments show that cross of the
Minorca and Lansshan fowls produces an
excellent layer, and one that is hardy and
vigorous.
Two of the most important crops are
carrots and parsnips. They are relished
by all classes of stock, and keep well dur
ing the winter.
It is not an easy matter to keep down
strawberry runners. The bed must be
examined frequently. AS fast as the
runners are pitched off others will ap-
pear.
Piling up the manure in the stables
may he convenient, but the health of the
animals will not be promoted thereby.
There should be place for the manure
as we'll as for everything else.
1t is now time to be making the prep
arations for coupling the sheep. Only
rams of the best breed should be used. A
cross bred male can not be relied upon
for producing uniform offspring.
One of the evils N breeding is that of
exchanging males between neighbors. 1t
is only system of in bre eding, and no i'm
provement can be made by it. The
| males should come from the best stock,
and should In no manner be related to the
females.
1t is claimed chat 500 pounds of onion
seed can be grown on an acre of land, the
price varying from 300. to 81 per pound.
| The receipts from an acre of onion see d
are usually large, but the crop calls for
quite en- expense in labor, much of which
is hand wedding.
If there are no shade trees in the hog
pasture, artificial shade should be pro-id-
ed. Cheaply constructed sheds answer
the purpose well, but they should be built
to turn driving wind and rain storms.
| These sheds should not be allowed to be-
come dusty and filthy.
Evidence exists that deaf ruutes are
not confined to the human race. In a
farmers herd for twelve years was a COW
which never gave any signs of hearing,
and whose evident attem pts at lowing re-
suited only in feeble cultural Nothing
abnormal could be discovered in the ears
nor in the vocal organs.
The roadsides, fence corners, rubbish,
thickets and weeds should be com pietely
cleared up, not only for tbs advantage of
the appearance, out because such are used
as the harboring places of insects. De-
struotion to crops will follow neglect to
clear out the growth in inaccessible places
where the plow, cultivator and harrow
can not go. Then the hoe should lie used,
and fire made to consume everything that
it Is a nuisance.
Lime may not show its beneficial eff
fects on the soil for year or two, as the
character of the soil must be considered.
Lime adds but very little valuable plant
food to the soil, as all soils contain lime,
but its chemical action on the inert mat
ter of the soil liberates other substances
that was not to be otherwise available Il
should be applied as regularly as manure
in order to secure it's assistance in de-
imposing the plant food already exist
ing III the soil.
As food is indispensable for the pro-
ductIon of rich milk, there only remains
| to adjust the ration TO the ability of the
COW to digest 1t and turn Is to profit.
This ability varies with the cow, and
must be learned by the owner. No stand
ard ration has an iron-clad limit; il is a
standard to be used as g starting point,
to be Iessened Or increased as each case
may warrant.