Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-10-28
agricultural
AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Size in cattle.-Mere size in cattle is
fast becoming as Objectionable as
mere size in hogs has already become.
Size Of itself, of course, is not objec-
tionable, provided it unites quality
with it, But as in the case of the
hog the young and the quick matur
ing beeves are in demand because they
give the best and most desirable meat.
The temperature for churning.-At
the New York state dairy school cream
was churned at 68 degrees IN fifteen
minutes. 1t had been raised in a
Cooley creamer, in ice water at about
40 degrees, in twelve hours and ripened
at sc degrees, or Whereabouts, in "a
hours. The temperature at the sepa-
ration point was 50 degrees. The but
ter maker who usually churns that
cream, said he churned his cream at
65 degrees, and was an hour to an
kour and half doing it. Mr.. Gilbert
ckurned it at GO degrees for the pur-
rose of showing the difference in time
three degrees would make.
Pure bred fowls.-There is much
dispute as to whether pure-bred fowls
ray. The progressive farmer is not
quite certain on that point, and the
non-progressive is positive that they
don't. The trouble with the former is
that he has been more particular about
the quality of the fowl. In other
words, he has gone in for looks and
become a fancier Fanciers make
money, but their business is very
different from that of the ordinary
poultry keeper, and it will not do for
the farmer to confuse the two. Fancy
points in his case do not pay; but it
will pay him to buy few bred birds
and grade his common ones up. This
can easily be accomplished by using a
little judgment as to which birds to
keep and which to reject. Care should
be taken each year to infuse new bloC4
into the flock. If he keeps an exact
account of the profits and eXpendi-
lures, he will soon be able to convince
his progressive neighbOr that
purity of breed will produce larger
and better eggs and meat of superior
quality, even if he is so unreasonable
as to deny the increase in laying
powers.
Profit in early lambs.-There is no
quicker product and none other that is
profitable as the early lamb. One sells
for much in May as two in November,
and the farmer not only gets the better
price, but he saves twice or even four
times the feeding Any large town Or
city furnishes the market for them.
and the early sale makes it possible
to fatten the ewes after the lambs are
sold and market them out of the way
for another flock in the fall The kind
of lamb, however, is to be thought of
The best Of all is a cross of a Shrop-
shire ram on native ewes-that is,
considering he profit, for the pure
lamb is to be preferred before the
cross, were it not that the pure ewes
are too costly to be made into mutton
as with the common ones And the
disposal of the ewes and the less first
cost make the larger profit The ewes
should be purchased early in Septem-
Der so that the lambs may come not
later than in February. and if the
HCck is gathered in August so much
Y better, for the earlier they are in
the market the more they bring. In
this business one has three dividends.
and the first cost returned within
year-the lambs, the fleece the profit
on the ewes and the first cost re-
turned This a profitable business.
When to INTERPRETATIONS expert
ments have been recently made abroad
to determine whether horses should or
should not be fed before watering.
The first question to be settled was the
effect produced on the process of di-
gestlon by the presence of a quantity
o. water in the stomach while the food
was still there. In the course of the
experiments horse was fed four lit
ters OF oats and Immediately Watered
Shortly afterwards it was killed
About one litter of oats was found in
It's stomach swimming in water. the
rest having been washed into the in
teStlheS and so lost for purposes of
nourlshment. A second horse was
hrst Watered and at once fed four Iit
tiers OF oats. After a quarter of an hour
1t was killed, when the whole of the
oats was found in its stomach. and
were seen to be already under the in
fuence of the digestive juices. Similar
experiments, conducted without kill
ing the animal showed that a mass of
und:gested oats was always evacuated
II water was given Immediately after
1eedlng. The conclusions drawn from
the experiments are that horses should
always be watered before feeding and
that it is better not to feed Immediate
ly after work, but to allow the animal
a little rest, then give them a little
nay and afterwards feed with oats