Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 July 1879 — FARM NOTES. [ARTICLE]

FARM NOTES.

The cow which can manufacture the most food into the best milk is the best cow. The Holstein cow is neither nervous nor excitable, and is esteemed for her easy keeping qualities. Those who would enjoy beets in their perfection should keep up a succession of the Egyptian, to use while they are still young. Thinnings of these and of' the late crop make an excellent substitute for spinach. All plants are benefited by having the ground stirred around them.—there is no exception to the rule. The use of the hoe, or some similar implement, is generally the easiest mode of keeping the gronnd free from weeds or grass.— Bennie. Asparagus must be allowed time to grow its foliage, and prepare the nourishment for next year's crop. From not understanding this, maay exhaust their beds by cutting too late. The old rule to stop when green peas come is a good one. When cutting ceases, let the tops grow; their shade will keep down the small weeds, and the few large ones that may appear are to be pulled by hand. In curing clover-hay our own plan is to start the machines in the afternoon and keep cutting until dark. Dew or rain will not hurt grass while it is green. The next morning, after the dew is off, rake the partially-dried grass into small windrows after dinner, and toward night rake into large windrows and put into cock. Turn or spread out the cocks the next morning, and draw in the hay in ihe afternoon. —Des Moines Register. To kill the peach-tree borer, ute fish brine diluted with an equal quantity of water—a pint around each tree in spring and fall. For very small trees use less. Excessive watering is bad for geraniums, and will cause tbe leaves to turn yellow and fall off. Water Well, but not too often. If the pots stand in saucers the water must not be allowed to stand in them, for plants, like persons, cannot be healthy with wet feet.— Rennie.

Milk is undoubtedly improved by aeration. If applied t-*e surrounding atmosphere should be sweet and free from offensive odors. Milk aerated in tbe atmosphere loaded with the emanations of putrid matter—vegetable or animal—would be likely to absorb odors, and hence caution should be taken that the aeratiou be Dot made in tbe stable or other places where the air is tainted with disagreeable odors. There have been a number of devices for aerating the milk, but perhaps the simplest aud most easily applied is Bussey’s deodorizm f strainer and cooler. It is simply a strainer pail raised two feet above the can, and so arrauged that the milk falls into a spray into the can. Willard's Butter Book. Have a distinct understanding with the hired help—both those on the farm and those in the house —as to term of service, amount of wages, time of payment, hours of labor, and the usual duties to be performed, so far as they can be outlined. Leave nothing unsaid or undone at the beginning of the season that may lead to misunderstandings, hard feelings, or the breaking of contracts when in the midst of hard work. In bargaining with them, do not ask of help to promise things that you know to be over-exacting. Demand a full day’s work every time, and pay for that work promptly at the time specified in your agreement. Give help good tools, and exact good usage and care of them. Instruct men who handle teams, or who have charge in any way of the domestic animals of the farm, to treat them with kindness, feed them properly, and care for them as if their own property; and discharge those who disobey such instructions, for they are costing you money they do not earn. Cruelty to animals is an expensive indulgence. Impress upon hired men, and upon your own sons, the importance of thoroughness in their work. It is not alone how much they accomplish, but how perfectly it is done as well. Slighted crops give slight returns. Set a good table for farm hands. It is not cake, pies, and sauces, but good bread, a variety of meats, and plenty of vegetables and fruit that they crave, and they constitute the most healthful and strengthening diet.