Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-07-25
agricultural
Gossip.
A Living From the Farm.

A Living From the Farm.
Last season Wisconsin farmers
club passed a resolution to have moth
ing on our tables that is not raised on
our farms. At a recent meeting Of the
club reports were called for, and a
large number reported very favorably
upon the results. A strict adherence
to the resolution had, on many farms,
resulted in a greatly increased variety
of garden products and surprising
increase in bank accounts. One all
wheat farmer was compelled, in order
to carry out the resolution, to abandon
his previous system of farming, with
the result that, while his cash receipts
were $500 less than, the pervious year,
his net profits were 5000 greater. IN
der the plan of growing money crops
and relying on their proceeds to sup
ply the wants of the family, the far
mer may handle more money, but
a good deal less of it stays. in his
pocketbook, and a good many of the
wants of the family go unsupplied be-
cause the proceeds won't reach, where
as, with farm on which the making
of a home and supplying its wants
are the first consideration, the re-
ceipt of a cash income being made
subsidiary thereto, the family live bet
ter, enjoy life more, and, with we'll
directed effort, have more money at
the end of the year. New England
Farmer.
Fall Pruning of Grapevines.
For many reasons the heavy annual
pruning which is a necessity for the
grapevine had best be given in the fall.
So soon as the leaves are off, the cut
ting away of superfiuous wood may re-
main There can be no bleeding, as
the cut will dry up at once. There is
some circulation of sap all through
the vine during warm weather in win
ter Pruning in the fall concentrates
this sap I'M the buds that are left, and
they always push more vigorously than
when the vines are left dangling on the
trellises all winter. AS soon as the
pruning is done, the support of the
main vine should be loosened, and it
should be thrown on the ground. In
most cases snow will be enough pro-
lection, but if the vine is where the
snow blows away, some straw held
down by slight covering of earth
will be needed. Vines thus treated
will winter without injury, however
low the mercury may fall. The vines
should be put up on the trellis in
spring SO soon as danger from late
frost has passed. If the vines are un-
covered except by snow put them up
as soon as the snow me..s Lying
on the ground and protected from
winds the buds might push too early
and be injured. They are not liable
to this on the trellis.
Harvesting Beans.
If we are ever again to grow beans
it would be in very large fields and
the crop should be harvested with a
modern bean harvester It is only in
this way that the great crops of beans
in Genesee and Monroe counties in
Western New York are harvested. In
several of the fertile towns near
Brockport beans have been grown so
generally that this village for a time
became the greatest bean market OF
the world. Lately we believe the palm
of bean growing has fallen to Western
Michigan, in the town surrounding
Grand Rapids. Of course wherever
beans are largely grown now the
bean harvester is used for securing
the crop. It still leaves some work
to be done by hand, for though some
sh1ftless farmers rake the beans in
windrows, this wastes SO many of the
best beans that the haulms are usually
picked up with fork and deposited
standing with the cut stubs in the
air and the pods hanging down. So
long as beans are in this position
and high enough so that their pods do
not touch the ground, light rains dc
not do much injury to them. After
standing two or three days, if the
weather is dry, the beans may be
drawn to the barn. They thresh best
in cold, clear weather the frost dry
ing out the pods and causing the beans
to shell out freely.
How to Corn Beef.
For every hundred pounds of beef
take nine pounds of rock salt, four
pounds of sugar, or two quarts Of good
! molasses, two ounces of soda, one
ounce of saltpetre, and just enough
water to cover the meat-about four
or five gallons Strew salt over the
bottom of the barrel. Mix about one
half the salt and sugar or molasses
together, and rub each piece of meat
thoroughly with it before placing in
the barrel Dissolve the soda and salt
petre together in hot water, add the
remainder of the salt and sugar, and
! about four or five gallons of cold
water, and then pour it on the meat
Place board on top of the meat with
a weight sufficient to keep it under the
brine.-N. Y. Weekly Tribune.
Balancing Poultry Feeds.
There is a real amount of talk in
these days about scientific feeding OF
fowls to induce regular laying. The