Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 October 1895 — FARM AND GARDEN. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARM AND GARDEN.

BRIEF HINTS AS TO THEIR SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT. •* A Comfortable Seat Designed to Be Attached to AKricaitnral Impke-menta-£onvenient Crate# for Handling Frnita and Vegetables. Crates for Fruits and Vegetables. Crates that are indispensable are each year coming more and more in demand, for either handling, storing or shipping. Barrels cause harsh treatment, and are not convenient for rapid work where a delicate touch is required, while crates present a more shallow depth and larger open surface. As they

can be piled on each other, quantities of crates occupy no more space than barrels and frequently not as much. A crate is easily handled by two persons, and allows air to circulate freely between its contents (doing away with the need of bins, barrels, etc., through which air cannot readily pass), and the essential requirement of sweating is obtained. The crates may be piled one above another in the cellar or storehouse and the fruit moved from on® place to another with great ease. Make crates to fit into the wagon box, and an astonishing quantity of stuff can be handled at a load. But these rectangu-

lar crates will not “nest” into each other so well as when made in the shape suggested in Fig. 1, which is a decided advantage. These can be made larger and .with handies, or handles put on the usual form (Fig. 2), for quick carrying short distances. Handles may be rigged with hooks so as to be instantly removable instead of being attached to the crate.—American Agriculturist. Bursting of Cabbage. The bursting of growing cabbage may very easily be prevented by selecting the heads which show signs of bursting, and starting the roots by pulling or cutting off some of the root with a hoe. The pulling process is preferable. Putting both hands under the head, says the National Stockman, pull until many of the roots are loosened and the plant is pushed over to owe side. This treatment effectually stops the bursting, and not only that, but the cabbage continues to grow lustily; but I have the gratification of seeing heads thus treated grow to double the former size and weight, and all due to this starting the roots, which checked the growth enough to prevent bursting, but not enough to hinder further development There Is no excuse for allowing cabbage to burst when so effectual means are at hand to prevent it

Making the Dairy Hold Ita Own. Two things must be done, and ther we can hold our own a good deal bet ter. Leas cows and a great deal bettei ones, says an exchange; more feed, and feed that costs us a great deal less ■ to produce and more desirable for the use to which it iS to be put, and making our produce a great deal finer, with cargoes less of stuff that is not actually worth the freight; and last, wiping out the dairy frauds that are undermining legitimate dairy produce, making bogus butter and filled cheese stand on its own tub, and the tub painted so red that there can be no mistake in Its being sold for what it is; and these things looked after, the dairy, even if lower prices do come to abide with us, will still be on a sure and paying foundation. A Swinging Seat. The Scientific American illustrates the seat here described. It is intended to remove the discomfort to the rider that comes from the motion of the machine and the inequalities of the ground. It may be adjusted to suit riders of different weights. The cut shows how the device is arranged. A hoop or bow spring is mounted on either the front or the rear axle, and through it passes a beam supporting the seat on a spring shank at its rear end. The forward end of the beam passes through a sleeve on the tongue or the reach. By means of a set screw or pin the sleeve is adjusted to suit tho weight of the rider. The arrangement of the parts gives plenty of elasticity

on even rough ground, the seat remaining level and comparatively unaffected by the motion of the machine. Small Farms. An interesting experiment in turning large farms into small holdings, which may help to solve the agricultural problem in England, was recently completed in Dorsetshire, according to the English Magazine. Sir Robert Edgecomb seven years ago bought a farm of three hundred and forty-three acres, spent money in building roads and wells, divided it up into twenty-five holdings of from two to thirty-three acres, and offered them for sale, payment to be made in ten equal annual instalments. Purchasers were readily found of aH trades and classes, eight only being agricultural laborers; and all the instalments, with light exceptions, have already been paid off. Instead of a farmer and three laborers, there are now twenty-five families of seventy-five persons on the land, which has increased in value from £l7O to £313 a year. Got Rid of Wild Oats. Wild oats are a great nuisance in many sections. To get rid of them on stubble fields, plow the land as soon as the small grains have been removed. The seed already shed will germinate, and the young plants can be killed by a

second plowing, or by running ever the field with a corn cultivator or disk harrow. If the oats occur on sod land, break the ground in June or July, and prevent any maturing of seed by stirring the soil. The weather so far this season has been moist thus causing the seeds to germinate quickly, and making it possible to get rid of them soon. Feeding Hens. It is not a good plah to keep food before a flock of hens all the time. If this is done they will get fat and lazy,' and not take enough exercise to keep them in laying condition. It is the best plan to have a fixed time for feeding fowls, especially at night and not feed them at irregular intervals. If they are fed about the same time every evening they will soon know when to come for it and will be content until that time. If feed is thrown to them at all sorts of times they will come rushing around you as soon as you make your appearance, and a good many of them will stay close to the house all day in expectation of being fed. The best way to feed hens in the summer is to feed them In the morning, and again just at night, and not give them anything to eat between times. If kept confined they will be fed at noon, of course. A Distrusting Practice. Any one who uses a stale egg for a nest-egg takes a very great risk compared with the advantage gained, if any advantage is known, for the reputation of a very careful person may be damaged for a slight mistake. To sacrifice a reputation for the sake of using a stole egg for the nest, instead of an artificial egg, is mistaken economy. Stale eggs have done more to keep down prices of eggs than all other causes, as they will turn up when least expected in the lot

- Lime on Grass Land. Lime may be applied advantageously on grass land in the fall, says the Country Gentleman. If the land is already full of vegetable matter, it is probable that the lime will do great good. Forty bushels was considered a fair dressing in former years, but now ten to twelve bushels per acre is considered the most economical application. Buy stone or unslacked lime, place it in small piles of about five bushels each at regular intervals ever the field and cover slightly with earth, allowing the rain and the moisture which rises below to slack It A Melon Carrier. A little device made of wire with a wooden handle, which some city deal- 1 ' ers supply their customers for carrying home melons, is especially convenient Country people can make one with material at hand which is equally effective and costs next to nothing. The one shown In the illustration may be taken as a model. It consists simply of a

piece of ordinary wire, which can be of any medium size, but is better if not very large. This is cut the desired length and run through the pith pf a corncob, which, when the whole is completed, forms the handle. After the wire is passed through the cob turn the ends above to form loops as shown in the cut Slip these over the melon, draw them tight and a very handy melon carrier is the result To Prevent Rust on Tools. A Canadian recipe for the preservation of tools from rusting is as follows: Dissolve half-ounce of camphor In one pound of melted lard; take off the scum, and mix in as much black lead (graphite) as will give it an iron color. Smear the tools with this mixture, and after twenty-four hours, rub clean with a soft linen cloth. Another coating is made by mixing slowly six ounces of lard to ten ounces of resin, and stirring till cool. When semi-fluid, it is ready for use. Effect of Climate on Corn. E. L. Sturtevant, in his notes on maize, says that the common belief that a northern climate increases earliness and decreases size is not borne out by his observations, and the idea that we must go North for seed is untenable, except that in the North are found only varieties maturing within certain periods. He thinks earlier com must be sought by finding earlier varieties, whether in the North or South. Apples that Go to Waste. Professor Maynard says: “Many thousand bushels of apples go to waste which, if taken in time, fnight be dried with profit, or could be profitably fed to stock. Analysis shows a food value in apples for cows and horses of from ten to twenty cents per bushel. Aside from this food value, the fact that the insects in such fruit are destroyed In such using makes It of great importance.”

Stock Gotea. Hold fast to your mutton sheep. A good sheep is a good friend to the farmer. Do not abuse him, even though he is not on top just now. No farmer can afford to be without hogs, but they should be good ones. If the hog house Is kept clean it is necessary to have an outside pen for the manure. The Butchers’ Journal advises 200 to 250 pound hogs, giving hams weighing ten to fifteen pounds. New York farmers estimate leaves highly as bedding material, and the manurlal value alone is placed at $2 a ton. A writer says that the time will most surely come when it will be impossible to sell at remunerative prices an animal having merely the name of sheep, and no quality. One who has been looking up statistics says the exportation of horses for the flsoal year just ended was far in excess of any previous year in the history of the country *

FIG. 1. " NESTING” CRATES.

FIG. 2. CRATE WITH HANDLES.

A SWINGING SEAT.

HANDY MELON CARRIER.