Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-29

preparation that has been made for
winter. To prepare for winter in the
most effective way possible involves a
good many careful calculations and a good
deal of skillful work 1t is nice thing
keep through the winter. There ae-
stock that could possibly be kept at a
profit ON grass in the summer, but that
will not begin to pay if it has t. be ted
either grain or hay In the winter. There
are steers that are unthrifty and will
prove hard feeders and hard keepers, old
scrub cows that have served their day and
generation and should 60 to the SHAMELESS
and uhat when fat will not more than pay
for the corn it takes to fatten them, hogs
that might be fed at profit by the cattle
feeder, but will not pay if fed corn
direct; horses, it may be, for which there
will be no use next year. and hence ought
to be sold as soon as possible to some man
who has use for them, and so on through
the list OF stock on the farm. 1t is always
we'll to get rid of this class of stuff in the
fail, when it is possible without too great
sacrifice. If anyone will buy it at
public or private sale without further, feed,
so much the better. 1t is not easy to cal
culate the amount OF feed that is needed
by the stock on the farm through the vim
ter. and the..only safe way is to provide con-
siderably more roughness than there is
reason to believe will be needed. With
barns ana hay sheds roughness can be
carried over from one year to another,
and it is not wise to stint the quantity.
1t is always better to carry a quantity
over than to stint the feed on live stock in
that most critical time of year, the spring.
The lesson of last year, when most
serious hay famine threatened the farmers
Of the nor west, should not tie soon for
gotten.
With stock reduced to the proper pro-
portions and feed IN abundance prepared,
it is we'll to consider how it can be fed out
with the greatest economy Of labor and
the least waste. There is vast amount
Of both feed and labor wasted in tire
winter season because the proper calcula-
tions and arrangements were not made
beforehand. We greatly admire the ar
engagements some farmers make with very
small expense by which they save great
deal both Of feed and labor and bring
their stock through in fine shape, while
other farmers, with less stock and the ex-
penditure of more labor and feed, cone
through the winter with their stock thin
in flesh and in an unthrifty condition
The best way to learn the trick is to watch
the farmers that have learned it and do
likewise There are many things in con.
nection with farming that can be learned
in no other way Neither books nor news
papers can teach the really cute tricks, Or,
rather, devices, Of the farmers trade.
The next month, which intervenes before
winter, in real earnest, may be expected,
will be one of the busiest of the year if
full preparation for the winter is made,
and happy is the man who has everything
in readiness for it when it comes. We do
not presume to teach farmers the details
of the proper preraration for winter, diff
ering as they do on different farms and at
different seasons, and, therefore, we have
simply called attention to a few of the i'm
portant things that are not usually includ-
ed in what is called preparation for win
ter.-Exchange.