Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 March 1892 — REAL RURAL READING [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

REAL RURAL READING

WILL BE FOUND IN THIS DEpARTMgN^. Bow to Hake* s Good Arch for Maple Sugar—A Convenient Door Combination— The Cattle Industry—Make a (food Garden, Etc. A Good Arch for Maple Sugar.

/"r\HE first essential Is to locate it near a stream, that water may be always handy for washing and lA\a rins i n & Pans, J iV? tubs, etc. Next il a foundation on L-j natural bed rock, T a or laid in a trench t, .dr below frost acjY tion. The pit |\Jv must be deep j/k enough so the ashes can fall WJ&W* through for good draft Entrance to the chimney

from the pit should not be at the pit bottom and all the way to its top, hut from the top of the pit only, so the draft will carry the flame always along the bottom of the pan or evaporator. If cold air can pass between the flamfe and pan bottom more or less heat will be lost and wood wasted. Make the top of the arch exactly level and even, so the pan will fit closely and sap be of even depth all over its surface. A course or two of brick will be found handy here, but flat stones will do. Arch and chimney should be closely mortared to insure good draft and economize heat. Of course bought grate and other things are handy, including the cast-iron arch, but superior maple sugar can be made without these things. A Door Combination. One of the most convenient things on my farm is a stable door and its attachments. Frequently 1 want to leave it open six inches nights to create a draft for the comfort of the horses. To leave it open wide wouxd endanger them because of roving stock. A 6trap securely fastened inside has a slot cut in it. This is slipped instantly over the head of a screw on the outside of the door and nothing can open it until the strap is lifted and pulled. If on driving up I desire to tie a horse a moment or to fasten one while rubbing him down, this strap is supplied with a snap. Placing it on the bit and buttoning the door he is secure and cannot rub his bridle nor gnaw, as at a fence or post, as he is at right angles to a flat surface. The button is a home-made

treasure and time saver. It is made of well-seasoned white oak, is the shape shown and seven inches long. The right enclis the heavier an" Ties on another screw head. It turns loosely on its pivot The upper part of the left end is beveled. When one desires to open or close the door the button is merely tilted, the door passes its beveled corner and it falls kt once into a horizontal position again.—L. J. Simpson, in Farm and Home. Affricui. ural Noted. Scald your hog just as soon as it is done bleeding. Keep the stables clean and let the horses and cows have a good bed. Improve the roads, lessen the fences, save the manure. How many acres do the fences on your farm waste? How is the road along your farm? Can it be'improved? How? Potatoes are best kept in a cool place—just above freezing is a good temperature. Poor roads are the heaviest tax most farmers bear. Reduce the tax by improving the roads. Good roads, clean culture and a few fences will help on the day when farming will be more profitable. How did you find the school the last time you visited it? Any improvement since you were there before? What did your fence corners produce last year? Are they going to be used the same way the coming season? Did you ever figure on the amount of corn you could raise on the land used in fences and the waste land they make? Sow clover and you will not only get the finest hay that is ever fed to animal, but you will enrich your ground at the same time.