Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 January 1878 — AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC. [ARTICLE]

AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC.

Around the Farm. The best way to protect the bark of trees from mice, rabbits or farm stock, is to tie a small bundle of dead branches around the part to be protected.—Gardener'B Chronicle. I have used oils and fats for the preservation of eggs with considerable success, and find that oils or thin fats are immensely inferior to solid fats or waxes —a fact, I believe, which is very often overlooked.— Mark Lane Express. Typhoid fever is now regarded by our best physicians as a filth fever, and in many cases the immediate cause is to be found in the access of filth to the well or spring from which the water is obtained for domestic purposes.— Western Farm Journal. In three pens, three hogs, each nearly full grown, and abont equal in weight and thriftiness, were fed four months as follows: One pen, soaked com; one pen, cooked corn-meal; one pen, dry com. At the close of the experiment, those fed on dry com had made the most weight.— Producer. Experience has proved that plowing in the fall is one of the most effective as well as one of the quickest and easiest methods of fining the soil, and that land which was plowed in the fall can be worked earlier in the spring, and more easily during the season than will be possible if the plowing is neglected We have tried this plan and found it to work so well as to merit acceptance as one of the “principles” of agricultural practice.” — N. E. Homestead. Talking about cutting potato seed, a member qf the Elmira Farmers’ Club says : “Asa rale, it is economy to cut the seed, and cut it small. I took two bushels and twelve pounds and cut to single eyes. They planted half an acre in rows, three feet apart, eighteen inches between the hills, l marked the ground with a plow, dropped the seed in the furrow, and plowed a furrow ever for covering, bo that there should be fair comparison with large seed put in by the same method. I wanted no coaxing nor playiDg with fancy seed. In the fall I plowed out and sold 103 bushels from the half acre, and what were not plowed out of course I did not get. I planted fourteen rods of early rose, the seed cut to single eyes and one piece in the hill. From the piece I dug thirty bushels of good-sized potatoes.

Bones are fed to fowls iu two forms—in either a fresh or a calcined state. The former method is much tlie better, as the bones are rich in both organic and inorganic matter, just as they were in the frame-work of the animal from which they were taken. In this condition they are easily and quickly taken up by the secretive organs and appropriated to supply the wastes and wants of the system. Burned or calcined bones are freed from all organic matter, and there remain only the ashes of the bones, which are chiefly lime (phosphate and carbonate), and consequently inferior to fresh bone. The only objection to.fresh bones is the difficulty of keeping them fresh. The best and most satisfactory substitute is burnt bones. The water is removed by the heat, leaving the lime in a dry and crisp state easily crushed.— Exchange. We find lining the shell a thin skin, which, when kept in healthy condition by the albumen of the egg, is impervious to air; but, if the eggs remain too long in oue position, the yelk, being heavier than the albumen, gradually sinks through it, and comes in contact with the skin. As it has none of the qualities requisite for keeping the skin lubricated and healthy, the skin soon becomes dry and pervious to air, which penetrates it to the yelk, causing the mass to rot. Therefore the true plan is to keep the yelk in its central position. By doing this, the egg can be preserved for a long time. My plan for accomplishing this is to take a keg or barrel, and pack the eggs on their sides, end to end, layiug a tier first around next to the staves, so continuing until a layer is made, and so on till the barrel is full. Use oats for packing; jar them down as much as is required to keep them firmly in their places, and head up the barrel ready for market. By rolling the barrel about a quarter around every few days, the yelks of the eggs will be kept as required. Cor. American Stock Journal.

About the House. To Whiten a Red Nose.— Stop using salt, the cause of erysipelas. Dressing for Cold Slaw. —To the well-beaten yelk of one egg add a little milk, two or three table-spoonfuls of vinegar, a small piece of butter ; stir it over the fire until it comes to a boil. Bread Sauce. —Pour boiling milk on a slice of bread without crust, then beat it fine and add a little salt and whole pepper-corns; serve it hot, in a sauce tureen. To Keep juice of a Pie from Boiling Over. —Wet the edges of both crusts; press tightly together; stick a fork several times through the upper crust to allow the steam to escape. How to Cure Bunions. —Tallow dropped from a lighted candle on the affected part will eradicate the heat and finally remove the bunion. A strip of candle should also be wound around the corn. Bandage at night. To Pickle Peaches. —Take as much vinegar as will cover the quantity of peaches you have. After it "has boiled sufficiently sweeten it to your taste, put in your spices, cloves, cinnamon, or mace. Boil together, for a little while, then put in your peaches (peeled, or with the skins on, as you prefer). Boil for fifteen miuutes, or until they are tender. Take them out, and boil the vinegar down until it is strong enough to keep them. Keep in a cool place. Pork Cake. —One pound pork, chopped fine ; add one pint of hot water to dissolve it; let it cool; then add two cupfuls sugar, two pounds raisins, stoned and chopped; one pound of currants, half pound of citron, cut fine; one tableSpoonful of spices—cloves, allspice, cinnamon, mace—one nutmeg, one pound of flour, and two teaspoonfuls of soda. This makes a nice large cake. Bake in a slow oven four hours. Mushroom Sauce.— One half-pint of button mushrooms, one half-pint of good beef gravy, one table-spoonful of mushroom catchup, thickening of butter and floor; put the gravy iuto a saucepan, thicken it, and stir over the fire until it boils ; prepare mushrooms by cutting off the stalks and wiping them free from grit and dirt; put then into the gravy, and let them simmer very gently about ten minutes; then add catchup and serve. To Cleanse White Ribbon. —Dissolve, by means of gentle heat, one tablespoonful strained honey; one tablespoonful shavings of good common soap in one-half teacupful pure alcohol; spread ribbon smoothly on clean board; rub the mixture on both sides with a piece of white flannel until the stains disappear; rinse thoroughly in cold water, changing it ofton, blueing the last; do not wring, but strip repeatedly through the fingers; iron 'while wet between two cloths; if carefully done, only the natural stiffness will be retained; colors can be treated in same manner without injury.