1876.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



159 



email gardens wanted to know how to 'avoid tlie un- 

 pleaeaut odor that eonies from tlio liquid manure. 



Scatter a little plaster (irypenm) in and about the 

 tank or barrels which contain it. 



Value of Road Dust. 



Dnrins the dry season of late summers, every coun- 

 try residetit should secure several barrels of road 

 dust. It is worth many times its cost as an absorb- 

 ent. Those who keep poultry, secure by its use a 

 valuable fertilizer, nearly as stroni; as fruano, with 

 none of its disagreeable odor. I'laee an Inch or two 

 of road dust in the bottom of the barrel ; then, as the 

 poultry-house is reuularly cleaned, deposit a layer of 

 an inch thick of the cleanini;s and so on alternately, 

 layers of each till the liarrcl is full. The thinner Ihc 

 layer is, the more perfect will be the intermixture of 

 the ingredients. If the soil of which t)ie road diist is 

 niadc is clayey, the layers of each may be of equal 

 thickness ; if sandy, the dust should be at least twice 

 as thick as the layers of droopings. Old barrels of 

 any kind maybe used for this purpose; but if pre- 

 viously soaked with ci-ude petroleum or coated with 

 gas tar, they will last many years. If the contents 

 are pounded on the Moor into fine powder bel'ore ap- 

 plying, the fertilizer may be sown from a drill. Koad 

 dust is one of tlie most perfect deodorizers of vaidts 

 — converting their ct)ntcnts into rich nianui'c. Place a 

 barrel or box of it in the closet, with a small dipper, 

 and throw down a pint into the vault each time it is 

 occupied and there will he no ollensive odor whatever. 

 This is simpler, cheaper and better than a water- 

 closet, and never freezes or gets out of order. Mix- 

 lug the road dust with an eipial bulk of coal ashes is 

 an improvement, making the fertilizer more friable. 

 Country Gentlonan. 



Mulching Grass for Winter. 



The imi)ortance of this practice, to which we have 

 just alluded, is not generally appreciated. Grazing 

 short in Autumn is one of the very worst things that 

 can be done to meadows and pastures. If any farmer 

 will examine in spring such of his fields as have been 

 closely grazed the i^revious season, he will find the 

 grass slow and feeble in starting; but where a good 

 growth has been left the previous autumn, the new 

 grass will be found pushing strongly, while the grazed 

 portion has hardly started. It is therefore of the ut- 

 most importance for early pasturage, that a heavy 

 mass of grass remain to cover the ground in winter. 

 It would be better to feed hay and meal to cattle 

 through October and November, than to destroy the 

 copious pasturage by allowing them to gnaw the 

 plants down to the roots. 



Some of the best stock farmers make it an impor- 

 tant point to retain a mass of grass in their pastures 

 a foot or more hlL'h for entering winter, or as much 

 as would cut with a mowing machine nearly a ton to 

 the acre. They have early and rich pasturage in 

 spring. The importance of keeping meadows also 

 free from cattle in autumn is obvious. 



Manuring in Fall. 



We have long since made repeated observations, 

 confirming the truth that for many purposes manure 

 is worth at least twice as much spread in autumn as 

 the Ibllowing spring. Yet the practice is not uncom- 

 mon with farmers, who may have manure lying in 

 their yards throutrh the summer, to omit the drawing 

 out till wanted the next season. Those who feed 

 corn-stalks for fodder find it too lonir and coarse to 

 apply in the spring next after feeding out, but the 

 heaps into which it should be thrown will be well 

 rotted by September. It is then in perfect condition 

 to be drawn and applied. It does most good on grass 

 lands; and if these are intended to be inverted next 

 spring for corn, it will give at least double the results 

 produced by spring application. It will impart a 

 vigorous start to grass intended to remain in pasture 

 or meadow. The advantaccs will be two-told — it 

 will increase the grass all through the growing sea- 

 son of autumn, and thus produce a good winter 

 mulching for the roots, and the wash of the maimre 

 by rains will run down the roots and become difiused 

 in a luore perfect manner through the soil than could 

 be accomplished by any mechanical means. — Coun- 

 try G€7ttlcinan. 



^ 



Top-Dressing \^'heat. 



The same principle will apply with some variation 

 to winter wheat. The roots should be protected 

 where the soil and climate require it. In somei>laces 

 the natural growth of the leaves, if strong, is suf- 

 ficient. Top-dressing with manure, at the time of 

 sowing, answers a two-l'old purpose; namely, im- 

 parting vigor, and shielding the surface of the soil. 

 If grass seed is sown, the manure confers the same 

 double benefit on the young grass. Wheat, growing 

 on land which is sufficiently drained, is sometimes 

 winter-killed by the sweep of sharp winds over the 

 surface in the absence of snow. In such cases a thin 

 sprinking of straw, applied in autumn or as soon as 

 the surface is hardened by freezing in winter, maybe 

 of much use. On a field of wheat fully exposed, we 

 directed the man in charge to spread straw thinly 

 over the whole surface early in winter. He did so on 



a jiart only. This part gave over twenty bushes per 

 acre; the crop was not worth harvesting on the 

 other part. This was an extreme ease; liut as the 

 labor and expense is small, it is well worthy of trial 

 even for small results. — Country Gentl»uiiiii. 



Beets for Cows. 



Last year I raised a lot of mantrolds and carrots. 

 The nningolds were gatheriid first and put in tlie 

 cellar: afterwards the carrots were gathered and 

 corded up on top of them, so that when I bc^'an to 

 feed thcni to my cow, the carrots came first. The 

 cow gave abo\it her usual quantity of milk, except 

 the usual shrinkaire on the accession of cold weather 

 and bcinir put upon tlry fodder. Fearing that, the 

 beets \V()uld not keep as well as the carrots, and alscj 

 thinking that they possessed better milk-pi'odueing 

 qualities, I was anxious to get at them. Accordinirly 

 I removed part of the carrots and commenced feeding 

 the beets, when, to my surprise, my cow began to fail 

 of her milk unlil the dcllcieney reached to al>out one- 

 third. Wishing to test the nuitti'r still further, I 

 changed back again to carrots, when her milk in- 

 creased to about the usual slamianl. The quantity 

 fed was about the same in either ease — about a half- 

 bushel basket three-(piarlers full. If there is any 

 difl'ercnce, it was in favor of the beets. — Cor. Jiurat 

 New Yorker. 



Strawberry Plants. 



It is not advisable to set strawberry plants later 

 than the first week in Septeml)er; but you will find a 

 plenty of dealers in plants to tell you that they may 

 be set as late as October; but it is yfiur money they 

 want, and to lengthen out the season of delivery. A 

 dealer in strawberry jilants 6a3's, " when set in Octo- 

 ber, one-third of a crop will be produced the next sea- 

 sou." He ous;ht to have said, " Ihc plants will be 

 but slightly rooted, many will be thrown out by the 

 frosts of winter, and the crop of fruit tlie first .season 

 will be worth but little or nothing." When not set 

 as early as I state they should be, wait till spring in 

 all cases. 



— ^ 



The Rotting of Celery. 



Sometimes celery prematurely rots, which is gen- 

 erally owing to its rank growth just before it is put 

 into the trenches in the fall. Another cause of rot- 

 ting is dryness of the ground when it is lifted to put 

 into the treuches, and a continued drouth three or 

 four weeks after it is put in, which prevents it from 

 starting roots. The rotting may be prevented by leav- 

 ing some earth attached to the roots when the celery 

 is dug up, setting the plants immediately in the trench, 

 packing the earth firmly around the roots; and if the 

 ground is dry apply a little water. 



Vines growing strongly should have their laterals 

 regularly pinched. Never allow any unnecessary 

 wood to grow, as the strength spent on superabun- 

 dant shoots should be concentrated in what is left 

 to manure the wood, and also in the fruit. 



DOMESTIC ECONOMY. 



Oatmeal in the Household. 



Baldwin's Munlhbj, for September, calls attention 

 to the fact that in Great Britain children of all ranks 

 are raised on an oatmeal diet alone, because it causes 

 them to grow strong and hcalthlul, and no better food 

 can possibly be found for them. It is also quite as d(!- 

 sirable for the student as for the laborer, and for the 

 delicate lady as for her hard-workinir sister; indeed, 

 all classes would be greatly benefited by its use, and 

 dyspepsia, with all its manifold annoyances, can be 

 kept at a distance. Oatmeal is more substantial food, 

 it is said, than veal, pork or lamb, and quite equal to 

 beef and mutton, giving as much or more mental vigor, 

 while its great disidcratum consists in one's not be- 

 coming weary of it, for it is as welcome for breakfast 

 or tea as bread. It can be eaten with sirup and but- 

 ter as hasty pudding, or with cream and sugar, like 

 rice. The same authority says "it is especially good 

 for young mothers, upon whose nervous forces too 

 great a demand has been made, and they lose the 

 equilibrium of the system and become depressed and 

 dispirited. Oatmeal requires to be cooked slowly, 

 and the water should be boiling hot when it is stirred 

 in." 



A chief reason for this excellent article of diet not 

 being more popular in this locality has been the dilH- 

 culty in properly cooking it. As the oat has been 

 heretofore prepared and sold, it required fully an 

 hour to properly cook it before it became palatable. 

 Recently the Craigville Mills, of New York, have put 

 an article of crushed white oats in the market, pre- 

 parcil with steam by a patent process, which can he 

 converted into a delicious porridge by boilinir only a 

 few minutes, thus saving housekeepers all the trouble 

 and vexation and perspiring over a hot fire, incident 

 to the old process. It is claime<l that this article 

 contains fifty per cent, more available nutriment than 

 other cereals prepared in the usual way, anil will 

 keep any length of time and in any climate. Those 

 who have failed in producing a palatable dish from 

 the ordinary oatmeal will do well to try the Craigville 

 brand, manufactured by the Chicester steam process. 



Making Good Butter. 



The American Wroccr gives the following directions: 



1. Avoid worrying the cows in any way, or getting 

 them excited. 



2. Milk in a clean, well-ventilated place, free from 

 all foul odors, and under shelter in rainy weather, 

 letting the cows stand awhile, to drip and dry ofl, be- 

 fore bi'.ginniuir to milk. 



'i. Exclude all filth from the milk and strain as fast 

 as milked. If it can be at once strained into the pan 

 for settluL', and the strain can be done without enter- 

 ing the milk-r(H>m, all the belter. 



4. The better way is to have the milk-room so ar- 

 raneed that its temperature can be ke|)t uniformly at 

 alM»ut (JO dcu-recs, and then to use neither water nor 

 ice around the milk. Then lejivc the temptTature of 

 the milk to sink gradually to that of the room. The 

 cream will continue to rise as longas the temparalurc 

 is falliiu:, and more slowly afterwards. It will be up 

 in forty-eight hours. It shouM then be skimmed and 

 kept at the teni|)erature of fiO degrees until it becomes 

 sliirhtly acid, then it is fit to churn. If any other 

 method of setting is adopted, it should not be one to 

 keep the milk sweet forty-eight hours, nor one which 

 will not permit all the cream to rise in that time. It 

 is more or less injurious, accordini; to circumstances, 

 to haye the temperature of the room higher than that 

 of the milk. 



.5. Never let cream get more than slightly sour be- 

 fore churning, and churn it at sixty degrees, with a 

 motion equal to that given by thirty or forty strokes 

 to the minute by a dasher covering three-fourths of 

 the bilcnil space of the churn at the largest point. 



Ti. Before the butter is gathered, and while la 

 lumps about the size of wheat or buckwheat kernels, 

 draw olfor strain out the butter-milk, and thoroughly 

 wash the butter with clear, cold water at about .').5 

 dcL'rces, but do not pai'k the butter together. Then 

 sprinkle on and carefully stir in — still avoiding pack- 

 ing — about one ounce of salt to each pound of butter. 

 Set the butter away in a sweet, coo! place, not above 

 60 dcL'rees, but below 2.5 degrees, until the next day, 

 when it is ready to work and pack for market. 



7. The packing should be done in clean, sweet 

 packages ; and if the butter is Intended for long keep- 

 in!.', the packages should be air-tight. They can be 

 made so by proper use of the brine. 



8. Butter so packed should be kept at a tempera- 

 ture not above sixty degrees nor below fifty degrees, 

 and in an apartment where there are no foul odors 

 from veiretablcs, damp earth, or any other source. 



9. The milk of sick cows or cows in heat should 

 never be used for dairy purposes, nor milk known to 

 be impure from any cause whatever. 



10. If from any accident, neglect or oversight, a 

 batch of butter is not perfect, it should not be packed 

 for long kecpinif, but at once put upon the market 

 and sold for consumption while in its best condition. 

 But imperfect butter should never be made to cat. 



How to Preserve Cut Flowers. 



Mr. Niven, of the Botanic Gardens, at Hull, Eng- 

 land, gives tlie following practical hints on this sul)- 

 jeet : " Kor this purpose nothing is better than rain- 

 water, which should be changed every day, or every 

 alternate day. Before arranging the flowers In the 

 glass or Hower-stand, trim the ends of the s'alkswith 

 a sharp knife, so as to make a clean cut. The stems 

 are often bruised in the plucking : the bruised part 

 decays and renders the water sooner impure and un- 

 wholesome than would be the case were the water 

 alisorbcd thiuuL'h a clean-cut section of the stem, 

 which will perform its functions without decay till 

 the /lowers have faded. To guard against the [Kissi- 

 bility of any uiiiileasant smell, and for other reasons 

 — seeing that water is an absorbent of noxious gases 

 — if the fiowcrs be intended for a close sick chamber 

 let the water be changed everyday; by this means 

 any unpleasant smell will be avoided. Camphor has 

 been suggested as a sort of disinfectant and at the 

 same time as a material likely to prolong the beauty 

 of the flowers. Its advantage is, however, more im- 

 aginary than real; therefore do not trust to it as a 

 substitute for the small amount of trouble incurred 

 in the simple process above suggested. Salt has also 

 been used ; but though it may not hurt some llowcrs, 

 there arc others which will be injured by it. In 

 HoHcr-stands where sand is used, and must necessa- 

 rily remain for some time, mix with the sand one- 

 eighth part in bulk of small pieces of charcoal, broken 

 about the size of peas ; this will keep it sweet for 

 weeks." — -V. Y. Observer. 



The Dry Earth Treatment. 

 The dry earth treatment for ulcers is found quite 

 successful. Large sloughy ulcers, after being washed, 

 are covered with a thick layer of earth, over which 

 wet paper is placed as a support, the whole being 

 neatly bandaged. In a few days the ulcers begin to 

 clear, and when the surfaces l(«ik healthy and gran- 

 ulating, a dressing made as follows is used: A piece of 

 muslin the size of the ulcer is immersed in carbolic oil, 

 in the proportion of one part acid to ten parts cocoa- 

 nut oil ; with this the sore is covered, and over it dry 

 earth is placed, and then moistened earth and a ban- 

 dage. In a short time the healing process manifests 

 itself satisfactorily, while all odor is entirely removed. 



