Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 August 1877 — AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC. [ARTICLE]

AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC.

Aronnd the Farm. W. F. Dodge, of Hopkinton, N. H., who has tried it, says a bath of strong brine is as good as tobacco- wash for killing ticks on sheep, besides being cheaper and less injurious to the animal.— Mirror and Fanner. Lime for Slugs.—Pear trees may now be expected to be infested with slugs, which tliay be destroyed by sprinkling the trees with fine, dryslacked lime. Put it in a bag made of coarse, open material, tie it to a pole, and shake the bag over the leaves of the trees when the dew is_OD them, or immediately after a rain. Eggs at Abd Seasons.—ls we would have eggs at all seasons of the year, we must have hens that arc in a laying condition at all seasons. Of course, this is impossible with the same individuals, as no fowl can lay all the time without intermission. Mature fowls have their breeding seasou and their moulting season every year, when few or no eggs can be produced— New England rarmcr.

It costs no more to produce a pound of wool than a pound of cotton, and the wool sells for three times the price of cotton. Again, the 100,000 dogs in Georgia consume and destroy food, either already fit for human use or suitable for feeding to productive animals, an amount which, estimated in bacon, would supply perhaps 50,000 laboring men.— Georgia Agricultural Report. Mr. Bradley, a writer on gardening and husbandry, informs us that a pair of sparrows once carried to their nests, on an average, forty caterpillars every hour during the day. Hence, nearly 500 of these destructive insects were disposed of in twelve hours by two little birds. Ten pairs of sparrows would therefore destroy 30,000 caterpillars per week—enough to ruin any garden or fruit orchard in the land. How to Burn Stumps.—Pile about them a lot of dry rubbish (there is nothing better than dry stable manure), and after setting this on fire cover it with damp or wet manure. This is upon the plan of a coal kiln, and if one wants pay for his labor he can put out the fire at the proper stage and make a few bushels of charcoal; if not ho can let the whole thing burn to ashes. One who has tried this plan says it is a perfect success. It is worth a trial.—A'anto Rosa (Cal.) Democrat.

Corn in Hills and in Drills.—The Kansas Agricultural College last year instituted careful experiments to determine the relative advantage of planting corn in hill and in drills. The plants in the drills were cultivated ten inches apart, and in lulls the same number of stalks to the acre. Both were treated in the same ■waxy, hoeing once ami cultivating twice. The corn was husked in November, and that in dri’ls yielded seventy-one bushels to the acre, while that in hills yielded only sixty-two and a half bushels. Care of Harness.—The practice of washing harness with warm water and soap is very damaging unless, a coat of oil is applied immediately after. No harness is ever so soiled that a damp sp'onge will not remove the dirt; yet, even when the sponge is applied, it is important to apply a slight coat of oil by the use of a second sponge. All varnishes, and all blacking that contains the properties of varnish, should be avoided, When a harness loses its luster ami turns brown it should bo given a new coat of grain black ; first wash the grain ‘surface thoroughly with potash water to kill the grease, and, after the application of the grain black, apply oil and tallow to the surface. This will fasten the color and make the leather flexible. Neatsfoot oil only should be used on harness, and no more should be applied to the leather than it will readily absorb. A superabundance works out to the surface in hot weather, catching dirt and in a short time looking very mean.— American Stock Journal.

About the House. A cement for meerschaum can be made of quicklime mixed to a thick cream with the white of an egg. This cement will also unite glass or china. Cup Cake.—One cup of butter, two cups of sugar, three cups of Hour, four eggs, spice and fruit to your liking, onehalf cup milk, three-quarters teaspoonful of baking powder. Curbant Catchup.—The juice of nice, fully ripe currents, four pounds; brown sugar, one and a half pounds; ground cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and salt, one table-spoonful; one pint of vinegar; boil until as thick as is desired. Steamed Brown Bread.—Ono cup of sweet milk, two cups of sour milk, three cups of corn meal, and two cups of flour, one cup of molasses, one teaspoonful of soda; steam three hours. Cleansing Metal Surfaces.—Silverplate, jewelry, and door plates can be beautifully cleaned and made to look like new by dipping a soft cloth or cha-mois-skin in a weak preparation of am-monia-water and rubbing the articles with it.— Economist. Care of Straw Matting.—A thin coat of varnish applied to straw matting will make it much more durable, and keeps the matting looking fresh and new. White varnish should be used on white matting. If thus varnished it will not need to be washed. Be sure and have the varnish thin or the matting will crack.— Christian Union.

Remedy for Insomnia.—ls much pressed with work, and feeling an inability to sleep, eat two or three small onions, the effect of which is magical in producing the desired repose. Such a remedy has a great advantage over the stupefying drugs commonly resorted to for this purpose, and is ever preferable to the liquor opii sedat, and chlorodine of medical practice.— Family Doctor. Stove Blacking.—We hope the following recipe for imparting to stoves a fine black polish, which will neither burn off nor give out an offensive smell, wijl prove acceptable to some of our readers ; Lamp-black is mixed with waterglass (a solution of silicate of soda) to the consistency of sirup and applied with a brush as a thin and even coating, then left twenty-four hours to dry’ Afterwards graphite, or black lead mixed with gum water, is applied, and a polish obtained by rubbing in the usual manner.— Scientific American.