1876.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



175 



A Wholesome Drink. 



Oatmeal in water, in tlic |)ro|iortioii of a quarter 

 of a pouml of oatmeal to three (|iiurls of water, is 

 reeommenileil as a refresliiiii; ilriiiU. The meal shoulil 

 be well lioileil, the mixture eooli'il, ami water added 

 to keep up the iiroportinu. Willi a hit of ice this is 

 Bald not only to quench tlie thirst, hut to keep up 

 6trcnKtli. Without ice, when ice can not be lia<I, it 

 is still palatable, if entirely cool. It is said that it is 

 used in many ivou foundries and niamifaetoi-ii's in 

 England. Tiie meal should be well shaken throuu'li 

 the water before drinking. 



Warmed-up Mutton. 



Cut olV tlie meat carefully, throwing' aside all 

 strinj^y pieces, mince linely, and season to taste with 

 ix-pper, salt, and, if liked catsup, and linely chopped 

 onion. Moisten with S(»ine rich stock, or the ^Tavy 

 left over, after taking olf the fat which has risen on 

 the. top and cooled. Put it on a di.sh and cover over 

 /» with mashed jiotatoes, scoreil roUf;hly across the top 

 If you like, or smoothed over and washed on top 

 with a little melted butter. Ijrown it in the oven a 

 ; fine dark goldeu color, and serve very hot. 



Mucilage. 

 An excellent mucilaffe or paste may be made from 

 the gum that oozes from cherry or plum trees in the 

 Bummer season, and dries upon the liark in lum])S. 

 By pickiua: otf this sinni and dis,solvliii;' it in water, in 

 a paste cup or wide-mouthed bottle, it forms a valua- 

 ble mucilage, very adhesive, aiul is always ready for 

 use. It requires a day or longer for this dried gum 

 to dissolve in cold water, but it can be dissolved 

 sooner by lieating it. By keeping a small paddle or 

 brush in the vessel eontainingit, it will be found very 

 convenient and useful in every household. 



Bread Sponge. 



Six potatoes lioiled and mashed while hot, two 

 tablespoonfuls of white sugar, two of butlir, one 

 quart of tepid water. Stir in this three cups of tlour, 

 beat to a smooth batter, then add six tablespoonfuls 

 of yeast. Set over night. In the morning knead in 

 sufficient Hour to make a still' spongy dough. Knead 

 vigorously for fifteen minutes. Set away to rise, and 

 when light knead for ten minutes; mould out into 

 moderate-sized loaves. Let rise until they ifre like 

 delicate or light sponge cake. 

 ♦ 



Beef and mutton cost about three cents a pound 

 In Servia, a turkey fetches a shilling, a pair of fowls 

 may be had for six cents, and a draught ox only costs 

 from $10 to $13. Native tobacco and wine are simi- 

 larly cheap, but bad. 



A tablespoonfdIj of ammonia in one gallon of 

 water will often restore the color of carpets, even if 

 dissolved by acid or alkali. If a ceiling has been 

 whitewashed with the carpet down, and a few drops 

 should fall, this will remove it. 



It is said that a coat of tallow applied to rubber 

 boots will draw out the sulphur and render them 

 much less liable to crack. 



GENERAL MISCELLANY. 



A Good Word for the Hog. 



He is one of the paehydcrraatous or thick-skinned 

 animals, of which the existing genera are the ele- 

 phant, the hippopotamus, the hyrax, the tapir, the 

 hog. The elephant, which once spread in countless 

 herds to the polar regions, is now confined to the 

 woods of the tropics ; the rhinoceros, yet more rare, 

 is limited to the hottest regions of India and Africa ; 

 the hippopotamus, one of the hugest of living quad- 

 rupeds, is confined to the largest rivers of Africa ; the 

 tapir merely lingers in some of the forests of inter- 

 tropical countries ; but the hog survives the revolu- 

 tions of countless ages and is reproduced in countless 

 multitudes in every region of the earth. 



However groveling and mean may apjjcar his hab- 

 its when reduced to the degradation of slavery, yet 

 he is not destitute of sagacity, nor uusu.seeiitible of 

 attachment. When be lives in the cabin of the peas- 

 ant, he loses much of his rudeness, sutlers himself to 

 be caressed, and recognizes his protectors. Instances 

 are known in which the hog, for tM purposes of ex- 

 hibition, has been brought to perforin a numlier of 

 feats, displaying a marvelous degree of docility. 



Intractable, rapacious and selfish, as we are wont 

 to esteem this animal, no mother is more tender to 

 her young or more resolute in their defense. Hogs 

 are not insensible to natural atieetions ; they are gre- 

 garious and social, warming one another with their 

 bodies in cold weather ; and, when assembled in lierds 

 manifesting the utmost sympathy for one another's 

 Buflerings. Should one give signal of distress, all 

 within hearing rush to liis assistance; they gather 

 round their comrade and fiercely assail the largest 

 animals that have injured him. In Calabria, where 

 they are grazed in herds, the keeper uses a kind of 

 bagpipe, which, when at sunset they are to be driven 

 homeward, instantly collects them from all parts. In 



certain villages there is a common swineherd ; in the 

 morning, when he sounds his horn, all the pigs rush 

 forth and follow him to the place of feeiling ; in the 

 evening they return under his guidance, and when 

 tlicy ciitiM- liie village each runs to his own sly with- 

 out mistake. In some of the Southern I'niled States, 

 it is usual to turn the jiigs into the woods, but to 

 collect them together once a week, by giving them 

 salt and nuiize, or other favorite food. At the very 

 hour they are to receive their weekly present , they 

 reassemble from all parts without a straggler. They 

 have the sagacity always to discover the food that 

 suits them, never being, like some other animals 

 whose senses are blunted by ilomestification, itoisoned 

 by the plants they tind in the wild state. Their cx- 

 tpiisite senses of smell and touch dircc-t. them to 

 earlh-mUs anil other rtHits, acorns and the like, 

 which are found buried In the ground. They are 

 conscious of an iinpeniling storm, and carry straw as 

 if to shelter themselves from its violence. They arc 

 agitated when the wind blows violently, screaming 

 and running to the sly lor shelter, which has given 

 rise to this singular saying of the country peo|)le, 

 that " pigs see the wind." The explanation is, that 

 the hog dreads wetness and cold, and is eminently 

 sensitive to coming changes of the weather. — J'ruf. 

 how, in ^^ National lAvt Stock Journal." 



Autumn Care of Lawns. 



During the latter part of summer, the lawn needs 

 less frequent mowing than in .June and July ; and as 

 cool weather comes on in autumn, the grass nearly 

 ceases growing. Aftcrthis period, the mowing should 

 be suspended, or not repeated more than once, to 

 allow a strong growth for winter protection. If cut 

 short late in autumn, whereverthe surface is exposed 

 to the sweep of winds, the grass will be injured in 

 vigor, and it will not assume that fresh green appear- 

 aiicc in early spring that will be seen whenever there 

 has been a good winter protection. Some discretion 

 must be exercised, b(;wever, for too long and too 

 dense a growth will tend to weaken the plants be- 

 neath by smothering, and in well sheltered places 

 less covering is needed than where the lawn is more 

 exposed to winds. Or, if a top-dressing is intended, 

 the grass should be cut short for two reasons : this 

 application itself will aflbrd protection ; and if the 

 grass is cut, the fertilizer will more directly reach 

 the roots. 



It sometimes happens that in consequence of sterile 

 spots of earth, there are patches where the grass has 

 made a poor growth. This defect may be remedied 

 by top-dressing well with a steel tooth rake and sow 

 heavily of additional grass seed. 



Manure is too often applied in large lumps. In 

 this condition it is of little value. A part of the grass 

 gets none, and a part is smothered by the heavy 

 mass. It msikes little diflcrence whether old or fresh 

 manure is applied, provided it is finely broken up and 

 evenly spread. A uniform thickness of one inch over 

 the whole surface, will be a very heavy dressing — 

 half an inch will be quite effective. Where the lawn 

 is extensive, the lumps of manure may be finely pul- 

 verized and evenly spread by using a smoothing har- 

 row, more rapidly than twenty men would do the 

 work by hand. In the absence of manure, a dressing 

 of fine soil an inch thick will be useful in many eases; 

 and when the surface is slightly uneven, this dressing 

 may be [ilaced in depressions only and thus restore an 

 even surface. Sand alone, used for this purpose, will 

 be useful to the grass, and may be more easily and 

 evenly applied. When the weather has been dry 

 enough to leave the roads dry, one of the best and 

 most easily spread of all kinds of top-dressing, for 

 small lawns, is sifted road-dust ; IVjr being finely 

 pulverized and mixed with a portion of the droppings 

 of horses, it may be applied with accuracy in a uni- 

 form coating, and half an inch in depth will show its 

 eti'eets on the green grass. — Country Geutteman. 



Chemistry of the Fattening Process. 



A lean cow or ox is in a very dirt'erent condition, 

 chemically considered, from fat animals of the same 

 kind. In the first place the poor animal consists of 

 about two-thirds water, the fat one of only half, that 

 is in total weight. A fat animal is in a dry condi- 

 tion, a poor animal is like some of our bog meadows, 

 very wet. When the fattening process begins, water 

 commences to disappear, and lat or suet takes its 

 place ; and the increase in bulk during the process is 

 largely of adipose of matter. It is curious cireum- 

 stances that, during fattening, the proteids, or nitro- 

 genous ccjinpound, increase only about seven \ht cent, 

 and the bone material, or inorganic substances, oidy 

 one-and-a-half per cent. 



The cost to a farmer of fattening an ox is much 

 greater at the close of the process than at the com- 

 mencement ; that is, increase in liulk or dry 

 weight at that period is much more costly. 

 If it costs three cents a pound for bulk 

 for the first three months after a poor animal 

 is put in the fattening stall, it will cost five 

 cents the last month. If, then, a farmer consults 

 his money interests, he will not carry the increase in 

 fat beyond a certain ;ioint, provided he can turn his 

 partially fatted animals to fair advantage. Karmers 

 have, perhaps, learned this fact from experience and 



observation, and hence comparatively lean beef 

 abounils in our markets. While this is of advantage 

 to the farmer, it is very disadvantagccnis to eon- • 

 sumers of the beef, for the flesh of a fat animal in 

 every case is much richer in fived, nourishing ma- 

 terial than that of the lean, and it is never good 

 economy to purchase lean beef. It is bt^ttcr to pur- 

 chase the poorest parts of a fat animal than the best 

 of a lean one. The best piece of a fat ox (the loin) 

 contains from 21 to 2N per cent, more llxcd ma- 

 terial than till' corresponding piece in a lean one, and 

 curiously enough, the worst piece in tlie lean animal 

 (the neck,) is the richest in nourishing material. 

 The flesh of the neck improves very little in fattening, 

 lieni'C, eeonomy considered, it is the best portion to 

 purchase, as its value is in a measm'e artxed one. 



Horse llesli is as nutritious, considered as liKjd, as 

 that of the ox or cow. Tile relation of nilrogenous 

 to fixed material is rather higher in a horse than in 

 an ox, and amount of water is less. There is no good 

 reason why horse llesh should not lie used as Ibod. 

 It is jirejudice alone which prevents its employment. 

 It is a regular article of sale in the meat markets of 

 I'aris at the present lime. — Journal of Cfieniittry. 



Protecting Garden Roots. 



As winter approaidies there comes up the annual 

 question what shall we do with the roots? The farm 

 has its turnips, beets, |ierlia|is carrots and various 

 other things; the garden has cabbage, celery and 

 loads of other things. In all these questions there 

 must be various answers. How best to preserve them 

 will depend on how we want to use them, and the 

 convenience at I'oinmand. Take celery for instance : 

 If we are to use it in large quantities and often, we 

 must have some place for it very easy of access ; but 

 if we only want a little now and then, we need not 

 go to half the trouble as in the other case. What to 

 do, and how to do it, can be best understood by Bce- 

 ing just what we want to aeeomiilish. 



Now, to preserve these roots well, we must keep 

 them I'rom growing ; for tliey are so eonstructed as 

 to sprout with very little heat. The nearer we can 

 keep them to freezing point without actually freezing, 

 the better Ibrthe roots. Again, water is an enemy 

 if the temperature should be much above freezing. So 

 it comes down to this, that whatever will keep roots 

 so that they will not wither from too great dryness of 

 their surroundings, and will kceji them cool, but not 

 freezing, is the perfection of a plan. 



Now, some may have a cellar, some a barn, some 

 nothing but boards or leaves to keep off water and 

 frost ; it is all the same in principle to keepeool, not 

 frozen, and a little dry. 



In keeping cabbage, the water is very apt to gat in 

 between the leaves and to be troublesome when any 

 kind of protection is tried in the open ground ; but 

 this is guardeil against by turning the cabbage up- 

 side down. Celery is much the best if it can be kept 

 out in the ground to the l.ist possible moment. If 

 there are leaves or some light material at command 

 to cover with, so as to protect against the first frosts, 

 it may be left out till near Chri-stmas to advantage. 

 It is as cool as can be wished under such circum- 

 stances, and just IVee from frosts, the very best 

 condition possible. Indeed, if covering enough can 

 be had to keep out all frost, and no great amount of 

 it required at any one time, it might he best to leave 

 it out all winter, choosing the chance to get enough 

 out at a time to last a couple of weeks. If it is wet, 

 snowy, cold, or somethingor another, however, when 

 we want to get at the vegetaliles, a cool place under 

 cover is far thelbest if we can command it. — Germaii- 

 lown Telegraph. 



Sheep— The Outlook. 



The Farmer's Friend, in commenting on the gene- 

 ral outlook of sheep husbandry, gives the following 

 very sensible advice : 



Farmers who keep large flocks of sheep should not 

 dis|iose of them hastily, in view of the low prices they 

 bring, anil the cheapness of wool, as we are not 

 always to have such times as exist at present. Prob- 

 ably in two or three years the jjrices will advance .50 

 per cent., from the fact that large portions of our 

 wool growers will either go out of tlie business, or 

 greatly reduce their tlocks, no matter how much they 

 are advised to "hold on." In some cases it will be 

 well to get rid of your poorest sheep, and thus reduce 

 your flocks somewhat; but our advice is to reduce 

 your flocks as little as you can, and make them pay 

 the expenses of keeping till prices go up. Uuriug 

 the last thirty years there have been a half-dozen 

 ebbs in the iirices of sheep and wool, and yet those 

 breeders who "held on" came out all right. What 

 you need most is good breeding rams ; and we annex 

 "what an old sheep-raiser says : " The best bred and 

 best formed merino rams may now be had for ^-W to 

 811)11, and the long-wools or Downs are quite as cheap; 

 and when we retk-et that we may have fifty to one 

 hundred lambs from a single sire, what a waste of 

 money it is to use an inferior, Mat-sided ram because 

 he can be had for 810 to $ir> ' The defects of a bad 

 sire, used for a single season, will be visible in a flock 

 for many generations, so that the injury done cannot 

 be estimated ; and the services of such an animal 

 will never be accepted by an intelligent breeder, if 

 tendered as a gratuity. 



