The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-29

BLACK lake, black lake
, IRE Wild goose hid within the brake;
a The string upon ny bow fell loose ,
He heard my step and few away;
Arrow # ,M,, thin H., arrow ,,', thi,,- <.,
Black lake, black lake
This morn ills SOW own black feather HT Whirred,
And sled the SHAFT that Killed the bird
WISCONSIN AGRICULTURAL NOTES.
Conesrning Kentucky Blue Glass.
Do Wisconsin farmers know and re-
nlize that what they commonly call
June Grass is the same plant that In
kentncky's boosted pastures goes under
the name of blue grass" When Wis
iting, Ashland, the, Henry Clay homie
stead, near Lexington; to study it's live
stock | gave the closest attention to
d the sod d. grass of the pastures &c Setting
to compare it with that which so free
~ covers Wisconsin pastures and road
sides, and was not able to discover any
superiority for the kentucky product
either in density Of growth or in any
9 Of wv! way What we call June grass"
with Kentucky 6iat srsss' and %'a Since t
grows just as freely here Why should
we not give it the more aristotfatic
name? Would not every acre of Wis
consin pasture lands be worth more in
the minds of her farmers at least and
would they not take more pride in them
If the carpet which covers them so green
today We're called kentucky blue grass
instead of plain "June grass?' Ken
w
our state with. freedom and tenacity
which is simply stirbfising, 1t is the
only grass of this region which FORMS 1;
sod so dense that it can be cut and rolled
up like a carpet. Even the severe
drouths which sometimes aff1ict us can
not utterly destroy it, for though it may
look brown and entirely dead. the first
and it green's almost in IL night time
and springs forward to please the eye
and nOurish the cattle with rapidity
and yigor which is simply marvellous
l wish particularly at this time to call
the attention of our farmers to the pc
culiar habits of growth of Kentucky
blue grass and draw most important
into June this grass grows rapidly and
usually supplies more feed than tho
farmer has cattle to consume. So
luxuriant is the growth that often as the
farmer walks over his pastures during
the last half of May he is apt to wish
for more livestock to consume the over
abundant forage everywhere 50 evident.
makes the same round land what farmer
does not enjoy these frequent tours of
INSPECTION over his domain). he notes
that the grass has almost ceased grow
ing. 50 that BY mil sunmer the excess
of the edflGf date has been cropped off
and the ground shows bare and even
brown. Our blue grass plants are not
hausted theif energies and have entered
a necessary period Of rest, which lasts
all through the latter: Part Of July. Au
gust and even into. September. During
this period G61Hes hard titiies with the
cattle, for now not Only are the fields
quite bare of provender, but the sth is
almost blistering hot and the bl6od-slck
ing insects most annoying. The sheep
seek the shade. holding their noses close
to the earth, and frequently stamping to
drive away the flies; the fattening cat
tie and young things show no increase
in weight, aud the dairy COWS scantily
fed and much frettted shrink greatly in
their milk flow. Our farmer, who only
few weeks before was wishing for
more cattle to consume the extra growth
Of grass, now wishes he had larger
that he is losing money every day be-
Along in September with the cooler
weather and increased rainfall. the blue
grass and normal conditions once more
prevail.
frsvide Forage.
While every farther has each year Oh
served jiSt what is above destflbed, too
few: ST them, provide for the deficiency
as they should: We have all come to
think. that after :We have fed our stock
for six, months :. in Miihte5 they should
half hs Of the year. Is It pro tabie to let
farm stock go hungry at any time. and
Why should cattle suffer for food in sum
mer any more than i'll winter? l urge
upon every farmer reader of these notes
to at once make ample provision against
the shortage above described by supply
ing some kind of forage easily raised.
provides green food for spring use, and
is already large enough for cutting at
this time. Next to rye comes the oat
| plant, which if cut just before heading
or shortly after gives valuable forage.
| By June red clover is large enough to
cut for s6ilihg cattle and furllishes ex-
| ccllent food. These plants listiaift Come
have given out and SO are not particular
| ly needed by farmers who have the usual
| area of pasture land: a great plant
| for helping over midsummer. shortage
| is Indian corn, and | wish particularly
| to call attSntba at this time to it's great
merits. Every farmer WHO wishes to get
| the most from his stock should plant one
| acre of early Minnesota sweet corn or
| some other early variety for each ten
| COWS or their equal of stock Oh his farm.
| This corn will be ready for feeding early
in August. Another acre of Stowell's
| evergreen sweet corn or some. good va
ricty Of field corn should be planted for
that first planted has been ttstd up.
| Plant this corn in some field convenient
to the stable or to the pasture where it
may be spread out OH the sod for feed
ing. A load should be drawn each day
and as much given to the cattle as they
will consume without waste If some
stranger should come to Wisconsin and
offer our farmers means of paving all
! their state taxes without trouble to them
he would be considered Il great benefac-
tor. Let them know that if they will
only provide forage corn in the way de-
scribed above for their stock they will
save more than their taxes in prevent.
ing a great shrinking in milk flow and
in failure to gain flesh, which comes to
|
gate loss to Wisconsin's creameries and
cheese factories through this midsummer
shrinkage amounts to $1,OO0.OOO or 81.
| 100000 each year. large part of which
may be saved by a little foresight and
proper preparation. 1t is now time to
plant corn in the southern part of our
state for the purpose above described.
Let us not expect the blue grass of our
pastures to furnish constant and proper
supply of forage for our cattle during
the whole summer season, but prepare
to make up the shortage which will
surely come by having on hand gpodly
supply of green fodder corn. The farm
er who cannot secure the seed Of sweet
be- be Ereatiy pleased With any variety Of Of
carly growing field corn. 1t is not so
much a matter Of. variety as that of hav-
ing liberal supply of some kind of feed
! when needed. Prof. w. A. Henry.
University of Wisconsin.
Late Planting of Early Crops.