Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-12-10


On all dairy farms the great question
in securing equipment is where to draw
the line between essentials and non
essentials.
The apple crop this year in Western
New York has paid ample dividends on
all time and money that growers have
spent in spraying the orchards
A ''book farmer" makes many mis-
takes at first, but when he has learned
them he is always able to lay it over
his neighbor who never reads books or
farm papers.
Milk fed poultry are poultry fat
tened for market on milk and ground
oats diet. This food produces white
iesh-just the kind that brings the
fancy prices.
The mule would hardly win in a
beauty show and lacks speed, but he
can beat trotting thoroughbred horse
out of sight when it comes to blowing
corn and cotton.
A good deep hole in an out-of-the
way place is the right place to plant
all the old tin cans, broken bottles
and other unburnable rubbish which
makes the premises so unsightly.
In the last analysis one will reap the
ial gest and most lasting results for
himself in that undertaking in which
he contributes most generously to the
happiness and well being of those to
wnOm he ministers
One of the quickest ways of improv-
ing the soil of farm is to put it down
to clover field by field, and pasturing
the hogs on it. Cow peas may also l.
sown, and when full growth is attained
the hogs may be turned in.
An old fruit grower says that the
pick is the best tool he ever used
around apple trees when the ground
has become too hard. He sinks the
pick s or 10 inches into the soil and
merely prizes the dirt loose, without dis
turbing the roots at all.
1t is estimated by competent authori-
ties that over 45 per cent of the food
products of the better classes in the
United States consist of animal prod
ucts. In other words, half Of the
amount spent for food of the average
family goes for meat, eggs and dairy
products. This fact suggests why it
pays the farmer to raise stock.
Many of the dairy farmers have kept
business on the same scale as some
rich city farmer who is not at all ue-
pendent unOn his income from his farm
to pay his expenses of the labor and
equipmen. necessary to conduct his
farming operations on an elaborate
scale.
Farmers should study to know the
weeds that grow on their farms. One
man says he knows the name Of every
he sees a new weed he Immediately
finds out what it Is called and by TAX
ing such an interest in weeds he has
his farm practically free Of them. The
the study of weeds.
A government bulletin says that ex-
cept in a general way the fertilizer
requirement of soils becomes a prob
lem for each farm, or for each class
of farms under like conditions of soil,
climate and system Of cropping and
fertilization. The indications are that
fertilizers containing relatively more
potash and nitrogen than do those now
in general use would prove more eff
fective.
In the Northern States alfalfa can be
more easily started in the early part
of August than in April, as when
given the late planting opportunity Is
d1OTucu OuIlnk Ihr plCIroIii6 hioH'h7
to kill most Of the weed seeds that
may be lodged in the soil. The soil
should be put in the best Of filth and
the seed either drilled In or dragged
enough so that there will be sufficient
moisture for purposes of termination.
1t Is we'll to remember that alfalfa,
like red clover, does not do well on
low or undrained soils.
With a view to freeing themselves
from the dictation Of beef prices by
the Chicago packing houses, group
of Central Iowa farmers have lately
shipped a carload Of fine beeves direct
to Portland, Me-, where they will be
loaded for shipment to England. A
prior shipment direct to the Liverpool
market resulted In their receiving such
good prices that they were led to try
the plan again There would seem to
be no good reason why this method
could not be followed right along
whenever Chicago or other packing
house centers were not paying a fair
price.
Wind-Broken Horses.
The taking of broken-winded horses
is an art in itself 1t is generally accom-
plished by means of drugs. arsenic be-
4-;.