Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1916-01-12

Last fall we received a license to
apply the Tuberculin Test. Two herds
have been tested for tuberculosis Dut
no evidence OF disease has been found
were requested by several farmers
TO dehorn their COWS and bulls, so we
purchased a Keystone dehorner and
during the year have dehorned hun
dreds of animals and made as many
castrations This work is in constant
demand Should hog cholera occur IN
the county we could also give the SER
UNI treatment for that, as we'll as the
treatment for black-leg in cattle.
Our plot work was carried on with
a little more land than last year but
due to the excessively cold and rainy
season the best of results were not
possible. Some good results however.
were secured
The effect of lime on alfalfa was
clearly shown. On quarter OF an
acre of alfalfa, the east half was not
lined and the west half was lined al
the rate Of three tons to the acre.
The first season both halves had good
growth but the unlimed half was vel
lowish green and the lined half was
a bright dark green. The second sea-
son the unlimed portion failed entirely
and grew up to weeds, while the lined
half grew luxuriantly. While in
country where clover thrives as 1t
does here, alfalfa is not all important,
but so many people are interested IN
it that we ought to know whether 1t
can be grown successfully or not. We
have seen from our plots and from
plots in different parts OF the county
that if the land is lined and inOculated
and correctly treated to destroy weeds,
alfalfa can be grown successfully ana
will yield three crops year.
Soy beans can be grown nicely,
though early frosts will prevent ripe
seed from being produced.
Sweet clover will grow under the
same conditions and treatment as al
falfa, and is just as valuable crop for
silage, hay or green manure. SeVefal
plots of alfalfa have been started in
different parts of the county, and SOIL
for incubation secured from our plot
here.
EQUAL plots of Green Mountain and
Rural New Yorker potatoes were
grown for comparison as to yield,
growth, disease resistance, etc., but
the early frost prevented satisfactory
results
Considerable interest has been
shown during the year in barn and
poultry house building. Some new
barns have been built with the King
ventilation system and several open
front poultry houses have been built
from plans drawn at this office.
Previous to this year the county had
four silos. This year nine more have
been built. The Engineering Depart
ment of the College of Agriculture
furnished us with a steel silo form and
this enabled the farmers to construct
their own Silos. A silo II SO feet,
roof and all of concrete, cost about
$50 while if erected by a contractor.
it would have cost from $500 to $500.
Four of these concrete silos were built.
Those who desired a cheaper silo, or
one that could later be moved if de-
sired, built a concrete pit and erected
the Silo of AS asd built a lumber
roof. One such silo was built 10 Fl
feet at cost of about $33. This will
hold feed enough for to s COWS for
six months. Several more had all
plans for building but due to the fail
ure of the corn crop decided to wait
until next season There will be
large number of siloS built next sum-
mer.
In September, an exhibit of agri-
cultural products was taken to the
State Fair at Milwaukee. While it is
somewhat difficult for pioneer coun-
ty to compete with the older agricul-
tural counties, our exhibits of grasses,
grains, vegetables and potatoes were
very good and created considerable IN
terest. We believe the venture was a
good advertisement for the county.
During the summer, we purchased
fruit trees, laid out and planted two
orchards, on request; one for Mr.. Wal
Ieck of Eagle River, the other for Mr..
Winchester of Winchester.
Two fertilizer experiments were car
ried on, one on the farm of Theodore
Christensen of Conover and the other
on the farm of Henry Schmidt OF Eag-
lie River The first plot froze too early
to show any result on the crop al
though the growth of vines showed
the effect of the fertilizer plainly. The
results on Henry Schmidts farm were
so remarkable that they deserve more
than passing mention. On the plot
fortified with potash, phosphorus and
nitrogen, the yield was 1876 bushel to
the acre, on the plot fortified with
potash and phosphorus, 176 bushel to
the acre and on the plot not treated
with fertilizer, As bushel to the acre.
The results tend to show that on land
that has been cropped heavily, fert1l-
izer pays for itself many times over.
1t would cost about $500 to fertil-
ize an acre and the increased yield
was LA bushels of potatoes. On fer
tile land, howeve err, no such results can
be obtained.
The office of Agricultural Represent
alive serves as distributing point
for agricultural information. Bulle-
tins. circulars, posters and other ma
terials are received and mailed out to
the farmers. During the year, hun
dreds of letters of inquiry are recelv-
ed some from people having bought
land and wanting some information
or advice about it, the rest from per-
~o,,. wishing RI h11V land Letters OF