Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-12-12
Horses in New Hampshire.


cultivate the soil, says Prof. Charles
William Burkitt in a recent bulletin
OF the New Hampshire experiment
station. There are thousands of acres
OF tillable land in the state, and this
is true of all New England, that have
not felt the plowshare for a long
series Of years, some for decades and
some for half a century. Soil will
not remain productive if untitled. We
have not enough horses or working
units in the state to do the regular
farm work and to carry on tillage as
it should be done. The OK, generally
speaking, has gone, while the number
OF horses has not increased proper
tionately. Practically the only supply
of horses is from other states. The
work lies with the farmers themselves.
not only to increase the number Of
working horses but to improve them
and make them more serviceable.
Seed Corn to be Scarce.
AS the season advances, evidence
accumulates that seed corn will be
scarce next year, says the New Eng
land Homestead. In some of the corn
states there will be more or less corn.
which if husked and carefully dried
will grow. Much of the corn is late
and comparatively immature, and the
moisture must be removed before
freezing weather arrives. But large
sections will produce no corn suita Bile
for seed. The supply for these must
come from, outside or from last years
crop. Look out for your seed this fall.
Sending Fall Apples to Europe.
Fall apples heretofore have not, as
a rule, carried well in barrels to
Europe, says writer in Country Gen
tleman. The slow steamers in years
past, their poor ventilation, and the
air-tisnt barrels in which fruit has
been packed have almost invariably
caused them to land in a worthless
condition. With the advent of the
large, swift passenger steam
ers, whereby the time has been re-
duced to seven or eight days from II
to Is days, and the packing of the ap-
pies, paper-wrapped, in cases, makes
it possible for such apples as the
Duchess of Oldenburg, Alexandria
Snow, Wealthy, and, in
fact, any of our fall aples, to be landed
in perfect order and to realize far
higher prices than winter apples.
During September, October and No
European markets, more
those of Great Britain, are
in splendid shape to handle our fall
apples.
Fruit Injured by Wasps.
It is we'll known that wasps do
much injury to fruit, and complaints
have been numerous this season from
many quarters of this country; but
now the possible injury to fruit by
bees has been the subject of an eX
haustive investigation by the Cali
forlia experiment stations, says the
New England Farmer The conclu-
sions are that, although the mouth
parts of bees are so constructed that
they might be used for both eating
and injuring fruit, it is very seldom
that any injury is done. In this cOun-
try the bee has rarely been accused
of doing any injury to fruit, but in the
fruit-growing districts premiums are
offered for the destruction of wasps'
nests.
Corn Crop for New England.
The conditions for the corn crop
were very unfavorable at painting
time, but the results of the harvest
were extremely gratifying in the crib
bling and silage Of the largest
corn crop ever harvested in
New England. 1t was fortunate for
New England farmers that they
planted so large an area to corn last
spring, says the New England Farmer
and that the crop was so heavy, be-
cause the partial failure of the western
crop will keep the price of corn at a
high figure until another crop is raised,
Excepting grass, there is no other crop
so sure for the eastern farmer as
corn, and there is no good reason
why New England farmers should not
be independent of the west in this re-
spect, and raise all the corn they
need, and I believe that the time is
coming when this will be done. Now
is the time to pillow for next years
crop, and generous area with good
care should be included in the plans.
Look After Seed Potatoes.
Seed potatoes should be kept cool
but not too cool. Often they will be-
come chilled, but not frozen. They
can get so chilled that their vitality
will be impaired and yet be good to
eat A potato with the vitality in
iured, if it grows at all, will grow up
weak and always be weak plant even
if it grows at all They can be chilled
so hard that they will turn black in
side and yet look all right on the out
side These are the kind that are so
chilled as to taste sweet as first and
will turn black inside later on. Such
potatoes will not sprout, let alone
growing. A potato that cuts hard and
solid and the knife going through by
jerks may be considered chilled. a
potato should cut smooth and even,
like cheese, without any noise, when
a sharp thin knife is used. A little
care at the right time may make a
vast difference in the yield of your po-
tato crop.
ing strong and weak hills with fire.
quent skips means that the seed got
chilled but not so badly as to be de
tected at cutting time. Potatoes hard
~ ever get injured by cold during the