THE GENESEE FARMER. 



For squashes, they must be larger, and can 

 noved in the day time and saved for years. 



DAYTON SIGLEE. 



EOT a piece of new or sod land, rather 

 , if you have it, manure it with well rotted 



manure in the fall, and plow it under. In 

 )riQg, as soon as dry, plow again and turn a 

 3 furrow at intervals of six or eight feet, 

 these furrows plant your seed, about the 10th 

 ly, in hill, for muskmelons, sis feet apart; 

 atermelons, eight or ten feet apart. Use no 

 nented manure, especially in the spring, about 

 ils ; but when the plants appear, mix about 



bushel of fresh cow manure in a barrel of 

 and water the plants in the evening after the 

 down. This will give them an early start 

 eep oif the bugs. Cultivate them well with 

 ow and hoe. Let from six to eight of the 

 it, remain, and remove the rest ; and if you 



raise fine and large melons without startuig 

 in a hot-bed, I shall be greatly mistaken. I 

 'aised the Wafert Cantaloiipe to weigh 12|- 

 y this method, and pumpkins to weigh 130 

 Aj favorite melons are Nutmeg^ Christiana^ 

 , and Wafert Cantaloupe^ from South Oaro- 

 ad Ice Cream and Ooodwin's Imperial water- 



W. 0. HAMPTON. 

 Victory, Ohio. 



CE ADVANTAGE OF SEWING MACHINES IN 

 FARMERS' FAMILIES. 



iTE been in possession of a sewing machine 

 out nine months. It works admirably, and 

 adapted to the wants of the fai-mer's family, 

 look at our time, ease and comfort, and 

 all, health, the sewing machine is almost in- 

 sable. I can do as much on my machine in 

 our, as I can in four or six hours with the 

 Of stitching and close back-stitching, I 

 as much on the machine in one minute as I 

 half an hour with the needle. It does not 

 e much more fixing and basting, as many 

 le, than is necessary with the needle. As 

 36 and comfort, which is equivalent to time, 

 is not more labor in operating the machine 

 )ur than sewing the same length of time with 

 edle ; besides, in operating the machine, the 

 se is rather conducive to health than other- 

 while it is well known that hand needle 

 has slain its thousands. Some say it has 

 •nore than the sword. Then, again, is not 

 one of the greatest blessings laestowed upon 

 Why not take advantage of the opportunities 

 ed by the invention of a machine so well 

 d to our wants, as well as conducive to 

 ny ? I believe it is the most economical 

 of furniture that can grace a homestead. — 

 t for a moment on the difference in time 

 labor saved, as well as expense of a seam- 

 or of overtaxing tired heads and hands, 

 fter nature calls them to be at rest. I know 

 ) be a fact, common among the mothers of 

 ;s and those who sew much. I have known 

 aing of this myself, and would urge any who 

 ead these lines to procure a machiae as soon 

 sible. 



re is such a variety of machines, both high 

 >wed priced, they 6ome within the reach of 

 rmer's family as well as others. It does cot 



require any very great length of time to learn to 

 operate them, and is so easy and simple that almost 

 any child ten or twelve years of age could bo 

 taught quite readily. phebe w. ooopee. 



ON TKE MANAGEMENT OF CANARIES AND OTHER 

 BIRDS IN THE HOUSE. 



In keeping birds in the house, I always use 

 unpainted cages, as I think them more healthy than 

 painted ones as birds peck the paint, which often 

 poisons them. Cages that I have used are made 

 of mahogany, with a draw in the bottom for con- 

 venience of cleaning, with china or glass cups on 

 each side to hold the seed and water. There 

 should also be a cup of water large enough for the 

 birds to bathe in, but not large enough to drown 

 them. They cannot be healthy without plenty of 

 clean water, both for bathing and drinking. The 

 cage should be large enough to allow them to fly 

 about and enjoy themselves. 



The time for Canaries to pair is about the middle 

 of March, when they should be placed together, each 

 pair in a large breeding- cage. If brought together 

 before, they will fight and sometimes kill each 

 other. If they agree, they will soon begin to feed 

 each other, when they must be supplied with a box 

 two and a half or three inches square, or a basket 

 made for the purpose, hung up in their cage, in 

 which to build their nest, also materials for build- 

 ing. I have found hemp rope cut about an inch 

 long and picked to pieces, and the white hair from 

 a calf's tail to be the material they prefer. They 

 will build and throw out their nests several times ; 

 but when they begin to be really in earnest they 

 will work very fast. 



When the bird has laid one egg she will begin to 

 sit, and lay an egg every day till she has four ; and 

 in two weeks from the time the first egg is laid it 

 will hatch. During the time of setting, the birds 

 must be attended to very carefully, giving them a 

 variety of food, such as egg boiled hard and 

 chopped very fine, with bread, and bread and milk, 

 as well as seed, of which it is best to give them 

 several kinds. The milk should be scalded to pre- 

 vent their becoming sick during incubation, which 

 frequently happens without it. The white of the 

 egg should not be given the young — only the yolks 

 — as they cannot eat the whites and remain 

 healthy. 



The cage should be examined while there are 

 young in it very frequently by lamplight, to 

 ascertain whether there are mites about it, which 

 are small red insects barely perceptible to the naked 

 eye. Unless these mites are kept out of the cage, 

 it is useless to attempt to raise or keep birds. A 

 single drop of sweet oil on the sole of each foot of 

 the female, when she commences sitting wiU guard 

 against their attacks. 



Once a month the birds should have a small 

 pinch of safi'ron in their drinking water. Great 

 attention must be paid to the cleanliness of the 

 cage. The drawer should be cleaned and sprinkled 

 with fine white sand daily. The cage should be 

 cleaned thoroughly once a week, and well dried 

 before the birds are returned to it, except while the 

 bird is sitting, when k| must not be disturbed, 

 except to take out the (ftwer and re})lace it when 

 cleaned, covering the bottom with fresh sand. 



