Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 September 1891 — HOME AND THE FARM. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HOME AND THE FARM.

A DEPARTMENT MADE UP FOR OUR RURAL FRIENDS. Abo at Being Practical—A Cart for Driving Fosta—Some Live Stock Don’t#—How to Make a Cheap Milk Tester— Pointer. Concerning Poultry Household and Kitchen. Farms and Farmers.

HANY farmers have a great deal to say about advice being practical. Cail their u attention to’someX thing in an agri- \ cultural journal 1 which, may be, you think is of 1 real value, and J often they will \Jk turn up their noses at it and wp say “It isn’t practical.” I n consequence of so much use being jr made of this word Jt one would naturJ ally think that

the general average of farmers are among the most practical men in the world. On the contrary, we believe, measured by good business standards, that no calling furnishes more unpractical men than farming. Practical means doing things in the best manner and according to the best profit. To be “practical'’ calls for the putting in practice of sound theories and the use of the most intelligent methods. Is the practice of our Western farmers in wasting the fertility of the soil or in the breeding of their farm animals really and squarely practical? Take the dairy farmers of any State In the North. Can we believe that the majority of them are governed by sound practical ideas concerning cows when the average yield of milk per cow is only 3,000 pounds a year? If a man is really practical will he not set to work In dead earnest to milk and feed apractical cow? Can men be called practical who have kept a herd of twenty or forty cows for years and yet have never taken pains to know by a simple test which cows were not paying their keep? Would a practical manufacturer allow himself to remain in very expensive ignorance for years concerning some machine, and never show energy sufficient to test it to see if it is not running him in debt? Think of a dairy farmer who pretends to do business for profit; who sneers at the agricultural papers because they are not practical, going along year after year with half the cows in his heard absolutely not paying for the food they eat at market prices. Men who talk so much about other men being practical should first establish clear, well defined standards of what is practical. The fact is, what is practical with one man may not be with another. Every man gives to himself or to others, according to the size of his measure. Intelligent men put into practice intelligent methods, and they make money by them. Such methods would not be practical for men who don’t understand their business Well enough to execute them. But the fault is not in the methods but In the men. The method may be highly practical but the farmer unable, either for lack of means or comprehension, to put In practice. A good definition of the word practical is that which conduces to profit. If a course of action proves unprofitable through any fault of ours, then it is not practical. Except it may be once In a great while, we learn from it our own deficiences. It is well to remember that It Is never “practical” to measure modern agriculture by obsolete Ideas. The farms of to-day carry more or less machinery. As a rule it is rather poorly cared for. A good farmer who has a good idea about machinery carries with him constantly a strong advantage over his more careless neighbor. One of the most frequent difficulties in the working of power machinery is the accumulation of dirt and gum in the bearings and journals, caused by the use of fat oils fcr lubrication and infrequent cleaning. The American Engineer gives the following directions for cleaning which are worth remembering; “For each l,odo parts by weight of water, take about ten or fifteen parts by weight of caustic soda or 100 parts ordinary soda. Let the solution boil and enter the parts to be cleansed; either boil them in this lye or let them steep in it for some time. All the dirt and resin is completely dissolved thereby, and it remains only to rinse and dry the parts. The action of the lye is such that It enters into combination with the oil and forms soap, which is readily soluble in water. In order to prevent the hardening of the lubricant on the machinery parts, it is only necessary to add about one-third kerosene. An occasional lubrication with kerosene alone is to be recommended.”— lnter-Ocean.

A Driving Cart. Those who have used a wagon to drive posts In and have found it Inconvenient should carefully examine the post driving cart which is shown. Take a common low wheel cart and remove the sides and ends and and on the floor that is left, build a stout chest on which you can stand and drive posts, which are held erect by two steel arms that are firmly secured to the side ot the cart. These arms are constructed as shown in A. Hinge a door to the rear end of the chest,

as yon will desire to carry your ax, space, sledge, wire, stretcher and hammer with you. On the side of the chest nail a small box of two compartments, one for nails and two for staples. On the side of the cart can be carried a few boards and posts. Of course this only for repairing, and if a man repairs twice a year It will not take long and but few posts and boards will have to be taken along. But if the fence is old and wants much repairing load your wagon with posts and boards and string them out where wanted, letting your man follow with the cart Then the team can be taken to the house and put to work. By so doing a man and a team is gained, for with this cart one man can do as much and do it as well as two men with a team with a load of material.—M. LaF. Haney, in Farm and Home.