Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-06-27
agricultural
Gossip.

How to Treat Rhubarb.

other garden vegetables, and in the
most thorough manner, but last year
l mulched it with coarse manure
from the COW stable, and never had II
do so well. No weeds could grow
through the thick mulch and the
damp cool, rich soil made the stems
grow to immense size and remain Ten
der nearly all of last season, and this
year it is fully as good.
There is a knack IN pulling rnuOalp
so as not to hurt the plants much.
Each hill has several buds from Wnlcn
the leaves grow out as the season ad-
yances If good judgment is not USED
in selecting the proper leaves to pull
the plants may be seriously damaged
if not killed, as is often the case by
being careful to pull only the older or
outside leaves of each bud, there may
be fresh, tender stems Tor seVerdl
months. When we want to kill
chicken or pig, we do not eaten the
first one that comes handy; nor
should we pull from the rhuDarD the
first stems that come within reach.
Neither should more than very Jew
leaves be taken from each plant IN
one week. Those who do the pulllng
onght to understand these points, and
know the importance Of being mod
| crate in pulling, and to distribute the
| injury along the row; for It is an III
| Jury to pull the leaves from any plant.
Have bountiful supply and then
/ - n1o 0I11f
of manure. Of course 1t IS qulte
right and necessary to pinch out all
seed stalks at their first appearance
H. E. V. D., in American Agrlcui-
| turist.
| Pepper for Fowls.
| Re cautious in the use OF pepper,
especially cayenne pepper, for fowls
during the winter time. 1t has ten
dency to open the pores OF the SKIN
and may bring on colds. A neglected
cold means Group. Better not use
/ any pepper at all than to use too
much. There are other and SAFER
ways of warming UP fowls on the
inside" Nothing equals exercise for
this purpose; nothing is more health
full. Hence, be careful, very careful
in the use of pepper, but on the
other hand, resort to any device you
can think of to induce exercise.
| Keep them at work. -Ex.
A Cheap Hog Pen.
Tt does not need an extensively
built pen to house a hog, unless II
is one of the variety that stands on
two legs. The genuine hog, which is
the only kind really profitable, goes
in for comfort and not all for style.
pen warm in winter, with a tight
roof over it to exclude rain, and t1ool
enough for the hog to stand Un while
eating, is better than a painted house
of matched lumber that will cost
hundred dollars. It is a good thing &c
have a dirt floor in hog house, anC
that the house be light and strong
enough so that it can be easily moved
Every time the house is moved there
will be a new floor and the hog, i
unringed, will root it over A hos
left free to root in soil that has no
been contaminated with hog manure
will generally keep healthy, and viii
make healthy pork. In summertime
the house is mostly super1uous. The
hog likes to be cool and will root fol
himself in a wallOw in the moist soil
where he will lie most of the time i
. well fed, and will keep in better
health than in the most artistic per
ever built. Many of the experiments
| L T10J1nE
expensive hog houses. These make
the pork cost far more than the cheap
ly grown hogs of farmers, who car
thus undersell the amateur farmer
who handicaps himself by putting or
too much style.-Western Swineherd
Winter Chicks.
During this cold weather the ques-
ton is whether to prevent hens from
sitting or allow them to hatch q
brood. The decision depends entire
ly on how one is fixed for raising the
chicks. If there is a warm room
with sunlight, and the chicks are
looked after three or four times a day
it will pay well to allow the hens to
sit and hatch out broods. Winter
chicks pay as we'll as winter eggs. To
demonstrate this fact it may be stated
that to raise chick to the weight of
one and One-half pounds will cost
only eight cents for the food If a
hen raises six chicks, they should sell
for from Is to 40 cents a pound, in
March or April, according to quality
and circumstances; but allowing only
70 cents a pound Ca very low price
for good broilers in winter), each
chick will bring 30 cents, or 20 cents
! above the cost of food, making $132
profit for brood of six, without de-
Quoting the cost of the eggs used for
Matching. More frequently good
chicks bring so cents each. The hen
will cnsequently pay as well as a
sitter as she would as a layer, but
the fact must be kept in view that
it is the work, care, warmth and
attention to their comfort that will