Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-10-16
FARM NOTES.

Give hogs sheds that are high and cap
able of admitting plenty of fresh air. They
must be comfortable in order to thrive
well. All living, growing things do best
urder best conditions.
The Alabama station seems to be doing
good work for southern agriculture. In
some grape-growlng experiments twelve
pounds OF fruit per vine were obtained the
third year from such varieties as Concord.
Ives and Perkln, while the fourth year
the experimental acre yielded nearly seven
teen tons. In the diversihcation of south
ern agriculture the growing Of fruit is
bound to play an important part.
In pruning fruit trees aim:
1. To train each tree to shade its own
body, so as to prevent sun scald.
2. 10 distribute the growth of limbs
uniformly around and above the body to
procure symmetry, and to have the weight
of fruit uniformly distributed around the
point of support.
3. To strengthen the limbs by shorten
ing back to enable them to sustain crop
of fruit.
4. To reduce the quantity Of fruit by a
judicious shortening of the shoots bearing
tine fruit buds.
From the Alleganies to the regions be-
yond the Mississippi, in the middle belt
the yield of wheat this year is probably
not over bushels to the acre. The glow
ing reports from Minnesota and the Da-
kOtas have later been discounted some
what, but those who are counting on con-
tinued high prices must not lose sight Of
the fact that a very great part of last
year S crops is yet unsold and will tend to
even things up. Whether it be good pol
icy ornot it is a matter of congratulation
that the American farmer is able to hold
SO much of his reso irces in reserve.
What right have we to say that farming
will not pay until all the resources of the
farm have been utilized - economically
gathered and utilized? Why but cream
the crops of the field, when the grass pro-
duct can be condensed into meat or milk
Or put into some other valuable shape?
The slipshod farmer needs sermons preach
ed into his ears from this text until the
whole host Of tillers is converted to a bet
ter way Of doing. No farm yet was ever
made to do its best. Grumbling over poor
crops, thin cattle and half-priced dairy
products is useless and sinful, for this state
of things need not be under ordinary cir
cumstances. The prudent and the skilful
farmer will make it pay, and his chance
for competence is double that Of his city
cousin. This is true whether he now
thinks so or not. JAMES K. REEVE
Glover for Poultry.
A writer in the "Orange County
Farmer tells how to put up clover hay
plenty next winter. Take good cider
barrel, remove the head without breaking
it al: to pieces, so that you can use it to
put back again, then pack your barrel
down tight with the second crop clover
hay, the younger and tenderer the better.
When say pack it down tight, | mean it
though you had a g4udge against it.
When your barrel is full, put on your
lid and on top of the lid place stone. a
good sized one that takes two men to lift
You can prepare as many barrels as you
will need, but | II warrant before the next
spring comes around, you'll wish you had
dozen. Your barrel will cost you about
dollar, and it will be we'll expended.
To use it take your barrel apart, leav-
ing the cheese of clover standing in a
dry place, and when you want to use it
take long, sharp knife and shave it
O4I lii do oIOIU lCLSGuo Cto yOu Ccth. L ecu
it to your hens for noon-day meal,
emitting grain. It isn't necessary to go
into details and tell why all this trouble
is taken; suffice it to say that clover is an
egg food. Every farmer knows that when
poultry have access to a clover patch
they always give an abundance of eggs
Fowls like bulky food, and a strict corn
diet is too fattening although they must
have fair4portion of it in winter For
summer food think boiled oats and wheat
screenings superior to any. Why boil
your oats? asks SOME one. Well, this is
not actually necessary; the idea is to
soften them, as fowls will eat them clean,
and they do not stick in the crop. An
easy but not shiftless way is to pour d
kettle of boiling water over a bucketful
of oats and cover them over with some
thing to keep the steam in. Do this half
an hour or more before you wish to use