Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 June 1894 — DOMESTIC ECONOMY. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DOMESTIC ECONOMY.

TOPICS OF INTEREST TO FARMER AND HOUSEWIFE. Bow to Oonitrnet ■ CoßTenlent Bee Hive— Summer Care of Iloreee A (.arden Marker—Serviceable Chicken Coup—Farm and Household No tea. The Simplicity Dank*troth Hire. Some twenty years ago I owned my first colony of bees. ~I was then attacked with a severe spell of the bee fever, which left my mind fertile for invention. My first swarm was placed in a Buckeye hive. Imagine me hauling the entire inside of this hive out, bees and all, every day or two to see whether my bees were aoing well, or perhaps to obtain a glimpse of her majesty, the queen. My improvements consisted in constructing a hive with a double deck. My frames instead of resting on a monster moth trap for a foundation, as the frame of the Bu keye, slid into my hive upon strips nailed on the sides of the hive a proper distance from the bottom board. The upper story was serarated from the lower story or brood chamber by an inch board with holes in it, for the bees to pass through. The honey boxes were much like a cigar box in form.

This hive being an infringement upon many other hives, I failed to get a patent. From reading, observing and experimenting for twenty years, I believe that the beginner who does not adopt what is known as the Simplicity Langstroth hive makes a grave mistake. This hive is too well known to require more than a brief descript on. It may be constructed by making the hive like a box, by rabbeting the corners, or ny dovetailing them, the latter way being preferable. Lumber should bo seasoned, dressed on both sides and i in. thick. The hive with 8 brood frames is my favorite; many prefer 10 frames. The 8-frame hive when putjtogether is 20 In. long and 13} in. wide outside measure. The depth is 9} in. Hand-holes are made in the ends an Inch from the top The ends are rabbeted inside at the top clear across to the depth

of i In. and far enough back to receive the top bar of the frames, which are 19 io. long. The Langstroth frame outside measure is 17$ by 9$ in. The top of the hive is level, allowing the Moore case, or the famous T super, to be placed on the top. The cover is a board, a little larger taan the top of the hive, cleated to keep it from warping. The bottom board is the width of the hive and 2 In. longer. This board with cleats 2 in. wide nailed on each end forms an excellent base for the hive to set on, the 2 in. extra forms the alighting board. When using this hive for comb honey, I use the breakjoint honey board. No beehive made contains more points of interest.—J. F. Michael, in Farm and Home. A Garden Marker. The vegetable garden, and in fact all growing crops, should at all times be laid out with a system. To a successful gardener, every break in the straightness of a row of growing crops, especially garden crops, is of-

fensive to the eye. The cut shows a marker that may be easily made by any gardener of ingenuity. Take one inch boards, cut to a circle and bevel the edges. The,wheels revolve on an iron lod, and are held at the desired distance by pieces of 4x4 inch scantling, through the center of each, lengthwise, is bored a hole of corresponding size. A handle fastened to the centerpiece and braced by iron rods completes the toot _____ Keeping Hillsides in Sod. On tillable, sidehill land there Is usually a heavy loss every time the land is newly plowed, as the rain qf even a moderate shower is not absorbed as fast as it falls, but by its own gravity rushes down the hillside carrying with it much of the surface soil, and if the soil be soft, often deep gutters are formed. If such slopes were well seeded to timothy or clover, but little Injury would result, and if properly managed a timothy sod may be kept in good condition on sidehill pasture land for many years. L’sually the soil in such places is naturally thin, hence previous to plowing apply fertilizer in some form, preferably well rotted barnyard manu e. This will keep the timothy in good health for many years. Should any portion become thin, let

the whole grow to a Ijclght of six or eight inches, when either commarcial fertilisers or well rotted manure can be applied to the thin portions. Thus guarded, even heavy rains will not carry much fertility away, but cause it to lodge against and become absorbed by the growing plants. Hillsides should never be pastured very closely. Dry Goodi Box Chicken Coop. The illustration herewith shows how dry goods boxes have, for a number of seasons, been adopted by a correspondent of the American Agriculturist for use as chicken

coops. The box is placed in its natural position, one side being made higher by a single board. This provides for a sloping roof, the central portion of which is hinged as a door tc give access to the interior of the coop The space left open at the ends is slatted to keep out Intruders, and to give good ventilation to the coops in warm weather. Sutnturr Care of Hone*. There are several things which a horse needs in abundance in order to maintain perfect condition. Among them are air, light, exercise, pure water, and the right kinds of food. Let him lack for any one of these, and he will not long remain at his very best. During the busy season it sometimes happens that a farmer finds It almost Impossible not to overwork hls horses a little. This Is to be avoided If possible, but, it not, as soon as the opportunity comes pull off their shoes and turn them out for a fortnight's run upon good grass. Keep him comfortable hv providing good shelter where he may hide from the sun during the hottest part of the day, and supply him with a little grain. If he is at all off his feed be very careful as to the quantity of this, increasing it gradually, and getting him back to full grain feed before he returns to work, lor farm work it pays to have horses which are naturally good workers. Perhaps this is more desirable than any other| one quality. Those who have n«.ver tried may not know how much more work can be performed by a fast walking team than by a slow one. Take extra good care of the horses during tbe working season. Sponge the shoulders and other points where the harness bears whenever the horse has been used enough to sweat at all. When ai> work give them water in the middle of the forenoon and afternoon as well as at feeding time. The horses need shade in the pasture in summer, and if there are not convenient trees a rough shed should be built into which thev can go to escape tbe burning sun at midday. It the hornfly comes around or if other flies are troublesome, either keep them in tbe stable during the day or put on something to keep away the flies. Almost any kind ot grease will do this, but It will be better If a little carbolic acid is put withit.—Wisconsin Agriculturist

Harrowing Ont the Weed*. Don’t forget to harrow the potato field. The best horrow for this work Is the smoothing harrow. It mellows the soil, but does not cut the sprouts. Two or three harrowings may be jflven before the sprouts break through the surface. When the potatoes are up the harrow should be stopped, as the sprouts are very brittle and will break off easily. The harrowings not only mellow the soil, but kill thousands of weeds Just sprouting—and this is the time to kill wends, just when they are starting into growth. When the rows of potatoes can be seen, run the cultivator through the rows, once in each row. To do this to advantage widen the cultivator to its full width, take off the cultivator teeth and put on the harrow teeth. Now attach the horse and run through each row but once. This will stir tho entire sol), and do more good than running twice in each row. The editor follows this plan of working hls potatoes, corn, and vegetables. . He finds that tbe oftener he can stir the soli the better it is for the growing crop The motto should be, cultivate often, keep the soil mellow, and allow no weeds to grow. Farm Note*. It requires time to convert substances Into plant food, but fertilizers are readily soluble and give almost immediate results on nearly all cropa It is stated that forty-four out of every one hundred persons In the United States are agriculturists; tlfty-six in Canada, forty-eight in France, seventeen in Germany, and seven in England. A distinguished fruit grower, in an address before the agricultural students of the Ohio State University, gave it as hls opinion that you can sell 5,000 bushels of pears of one kind more easily than you can dispose of one load of mixed varieties. A stockman says that sulphur should always be kept in handy reach of the sheep bouse. It is a preventive of many ills. A few pieces of roll brimstone should be always found in the horse and cow troughs Insects and vermon do not like sulphur. If a team pulls uneavenly the trouble may be remedied by unhitching tbe inside traces and crossing them so as io have tbesame horse attached to tbe same end of each swingletree. One case is kndwn where many a heavy load has been pulled by adopting this expedient The value of a garden does not depend on what the crops may bring on the market but upon how much such vegetables would cost for a family it they were bought The best market for garden crops is at home, on the farmer’s tabic. The farmer who will buy his vegetables and small fruit when be can raise tbem pays twice as much for his luxuries as he should.

A GARDEN MARKET.

SERVICEABLE CHICKEN COOP.