Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 August 1877 — AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC. [ARTICLE]

AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC.

Aromd the Farm. .. M The feeding roots of trees come near the surface; therefore, plant no deeper than necessary io keep the tree in the soil If there is danger of its blowing over, stake it, but don’t plant deep. The Rural World suggests a simple means of protecting young, fruit trees against rabbits, which is to place a few cornstalks about the stem with the lower ends tied near the ground, and the other end tied as high as the protection is needed. This application is found as good as paper, and more likely to be ready at hand for farmers. I would rather have forty acres of land and a log-house with one room—yes, and the woman I love, and some lattice-work over the window, so that the sunlight would fall checkered on the baby in the cradle, and a few hollyhocks at the corner of the house—l would rather have that, and a nice path leading down to the spring, where I could go and hear the water guggling; would rather live there and (fie there than be a clerk of any government on earth.— New Orleans Times.

Transplanting young raspberries, when only six or seven inches high, and in full growth, in the early part of summer, is as safely performed as setting tomato plants, and they make a fine growth the same season. Take a pail to hold the plants while digging them; take up with a fork, bo as to save a large part of the cross root; mud the roots well, and set out near evening or on a cloudy day. The mudded roots, packed in moss, may be sent long distances by express.

Tuts matter of windows in stables is one of vastly more importance than some farmers think. Animals, no more than vegetables, can thrive in the dark. Our long winters are sufficiently trying to the constitutions of our farm-stock, under the best circumstances, and an animal upon which the sun scarcely shines at all for five or six months will come out in spring in a bad state of health, even though the feed, and the ventilation, and the temperature have been all right. The sun is the great life-giver.— Vermont Chronicle. Keeping Hogs Clean.—The floor cf a hog-pen should be of plank. The pen and hogs can then be kept clean. If the animals are permitted to root up the floor of the pen and burrow in the earth, they will always be in an uncleanly and unwholesome condition, and much food will be wasted. It is quite unnecessary for either the comfort or health of the hogs to let them exercise their natural propensity to root in the ground. The exercise is really a waste of food and takes so much from their growth. Hogs will fatten most quickly when they eat a and sleep and remain perfectly quiet, as they will do in a dry, warm pen, with a clean plank floor, and bedding Qf clean straw and plenty to eat.— American Agriculturist.

Early Chickens.—The first eggs are always the best for hatching. They produce the finest and most uniform chicks, and are truer to the breed; show all the finer points and develop sooner, where the breeding birds are chosen with an eye to the nearest possible perfection. Very early hatched pullets commence to lay too early for breeding purposes, unless one has warm shelters and heated enclosures for the chicks in our latitude. With the first clutch the hen spends her strength and ability to stamp her progeny with that degree of uniform! y and perfection which we aim to establish. The cock always becomes weakened with over use, and his chicks are weak, and therefore more prone to diseases. Good strong birds that inherit constitutions withstand all minor evils and grow rapidly.—American Stock Journal.

Driving Dice from Leaves.—The syringe will do this with cold water alone, if applied forcibly and from beneath, and still more easily and thoroughly with water at 130 degrees or not over 140 degrees, or with copperas and water, half a pound to the gallon, or soap and water, with as much carbolic acid or coal oil as the soap will cut completely, leaving some floating. These are effective, but the rose bushes should be rinsed afterward with pure water to prevent stains, which would mar the beauty of the foliage nearly as much as the insect ravages would. For cabbage worms use hot water with some saltpetre dissolved in it. In using the syringe never draw the water from the bottom of the bucket for fear of taking in sand, which would soon wear the bore unevenly and so do injury that cannot be remedied, but will cause troublesome leakage.— New York Herald.

About the House. Boiled Cabbage.—Take oft' the outer leaves ; cut the head in quarters or halfquarters; cook in as small a quantity of water as possible until thoroughly done. It should be cooked in a tightlycovered kettle. Care of Straw Matting.-—ls white straw matting is washed twice during the summer in salt and water—a pint of salt to half a pailful of warm, soft water —and dried quickly with a soft cloth, it will be long before it will turn yellow.— Economist. Cleansing Paint.—ln cleaning paint, put to two quarts of hot water two tablespoonfuls of turpentine, and one pint of skimmed milk, with only enough soap to make a weak suds, and it will remove all stains from the paint and leave a fine luster almost like varnish.— Christian Union. To Make Mustard. —Mix the best Durham—as many spoonfuls as are needed for immediate use—with some new milk. Mix gradually until perfectly free from lumps, and add a little cream. The addition of half a small teaspoonful of sugar is thought by many to be an improvement; Mutton Sausages.—Take cold roast mutton in large slices. Make a dressing of bread crumbs, thyme, summer savory, salt and pepper. Moisten them with an egg, and put a little on each slice of the mutton. Roll it up tightly as possible and tie. Fry them in ho melted butter until brown and crisp. To Upholster an Old Cane Chair. — After removing the surplus bits of cane, cover the space with matting formed, of three-inch wide canvas belting woven together. Tack it temporarily in places. After placing over this some coarse muslin, draw both smooth, and secure at the edge with twine, making use of the perforations. Remove the tacks, turn the raw edge over toward the center and baste it down. Arrange the curled hair and wool, or whatever you propose to use for stuffing, and keep it in position by basting over it a piece of muslin. Then carefully fit the rep, pin it in different places until you are certain it is in perfect shape, and tack it permanently—following, of course, the tracing made for the cane. Cover the edge with galloon to match the rep, using tiny ornamental tacks, and tie in as many places as is desirable with an upholsterer’s needle, leaving a button on the upper side. When the back of the chair is to be repaired, a facing must be tacked on the outside. _