412 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[July, 1876. 



Watercresses. 



In the vegetable kingdom tliere are several sub- 

 stances that possess the tlouM* quality of food and 

 medicine, and as such might be usefully employed iu 

 therapeutics. Araona: tiie yegetables that possess 

 the valuable property referred to, watercress may be 

 mentioned. According to an analysis by Mr. Chatin, 

 Director of the School of Pharmacy of Paris, and 

 present President of the Academy of Medicine, water- 

 cress contains; 1. A sidpho-nitrogenous essential 

 oil ; 2. A bitter extract ; :i. Iodine ; 4. Iron ; 5. Phos- 

 phates water, and some other salts. As medicine the 

 watercress has been vaunted for its efficacy in .all 

 cases in which all the digestive organs are weak, in 

 cachexia, in scurvy, in scrofula and lymphatism ; it 

 has ever been prcseribeil as a cure for phthisis. The 

 medical principles which it contains are more or less 

 abundant, according to the culture or maturity of 

 the plant. Tlius when the plant is in Hower they are 

 in greater quantity in the plant tlian before that con- 

 dition ; the essential oil increases according to the 

 quantity of the sun's rays it receives. The proper 

 culture of the plant developes in it the bitter and 

 tonic principles, and tlic phosphates will be found in 

 proportion to the manure employed. Finally, the 

 quantity of iron will depend upon the richness of the 

 water in which the cress is planted. As food, water- 

 cress ought to be used in its green or uncoolced state, 

 in the {f>na of salad or without any seasoning. Wa- 

 tercress enters largely into the composition of the 

 " sirop antiscorbutiquc^," of the French Pharmaco- 

 poeia, which is commonly prescribed in scrofulous 

 and scorbutic affections. — British Medical Jowiial. 



A Cure for Colds in the Head. 



It would seem as if the cure for those worst of 

 small nuisances, colds in the head, which Dr. Ferrier, 

 of King's College, suggested in the Litnecl, might 

 prove to be a remedy of very great value. It is a 

 snulf — a white powder — composed of the following 

 ingredients : Ilydroelilorate of morphia, two grains ; 

 acacia powder, two drachms ; trisuitrate of bismuth, 

 six drachms — the whole making up a quantity of 

 powder, of which from one-quarter to one-half may 

 be safely taken, if necessary, in the course of twenty- 

 four hours. 



Dr. Ferrier says that with this snuff he has twice 

 cured himself of very violent colds, once, indeed, by 

 taking trisnitrate of bismuth alone, which is a, very 

 powerful remedy foreatarrh of the mucous membrane, 

 and is the most important ingredient in this snuff. 

 Dr. Ferrier mentions two other persons who were 

 cured of violent colds liy the same snuff, and to these 

 instances we may add that of the present writer, who, 

 having a very violent cold coming on, with the same 

 sensation of weight in the temples, and theusualdis- 

 agreeable feeling in the throat, as well as ordinary 

 catarrh, made trial of Dr. Ferrier's remedy one even- 

 ing, and got up on the following morning completely 

 free from cold, which has not since returned. The 

 sutillV instead of increasing the tendency to sneeze, 

 almost immediately Ixsgins to diminish it. — London 

 fijjectator. 



— n ■•^ ' — 



Economy. 



The Springfield (Mass.) Repnbllcmi gives the fol- 

 lowing account of household eednomy, as practised 

 by the common peo]ile of France. It contains a 

 moral that we might well profit by : 



" The French butcher separates the bones from his 

 steaks, and places them whcrethey y/Wl do the most 

 good. The housewife orders just enough for each 

 persoh, and no more, even to the coffee. ' If a ehiincc 

 visitor drops in, somebody quietly retires, and the 

 extra cup is provided, but nothing ex-tra by careless- 

 ness of intention. AVlien the pot has boiled the 

 handful of charcoal in the little range is extinguish- 

 ed, and waits for another time. No roaring cook 

 stove and red hot covers all day long for no purpose 

 than waste. The egg laid to-day costs a little more 

 than the one laid last week. Values are nicely esti- 

 mated, and the smallest surplus is carefully saved. 

 A thousand little economies are practiced, and it is 

 respectable to practice them. Cooking is an econ- 

 omical as well as a sanitary and gustatory science. 

 A French cook will make a franc go as far as an 

 American housewife will make three, and how much 

 farther than the American Bridget nobody knows. 

 We should be greatly astonished, could the computa- 

 tion be made, how much of the Duaucial recupera- 

 tive power of I'rance is owing to her cheap food ; 

 better living, after all, than the heavy bread and 

 greasy failures of our oulinary ignorance. 



O " I 



The Grain Movertient. 



AVhile the foreign demand for breadstuffs was less 

 active in 187.5 than in lS~-t, the present year opened 

 with marked activity in the movement of cereals to 

 the scaboar4 cities. Since January 1 , 18T6, thei'e has 

 been exported from New York, oi' wheat alone, 10,- 

 000,000 bushels, against less than 0,400,000 bushels 

 during the coresponding period last year. The Liv- 

 erpool market for breadstuffs is firm. An active ex- 

 port demand has induced a lively business in the way 

 of ocean freight at generally advancing prices. On 

 Satui'day, June lOtb, the grain chartering movement 



was the most extensive reported in any single day for 

 a long time past, amounting in the aggregate to 

 1,102,000 bushels, divided as 'follows:' From New 

 York, 790,000 bushels ; from Philadelphia, 190,(X)0; 

 from Baltimore, 32,000 bushels. The increased grain 

 movement is still further shown by the shipment 

 from lake ports during the two weeks ending May 

 7, 1870— 8,44.5,:!11 bushels against 4,217,o78 bushels 

 for the corresiionding two weeks in 1875. Since Mr. 

 Vanderhilt's withdrawal from the compact of March 

 2d, by which the freights on east bound freight were 

 fixed on a mileage basis, there has been a sharp 

 competil ion between rival carrying interests, causing 

 lower transportation charges between the interior and 

 the seaboard cities than have ever before prevailcdi 



How to Keep Eggs. 



The followipg is an extract from an article on the 

 subject published editorially in the London (Eng- 

 land) Farmer : 



For storing eggs a very good plan is to have a large 

 board i)iereed with holes in regular rows. Many 

 breeders keep them in bran, and this latter method 

 is, perhaps, best for those meant only to be eaten ; 

 but for setting hens the i)iereed board has many con- 

 veniences. They should always be kept with the 

 large end downward. This direction being contrary 

 to that usually given, we should state our attention 

 was first called specially to the subject by a most in- 

 telligent lady who advocated the plan. Keeping eggs 

 on the small end ajjpears to me to cause the air bub- 

 ble to spread, detaching it from the shell, or rather 

 from its membraneous lining ; after being kept so 

 for a fortnight, the air bubble will be fouTid to be 

 much spread, and the eggs will have lost much 

 vitality, though still very good eating. 



She tlien described her success the other way, add- 

 ing : 



Owing to this method of storing, such a thing as a 

 stale egg has never lieen known in my house ; and, 

 as regards success in hatching, for several seasons, 

 when I have been able to attend to my poultry myself, 

 of many eggs set every egg produced a chick. 



The Care of Canaries. 



Don't pxit them in a painted cage ; most birds will 

 peck the wires, and, if they do, they die, and with 

 extreme suffering. Give them fresh seed, pure water, 

 both for drinking and bathing, cuttlefish, and, iu tlieir 

 season, fresh lettuce and ehiekweed, but no cake. 

 Keep the cage clean with brown paper covering over 

 the bottom, not newspapers, because they may peck 

 it. Let them wash iu the morning if they will ; then 

 take out the bath. Keep the perches clean by rub- 

 bing them with sand. Draw them out and rephice 

 them gently, and always be careful not to frighten 

 the birds in any way. They do not like to be touched. 

 XtIvc them a little fresh sand every day. Give them 

 fresh air and plenty of sunshine ; liut guard them 

 from drafts and excess of heat.- The noon sunshine 

 should not fall directly on the cage. With such pre- 

 parations, and iu a roomy walnut eagij, canaries will 

 live, and be healthy and happy. That is, provided 

 no cat comes near. You cannot be too careful on 

 this point. Cats have been known to dr.aw a bird 

 between the cage wires without leaving as piuch as a 

 feather. , . , 



How to Make Old Horses Appear Well. 



The horses are often prevented from throwing their 

 weight into the collar, by a tirjM check rein — a useless 

 and painful encumbrance introduced \yj vanity, and 

 retained by thoughtlessness amounting to cruelty. 

 Ask horse keepers why they use it, and hardly .any 

 one will give the same answer, though it is supposed 

 to be a great safeguard in case of stumbling. The 

 real object with which it was introduced was, to 

 make every horse to which it was applied, however 

 weak, or old, or poor, assume the lofty carriage of 

 the thoroughbred horse; and the tossing of the head, 

 the foam at the mouth, and the restless agitation of 

 the body (mute, but expressive signs of pain and 

 suffering) came, in a little while, not only to be dis- 

 regarded, but even looked at with approbation. For- 

 tunately, this vitiated taste is rapidly going out of 

 fashion as better information is ditfused. Few of the 

 London cab-drivers use check reins, knowing them 

 to be inconsistent with proper work ; and when it is 

 observed, it will invariably be found to be on some 

 poor animal, whose wearied and haggard appear- 

 ance is attempted to be disguised by the implement 

 of torture. ■ 



Raising Chickens. 



In an article on "Care of young chickens," the 

 Practical Farmer says : It may be asked, what is 

 the best feed for young chickens? There is some 

 difference of opinion on this point. Breeders of fancy 

 and exhibition stock are very careful and particular 

 in feeding, using hard-boiled eggs, cooked meat cut 

 into small pieces, bread, rice, etc., but tlie average 

 farmer will not — nor need he go to so much trouble. 

 As good feed as we want is sour thick milk mixed 

 with corn meal and bran ; the mess should not be 

 too wet when given to the chickens. Curd is very 

 good food once a day, and as soon as they are two 



weeks old a little good wheat at night will be found 

 excellent. Some condiments, as Cayenne or black, 

 pepper, a little salt, etc., may be given once or twice 

 a week, but only a little at a time. Only good hens 

 should be selected for mothers for the early broods. 

 A. nervous, fidgety hen will not cover and nourish 

 lier chicks, and without this on her part, they will 

 not grow and thrive with the best of care on the part 

 of the owner. 



Quidding Horses. 



The habit of "quidding," or dropping the food 

 after chewifig it, is due to several reasons. The horse 

 may suffer from a sore thro.at or difficulty of swal- 

 lowing from other causes ; some of the teeth may be ' 

 *earious or diseased, or they maybe worn sharp oti' 

 their edges and cut the mouth. It will be necessary 

 to examine the mouth and throat as far as possible, 

 both by sight and by pressure. If there is a hollow 

 or diseased tooth, it should be extracted ; if any are 

 sharp upon their edges they should be filed down 

 with a flat file ; if the throat is sore or any part of 

 the mouth, awash of chlorate of potash should he 

 used with a sponge fastened to a piece of whalebone 

 or rattan ; or embrocations of mustard should be ap- 

 plied to the throat outwardly. It might be well to 

 cut the feed fine and scald it, feeding it when otily ■ 

 slightly ivarra.—A'cKi York TribHtie. 



Something for the Sick. 



A correspondent writes : Frequoitly we have sick 

 ))eople whose stomachs reject all Idnd of nourish- 

 ment until condition follows that in many instances 

 terminate fatally. In twenty instances in which I 

 have heard the jiopular sick-bed nourishment pre- 

 scribed and reje-cted by the invalid's enfeebled stom- 

 ach, I have not known the simple saucer of parched 

 corn pud<liug or gruel refused . The corn is roasted 

 brown, precisely as we roast coffee, ground as fine as 

 meal in a coffee mill, and make either into mush, 

 gruel, or thin cakes, baked lightly brown, and given 

 warm or cold, clear or with whatever dressing the 

 stomach will retain. Parched corn meal, boiled in 

 skim milk, and fed frequently to children sufi'eringi 

 from summer diarrhcea, will almost always cure, as 

 it will dysentery in adults, and I believe the cholera 

 in its earliest stages. — Our F'rieiul, 



Good Farm Roads. 



It is much cheaper and more pleasant for farmers 

 to have good roads on the place than bad ones. 

 Teams can haul larger loads, with more safety and 

 comfort over good roads, from the distant fields and 

 the w6ods lot, than if there be no roads. Let tbe stones 

 and roots be gotten out of the way, the rough places 

 be smoothed down, holes filled up, soft places har- 

 dened with stones an^l solid earth, and th^ teams wUl 

 haul enough more, with less breakage, in a single 

 year, to i)ay the trouble of making a good road. 

 And besides, the farm looks better ; there is more 

 pleasure and less vexation in the work to -both man 

 and team. We have seen horses and oxen so both- 

 ered and vexed by the cart or wagon getting into a 

 hole, or in the mud where they could Jiot haul out, 

 and then whipped and scolded till they lost all ccnir- 

 age and kindness and became baulky — confirmed in 

 the habit, so that ever afterward tliey would not 

 draw loads out of diiflcnlt place?— aillfrom bad roads 

 on the farm. ' 



Asparagus. 



In reply to a correspondent, Mr. J.J. Thomas says, 

 in the Cointtry Oenthinaii : For home use only make 

 asparagus beds about five feet wide by deep spading 

 and work in 'manure. It has been the practice to 

 make these beds very deep — two and a-half or three 

 feet — but we regard this as needless Labor and ex- 

 pense. Two spits of the spade (equivUant to thorough 

 soil and trench plowing for the field cure of tliis 

 plant) , with a very copious application of fine ma- 

 nure, will lie deep enougli. Then give the plants 

 plenty of room, and they will grow larger than iu a 

 deeper bed and crowded. Three rows in the fiN e feet 

 bed, and a foot apart in the row, will give fine crops. 

 Plant in trenches, made by a line, so that the crowns 

 will be about two inches under the surface. Keep the 

 bed perfectly clean by going over the whole surface at 

 least once a week with a steel rake before the weeds 

 come up. 



Horse Management. 



Horses should not be stinted in their feed. Work 

 horses should be put out to pasture at night, but 

 they should have their usual allowance of other feed. 

 They have some lost flesh to make up. Scrape off 

 the eggs of the botfly from their fore legs and shoul- 

 ders with a sharp Icuife, or wash them off with warm 

 water every .evening. Three hour's rest is not too 

 much at noon While plowing. The lost time may be 

 m.ade up .at morning and night. This arrangement 

 is not a bad one for the driver as well. Give water 

 often, and don't forget the handful of cornmeal 

 stirred into it. Colts may be taught to cat a little 

 meal or bi'an, and to be handled freely. Careful at- 

 tention and the gentlest jwssible treatment should 

 be given to all young stock at this season. — Wcxtern 

 Farmer i'- 



