Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-03-29


which to dispose. In most cases these
ashes are, very properly, used on the
farm to promote the growth of crops
Upon many fields they act very
promptly, and show a marked improve
ment for several years. Upon other
fields, although they do some good.
they fail to produce as great results
as are expected for their use
The want Of uniformity in the effect
Of ashes when used as d fertilizer is
due to various causes. Some soils are
deficient in nitrogen ian important ele
ment, which ashes do not supply,
though they do tend to make quickly
available whatever stores Of it there
may be in an inert condition in the
land. Then, too, ashes vary greatly
in value. Those from the hard woods
are worth a great deal more than
those from the soft wood. This, be-
cause they contain larger proportions
Of potash and phosphoric acid These
are, for fertilizing purposes, the most
valuable constituents Of ashes, though
the lime which they supply in consider
able quantity is very useful in many
fields The value Of ashes is also
modified by the way in which they
have been kept. If stored in a damp
place they absorb a great deal of moist
ure, and are thus seriously injured
The difficulty of handling them is much
increased by the incipient teaching to
which they are thus subjected. For
oI1
stored in q dry place. 1t is sometimes
the case that ashes that are purchased
are much adulterated with substances
which are Of but little value. This fact
will fully account for the disappoint-
ment which baS sometimes followed
the use Of ashes obtained from abroad.
If used at a seasonable time, and ap-
piled in a proper manner, ashes will
prove useful to nearly all farm crops.
Perhaps they are particularly valuable
for grass and onions. They often show
excellent results on oat fields, and they
are desirable for either corn at the
time of planting or worked into the
ground w q cultivatOr when the
plants are three or four inches high.
They will increase the yield Of pOta-
toes, but, although, it has been proved
that they are not the cause of the dis
ease, it is probably that they strongly
tend to develop any existing tendency
to the Scab.
Many farmers, in all, have leached
ashes which they want to put to some
useful purpose. Though not worth as
much on most soils as unleached ashes,
they will be found Of considerable
value to use for fertiliZing purposes.
The claim has sometimes been made
that they are as beneficial as I'M
leached ashes, but, except on soils
which are remarkably well supplied
with potash, this cannot b, the case.
Still, the phosphoric acid and the lime,
of which they retain all that they ever
had, will make them useful on almost
all kinds of land, and for nearly all
crops. The fact that the leached ashes
are deficient in potash should induce
the farmer to supply this element in
some other form, but it ought not to
lead to their being either wasted or
lightly esteemed.-Amerbcan Farmer
and Farm News.
Food and Milk.-Our cheapest feed
at present is gluten meal, $14 per ton
by carload delivered here, says a Wis
consin farmer. 1t contains twice the
protein and fat of bran, and when fed
from to 10. to ration, if possible,
combined with cOttOnSeed meal, will
make cheap milk and butter. The
COWS will learn to eat it and soon will
give more milk. The perpleXing ques
tion-"Win the cow increase the fat
in milk pin other words, will she give
richer milk or richer fOOd?-has been
answered negatively by our expert
ment station, but that milk can be i'm
poverished by poor foods seems plain
to me. I have tasted a chalky sub
stance called butter from feeding poor
hay alone in winter. 1t was similar
to some made by us from the froth of
cream, when separated. In the first
worlds fair exposition in Paris seven
cows out Of eleven exhibited by a
breeder of Holsteins received first
prize for the rich quality Of their milk.
In a short time the former owner re-
ceived a letter from the French govern
ment inquiring what he fed and for
sample of his hay, stating that the
COWS had fallen off in quality of milk.
Analyses proved that the grasses on
the foothills, where he lived, made
much richer hay than the fats Of the
river Seine and TO the DOOrer herba Ge
was attributed the loss Of fat.
At a recent meeting of an English
farmers club, Prof. Mcbride spoke Of
the difficulty Of administering medi-
cine to a pig He said: 'fTo dose a
pig, which you are sure to choke if
you attempt to make him drink while
squealing, halter him as you would
for execution, and tie the rope end to
a stake. He will pull back until the
rope is tightly strained. When he has
ceased his uproar and begins to reflect
approach him and between the back
part Of his jaws insert an old shoe,
from which you have cut the toe
leather. This he will at once begin to
suck and chew. Through it pour your
medicine and he will swallow any
quantity you please"
Every farmer ought to have a pair
of farm scales, not to supercede his
own judgment as to the weight of
stock. but to test it. If he does not
have the scales, the farmer is always
at a disadvantage. The butcher and