Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1914-12-30

to keep off late blight were carried on at three
] farms Two experiments to show the results
of using commercial fertilizers on potatoes
| were carried out one on the farm OF Amos
| Radcliffe and the other on the farm of VIM.
| Adams The Radcliffe farm showed no Peault
/ lint at Mr. Adams 81 50 of fertilizer produced
1 % bushels of potatoes more on one half acre
| and the result would have been at least one
| third more but for poor stand caused by the
seed rotting in the ground. The fertilizers
were furnished by the University. Similar
experiments on other farms will be carried on
next summer
! Quite a few farmers are trying to improve
their herds by buying pure bred bulls There
are in the county at the present time one DER.
sey four Guernsey. and two Holstelns all OF
them pure breds We recently purchased
Guernsey bull for Mr., Foelkner of Woodruff
and several farmers are considering buying
pure bred animals in ths near future,
A car load of crushed limestone was recently
purchased for farmers near Eagle River and
Conover and the results of lime on the growth
of clover and alfalfa will be seen next spflng
Two silos were built this summer making now
a total of four i'll the county. The Sllo sldua-
ton however is very much alive ana a large
number will be erected next summer. On
Oct 3Oth vegetable and potato show was
held at Eagle River The business men hber-
ally contributed $50. 90 for prizes. The eXhlb-
it's were good and the competition very Keen
We hope to make such an exhibit annual at
fair and perhaps some day 1t may expand mo
b County Fair. On Nov Is and Goth we exhlb-
tied our county potatoes at the Gfaud hapldS
Potato Convention Our display was not as
elaborate as that of some counties with previ-
Gus experience in exhibiting but it was credit
able and ahead of some of the oldest potato
growing counties of the state. We stood
eighth in rank with fifteen counties exhibit
ing and took one serial prize OF 50 w on Rurals
and fifth on TriumphS 1t takes a year TO
learn how to select exhibit stock which must
be selected in the field at digging time and
from the bin Our Babcock milk and cream
tester is busy much of the time. Many hes DIS
have been tested and farmers are able to tnd
out what cows are profitable and what once
are simply boarders, The significant thing is
that often the COWS that the farmer thinks are
best turn out to be the poorest By testing
cream the farmer ascertain whether the man
that buys his cream allows fair test or not
Dealers in cream sometimes shave the test TO
enlarge the profits.
Experiments have been carried on, on our
plot near the school-house to test the effects
of lime commercial fertilizers, manures and
legume incubation. We had one fourth acre
each of alfalfa Soy-beans, corn and potatoes.
The alfalfa was sowed July End and the crop
was cut Aug 10Th and was IA inches high The
half of the piece that lined produced
twice as much hay as the half not lined The
next growth was left as winter protection for
the roots. 1t looks at present as If alfalfa Will
grow luxuriently here. Its value Is nearly
double that of clover hay and equal to wheat
bran pound for pound. Besides it Is one OF
the greatest soil improvers known. The soy
beans were sowed June 9th and produced an
enormous crop growing three feet high and
lated half had nitrogen nodules as large as the
end of thumb. Soy-beans are valuable as
soil improver or en- manure crop, for
hay and for silage. Ripe seed was obtained
from the portion of the field left uncut. Wis
No % Yellow Dent corn was raised on one
fourth acre. 1t produced large crop of for
age and also some ripe seed although the frost
nipped it on Sept, 3rd. Our potatoes pro
duced 1856 bushels on one fourth acre. IhlS
means yield of $40 bushels to the acre They
did not have exceptional treatment, only good
cultural conditions and practices were OBJ
served. The land was winter killed clover sod
plowed under. Fifteen loads of maure per acre
was used Twenty loads is considered good
apple alton. The land was carefully plowed
and disced good seed used and planted by
hand. The plot was cultivated five times and
hoed once as there was considerable quack
grass present The potatoes were sprayed tour
times with Bordeaux mixture and Paris Green
so neither bugs nor blight got any foothold. 1t
is more profitable to work small area well
and get large product than to use large
area and not half take care of it,
Next summer we plan to retain the present
plot and plant it to Flint corn and raise some
In addition have rented three acres of Mr..
Oberholzer just north of town on the main
by all that come into town from the north
One objection to this year 5 plot was that no
one saw it unless they made special trip up
there.
A plot is valuable for many reasons as:
Effects of lime and fertilizers can be shown.
Effects of seed selection, spraying cultivation,
etc. Farmers can become acquainted with new
crops as soy beans, vetches sweet clover and
others Choice seed can be produced and dis
seminated through the county. But most OF
all it should stand for cultural methods and
care Many efforts have been made in former
years to get alfalfa started The results have,
as far as am able to learn, been failures be-
cause to grow alfalfa the field must be free
from weeds, must be lined and inoculated. AT
the present time good alfalfa patches that
have been started right can be found on the
farms of Mr. Jackson, Mr.. Blohm and Mr.. J.
Johnson.
The University is furnishing with a
steriopticon and agricultural slides on various
dI1IsI1 wi OI-nO
meetings will be held if possible in all the
school-houses in the county. Supt. OF Schools
Grant Cook will participate in these meetings
Villas County has wonderful posi- billtles ag-
riculturally but the character of the soil is
is such although very productive to begin
with that it will not stand continual cropping
that heavy clay soils can be subjected to- Ro-
tation of crops and plenty of stock particular
ly dairy cows is the key to the situation. If
the position of Agricultural Representative
can contribute something towards this it will
have served its purpose and Justify its con-
tnuation. am sincerely yours,
OSCAR GUNDERsoN.
On motion the report was accepted
all members voting aye.
Resolution No. 10 was presented and
read.
Resolution No. Is, was presented
and read.
RESOLUTION NO. Is.
RESOLVED Dy Uno county DOdfu OIL
supervisors of Villas County in adj
journed annual meeting duly assem-
bled that the county treasurer, Frank
A, Hall, is hereby authorized, en-
powered, and directed to secure a
loan of Sixteen Hundred Eighty
three and % 100 (Sl683 23) Dollars
from the State Bank of Eagle River
or from such other bank or person as
he may see fit for the term ending
April 1st, 1915 and with the money
realized from such loan to pay the
outstanding claims against Villas
County incurred in the construction
of the Woodruff to Winchester Road
during the past season, and
BE IT Further RESOLVED That
when the taxes are returned from
the several towns the then county
treasurer is hereby authorized and is
hereby directed to take from the