Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-06-02

Some Western farm journals are
wondering why fax is not more
grown than it is. The reason is that
it is very exhaustive crop, and can
only be grown probably where fertil-
ity is little regarded, Or where there
is good market for both fibre and
seed. 1t is good sign for western
farmers that fax growing as it was
practiced few years ago is going
out of their farm rotation. The stalk
and fibre was always thrown away
Only the seed was marketed, and
this sold so low that the raw seed, or,
better still, f1axseed meal, was one OF
the cheapest fertilizers that can be
used. Not until we have mills for
making linen cloth and conveniences
for separating the fibre from the
stalk will fax growing be profitable
in this country. When both seed and
fibre can be sold, the crop will pay
for the heavy manuring it requires to
keep the land fertile
Rose Culture
A very successful amateur rose cul-
tivatOr says that, as soon as the June
profUsion is over, she cuts all of her
plants back nearly one-half, has them
enriched with rotten manure, and
their roots kept carefully mulched
with the cut grass from the lawn.
All through July and August she
pinches off every bud that appears, a
proceeding which seems truly stoical
when one knows that one day recently
seventy buds upon a single rose bush
were sacrificed in this way. How
ever, q long experience has convinced
our amateur that her course is wise
throughout, as every September she
is sure of a great crop Of roses almost
equal to the June display.
The Crescent Strawberry.
1t was most unfortunate that when
first introduced the Crescent straw
berry was hera2ded as the lazy
mans strawberry" There is really
no such kind Of strawberry. All re-
Quire a good deal Of work. The
Crescent will pay for this as we'll as
most other varieties. 1t fruits so
abundantly that the berries, with the
best of care, are never really large |
But they are not difficult to pick, as
the berries grow close together, and !
two or three may be picked at once. |
When allowed to be Overgrown with |
weeds, the Crescent will still bear |
some berries, but they will be so /
small as to not pay for the work of
picking, as small berries do not |
sell well in the markets. But for |
canning the Crescent is excellent. 1t |
is worth growing and caring for, if |
for no other than this.
Thinning Melons.
Every year there are many melons
that start so late as to make it i'm
possible that they should ever ripen,
The value of the crop can lie much |
increased if all these Iate-setting
melons are removed, and the whole
Of the vine concentrated to
produce the really valuable fruit.
There is a still better way to do this
That is by stopping the growth of
the side branches after one, two or
three blossoms have set. The main
stem should lie checked as soon as [
the side branches begin to blossom.
The main stem bears male blossoms
and the side branches only the pistiI-
late flowers which set the fruit. If
the vines are checked early, so as to
turn the whole sap to fruit making,
there will be much fewer blossoms
than there will be if the vine is
allowed to spread as it naturally will
Kill Surplus Cockerels.
At this season the early-hatched
male chickens will begin to make
nuisances of themselves among the |
flock by paying undesired attention to !
the older pullets and to the hens, /
which at this season ought to be |
moulting and preparing for winter |
laying. killing off the surplus cock |
erels, retaining only those desired for
use next season, and keeping these in
a yard by themselves, will, therefore, |
be entirely for the advantage of the |
flock. What is more to the purpose
to the minds of many farmers is that
the cockerel killed now and sold for a
broiler will usually bring a higher
price than later in the season, when
there is always a grut of poultry on
the market.
Liquid Manure.
It does not generally pay to use
liquid manure on large scale. 1t
is a costly method of n1anuring, as
the water adds greatly to the bulk,
and nature in the course of the year
usually supplies water enough to
liquefy all the plant food the crops
require. But there are special cases
where liquid manuring will pay if |
used properly. The most common |
mistakes are first, making liquid ma |
nure too strong, in which case it will |
rot the roots instead of feeding them.
The other is allowing any liquid ma
nure, however weak, to get on the |
leaves of plants. They are benefited |
by being washed by rains, but by |
nothing stronger.
Blanching Celery.
The old method of planting celery |
in trenches and blanching the stalks |
by piling soil around them is not |
much practiced now. Various expe- |
dents have been devised to blanch |
celery cheaply. Much the best we
know is to have the celery planted as |
nearly as possible on level surface. |