Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 September 1877 — AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC. [ARTICLE]

AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC.

Around the Farm. - The Nails in Shoes. — A horse-shoe will hold much longer if the clenches are not weakened by the file in finishing. Insist that the file does not touch the end of the nail where turned down. — Exchange. Careless Use of Poison. —An English farmer recently washed a pair of his horses with sheep dip, in order to clear them of vermin. The horses licked the poisonous material and died shortly afterward. Work fob Brood Mares. —Slow, gentle farm work is not injurious to brood mares up to within two or three days of their time. The exercise for them is better than being confined in box stalls. Western Rural. The Uses of Sweet Corn. —lt has grown to be common sense to make extra large plantings of sweet corn for family use. Then there will be some to sell green if anybody has a mind, and plenty of fodder left over for the cow and pig. Dried sweet corn makes a very fair winter chioken-feed too.—Springfield Union. Natural Manner of Feeding. —ln a state of nature the horse feeds almost entirely on grasses, and his teeth are entirely unsuited for masticating whole grains. The grain with which he is fed should be previously cracked, crushed or ground, else much of it will find its way into the stomach whole, and yield little or no nourishment. — Agricultural Journal. Wounds Quickly Dressed. —I have just cut my foot with an ax for the fourth time XiJl IUJ life, aud jrrri. T lmvo ur 1« an hour’s work. The secret is in doing up the wound. I close up the wound in the blood, as soon as possible, by winding flax or tow around the part cut; I fill that with copal varnish, and in eight days undo the bandage and find the flesh as sound as ever.— Correspondence Exchange. To Take Rust Out of Steel— ls possible, place the article in a bowl containing kerosene oil, or wrap the steel up in a soft cloth well saturated with kerosene; let it remain twenty-four hours or longer; then scour the rusty spots with brickdust; if badly rusted, use salt wet with hot vinegar; after scouring, rinse even? particle of brick-dust or salt off with boiling water; dry thoroughly with flannel cloths, and place near the fire to make sure; then polish off with a clean flannel cloth and a little sweet oil.— Sacramento Record- Union. Catchino Hawks. —I beg leave to present a plan for entrapping hawks, which scarcely ever fails to secure the marauder where the proper conditions appear. Whenever you happen to frighten a hawk before it has finished its meal from a chicken it has caught, remove the remainder of the fowl, and place in its stead a good steel trap, covering nicely with the feathers that are generally scattered around in such cases, and in the course of an hour or two the hawk will almost invariably return and “get his foot in it.”— Cor. Ohio Farmer. To Get Rid of the Cabbage Worm.— The cabbage worm, pieris rapee, is pretty plentiful just now around Toronto, in its winged form. It is of a pale yellow color with some black. The best remedy we know is hot water applied out of a watering can. A little experience will tell you how much the plants will stand without injury. It will' be more than the worms can. Of course Paris green must not be used on anything of which the above-ground part is eaten. —Toronto Globe. Culture of Rhubarb, or Pie Plant. —All that is necessary is to dig deep holes and fill in with rich soil, wood mold and well-rotted compost, working it well together, and setting roots so the crown will be six inches below the surface; pile on each fall plenty of such compost. A good plan is to have frames around each plant, say two feet square and a foot high, and in the fall fill these with rotted compost; as the rhubarb grows up through this in the spring the stalks will be long and brittle and fine for market. There is no better sort than Myatt’s Linnaeus rhubarb. —Fruit Recorder.

To Save Corn from the Crows. — When I am shelling my seed corn I shell off the small end of the ear in a vessel by itself, as I do not plant that part of the ear. When I am ready to plant I put whatever quantity I may nave of this refuse com in a vessel to soak. When I have finished planting, I throw this com in two or three spots in my field of planted com. Whenever I have done this at the time I mention, I have never had a hill of com pulled up by the crows. But when I have neglected it until my com was up, they would continue to pull it if I did not give them soaked com. I have often seen other birds as well as crows come to get the soaked com until they would form a path around the heap. —Correspondence Ohio Farmer.

ATm>ut the House. Brittle Finger Nails. —ls you wish to cure brittle finger nails, oil or grease them a little just before going to bed, and after every washing of the hands.— Western Rural. Baked Apples. —Pare and qualter and lay them in a skillet; sprinkle each layer with sugar, small pieces of butter and grated nutmeg; set in the oven and bake. I think this much nicer than stewing. Floor Paint. —For durable and cheap paint for house-floors, dissolve one ounce of glue in a quart of warm water and thicken it with paint. After putting this on, go over it with a coat of boiled linseed oil. It will be dry and ready for use in two hours.— Southern Farmer. Dried Corn. —In drying my sweet com, I never scald it, but cut it from the cob when it will barely do for cooking, and dry as quickly as possible. Then when I use it in winter I do not boil it but let it soak on the back of the stove. A Danger of the Laundry. —ln hanging out clothes, never let those that do the washing hang out the clothes, for while they are at the tub they get warm and heated, and especially in winter or windy weather it is very injurious to go out while heated. Many cases of consumption undoubtedly are brought on in this way.— Economist. Putting On Coal. —Wood has many advantages over coal for small fires in an up-stairs room, as it can be carried more readily, and causes little dirt and almost no ashes, while the noise of feeding the fire is avoided. The latter evil may be remedied, however, by putting the coal on in paper bags such as are used by all grocers. — Housekeeper. Wild Plum Jam. —Take plums, those that are nice and ripe; wash and put in a porcelain kettle with plenty of water, as that takes out the sourness; boil until bursting; then throw away the water. When cool rub through a sieve; then to each bowlful of pulp add one and onehalf bowlfuls of sugar. Boil and stir constantly until done. A Summer Hint.— Housekeepers can save themselves considerable heating labor in bummer by rising early and cooking the three meals for the day before 9 o’clock. Boiled ham, pies, puddings, tarts, stewed berries, end fruit, placed where they will keep cool till meal time, make an agreeable variety and save the necessity for so much work over a hot Are at noon and night on warm days.— Exchange. To Cleanse Chbomos. —When chormos require cleaning remove all dust with a feather brush, and wipe carefully with a soft chamois skin or fine linen cloth, very slightly dampened. If a little spotted or dull, a drop of oil on the chamois will remove the blemish. If the varnish is dull op robbed off, re-varnish

with thin mastic varnish. Like oil paintings, it is not desirable to hang chromos in a dark room; bnt never expose them to the direct rajs of the sun. — Economist. Paint fob Kitchen Wauls.—Paint on the walls of a kitchen is much better than calcimine, whitewash or paper, since it does not absorb odors or peel off, and can be quickly and perfwitly cleaned. Any woman who can whitewash can paint her own kitchen. It needs first to be washed with soapsuds, then covered with a coat of dissolved glue, and then with paints. A broad, flat brush does the work quickly. —Ohio Farmer.