Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-12-15
OPENING WINTER IN MICHIGAN.

/ OPENING WINTER ~ MICHIGAN,
\ Not for many years hiss winter come
} finding the ground so full of water as
this season. Every pond and ditch,
every we'll and cistern Is full, and
noticed yesterday in passing place
where holes had been dug for telephone
/ poles, that each one was full OF water to
the surface OF the ground, and this not
only on the low land, but for miles
along the highway. In many places it
is almost impossible 20 haul corn or
stalks from the tield, on account Of the
ground being SO soft.
We have had delightful westher so far,
With the exception of n few days. At
present the ground l. covered with snow
but rain has set in, and, without doubt,
before many hours have elapsed il will
De gone.
Pastures have been good, and live
stock of all kinds has done well. As
there Is abundance Of coarse fodder and
cheap grain, there is no reason why they
should not do remarkably we'll all win
ter also. The trouble is that too many
farmers neglect % stable their animals
until they are pinched by cold and
obliged 20 dig for sustenSnce under the
snow. Ss is often the case with sheep
aud horses. Then when they do take
them up, they are left 20 find shelter
around the straw stack.
our hav crop was light this wear,
though better than last. Many farmers
hsve already sold their surplus, receiv-
ing from = 20 - q ton for IL. The
buyer usually presses Il, but the seller
has 20 board men aud teams while II Is
being done. Considerable straw is baled
and sold at about $3.50 per ton.
Most OF the wheat crop il sold, few
farmers being In condition 70 hold IL,
a. money was 50 scarce. Now that II =
higher u i easy 70 see the advantage II
would have been 20 hold il. Probably
not one-fourth az the whole crop Is still
in farmers hands. Wheat on the ground
l. looking very well.
Beans are a discouraging crop this
wear The price Is now fifty cents a
hushel, aud four cents must be taken
from that for threshing. besides furnish
Ing the hands sud coal or wood, and
boarding both men and horses. The
WELD i considered good, however, 20 10
- bushels per sCre being not unusual.
Unlike The wheat crop. the potato crop
j. Still ia farmers hands, for the very
good reason that there Was no market
for them when dug. IL was not expect
ed that two years of low prices would
succeed each other, and the potatoes
were carefully tended all summer. When
rot was reported in various sections Of
the country we said well get all the
more for ours. since We have no rot.
when other people complained Of bugs
late I'm the season, a. late As Aug. -, We
went over ours, a. so many We're neg
lecting theirs. and field after field was
entirely DESTROYED We said We should
get some money out of those potatoes
vet. Oct. lst We commenced digging.
The WELD WAS only fair, vet before We
got through We found ourselves pos
ses,ed OF nearly 2OnO bushels. aud the
price was down 20 u cents. have
grown potatoes Is a field crop for nearly
twenty wears. and until the past two
wears have never seen the time when the
crop could not be sold az some time
during the market season for AZ least -
cents bushel have always said that
the only WAY 20 mske any money on a
thing Was 10 keep st IL, but ! confess
that this potato business entirely knocks
nv theory out. such turn In affairs as
this is enough 10 disgust anybody.
We have closed up the apple deal for
this year, and sincerely trust we may
not have such crop on our hands again.
Lucky the man who got even enough 10
paw for barrels snd expense OF picking
and packing That l. better than some
did. n / had the whole thing 70 do over
again. / should lei the entire crop, aside
from what vas needed for family use,
remain ou the trees. and let the animals
eat them up. That would not cost any
thing. anyway. and stock OF Sll Kinds
are ycrv fond 81 them.
Considerable corn j. still unhusked, al
though the weather has been tne for
husking. Machines for huSkiug and
shreddiug the stalks are doing quite
business. The work j quite satisfactory
- rule. aud If the stalks are dry the
fodder does not heat enough 20 do any
damage. some put straw with II A. II l.
elevated into the NOW, which prevents II
from moulding. The fodder put through
A machine in this way Is in fine shape TO /
feed without further cutting, which =
quite q saving Of labor.
There l. no disease among livestock /
here-in fact. has never been all anl-
mails are exceptionally healthy as rule /
Hog cholera has never been known IN /
his part OF the state, while diseases OF /
anv kind are rare.
our forests are fast disappearing un-
der the axe. our land is being drained
ana fertilized. our roads are improving |
from wear 70 year, our schools are bet
Ter. and our citizens more enlightened /
and intelligent. II We could have free
mail delivery. it would add very materi- /
,llv 70 the pleasure of farm life. FER
hans il will come. Let u hope So
Correspondent of Country Gentleman