Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 January 1896 — REAL RURAL READING [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

REAL RURAL READING

WILL BE FOUND IN THIS DEPARTMENT. The Farm ae an Investment Brings Better Returns than Many Business Transactions—A Serviceable Hoisting Device—Farm Notes. A Hoisting Device. The accompanying illustration represents a simple device which is of great service when butchering. The uprights a and b are 4x4’s, or ordinary post Unifier 10 to 12 feet long. They are set into the ground two or three feet, five feet apart. To the tops of these fasten e f with bolts or spikes. Place c and d In position, secure the upper ends at e *and f, and set the lower ends firmly In

the ground. For h use an old shaft or a piece of hard wood and fasten It to c aud d as indicated in the Illustration. Attach one end of the two ropes x and y to h and run them through the pulleys attached to the crosspiece e f. Fasten these ropes to the hind legs of the animal to be lifted. If one rope and a gambrel is preferred, attach It to the middle of h and run through a pulley at m. Two ropes are preferable. By this apparatus one man can lift the heaviest carcass. A wagon box bottom side up may be placed between a and b for a platform.—American Agriculturist. Entrance to a Walk. Many homes are approached by sidewalks across the lawn or yard to the Side or back door. Where these walks enter the grounds It Is possible to arrange shrubbery In a way to make the entrance artistically effective. The

chief point to be borne in mind is that the gateway should be flanked on either side by shrubbery or small trees. Tlie path should also curve as it enters one’s grounds, and If the shrubbery is carried along a little way on the outer side of the path, the entrance will be hidden entirely from the grounds—a very attractive feature. The Farm ae an Investment. Those who complain that the farm doesn’t pay would often find that after summing up the situation that the showing is not so bad after all, as compared with business in the city, says the Massachusetts Ploughman. Secretary Morton, In his annual report, Illustrates the point by supposing a transfer of $4,000 agriculturally Invented In each average farm of 137 acres, with stock, tools, etc., to be the choicest Wall street Investment. Risk that money in railroad first mortgage bonds, In bank stocks, or In any other alleged safe security which may be found a favorite among shylocks, brokers, plutocrats, monopolists, money-power manipulators and multi-mlllfonalres, and if It returns 6 per cent, it Is a remarkably profitable Investment In the eyes of capitalists. Therefore, $240 is the annual income. Follow the transfer of the farm money with that of the farm family to urban residence. Now, with the same labor in the city or village, asks the Secretary, can they attain by hard work every day In the year, adding their wages to the $240 Income, as much of Independence, wholesome living and real comfort as the same amount of money in the land and the same heads and hands‘working on the so?! generously and healthfully bestowed upon them, In the sweet quiet of a home, amid flowers, trees, fruits and abundance, on the farm?

Hedges as Crop Destroyers. The Hedge is not so popular as it used to be, and is destined to be less so as land becomes scarcer and more valuable. Even when closely trimmed the hedge destroys the crops for several feet on either side. In England hedges are much more common than here, but it is mainly because England lacks other fencing material. The English hedges are, however, carefully trimmed and the parts pruned off have the advantage of being worth more as kindlings for coal than the cost of the labor required to secure them. Storing Onions. Onions, like other bulbs, can be easily preserved if kept dry, and although, if this is observed, they will stand a considerable range of temperature, it is desirable that they have a temperature of from thirty-five to forty-five degrees. When In a damp room they start readily, especially if at high temperature, and as spring approaches the buds start even if kept comparatively cool. Care should be taken not to store onions in too large bulk, and to prevent heating they should be in shallow blns or in crates. The Value of the Silo. The next thing we had to learn was how to grow what was to be put Into ft. We had the corn In drills, using two and one-half bushels of seed to the acre, and getting weakly, sickly stalks that a storm would knock flat, says the Philadelphia Ledger. This, as I have said, we at first cut green, but the second year we let it get a little more mature, and we found we had done well, as it was better. Our next lesson was that a half bushel of seed was better than the five times as much we had been using, and, with more space between the rows and hills, it gave us more product. Then we improved it still more by letting it get riper before cutting.

It took many doltais and much expert* menting and study to find out all .that is known now—more than those who are now being benefited by the results of the experience realize. Anyone with a dairy of ten cows and upwards should have a silo. Nothing can be grown upon an acre of ground that will give as great return as corn for the silo. No other kind of corn fodder haa given us anything like the sams satisfaction as ensilage. It is a milkgiving food, but wheat bran is necessary to give the balanced ration. Now we cut the corn when the ears begin ta glaze, cutting all of It, cars, blade and I stalk, and putting it in. Another lea. son we learned was that pressure is not necessary. One Way to Save Money. During the winter many convenlencea and necessary farm tools and implements can be made in the home workhouse, says the Agriculturist. Hayracks, wagon beds, swing gates, water troughs and tanks, sleds, tool racks, stalk rakes, chicken coops, shipping crates and berry boxes are simple in construction. Any bright farmer, with the assistance of a blacksmith, can make all of these and more. The expense will be much less than if bought in town or hired made. The tools which every well-regulated farm ought to possess will answer. We have«in mind a young farmer who does all this kind of work, and he is prospering in spite of hard times, cheap products, etc. He raises as much grain and stock as his neighbors who buy everything “ready” made, and has much more “ready” cash. Try your hand at it when the jveather prevents outside work. Many kitchen things are also easily made. Home-Made Sausages. The sausages that come on the farmer’s table ought always to be home made. Those which are purchased in the butcher shops are almost always made of meat that Is nearly ready to decay, and the high seasoning they get with spices is for the purpose of concealing their unwholesomeness. A wellmade sausage is not at all unwholesome, though it is usually harder to digest than meat not so highly spiced. The home-made sausage ought to have not more than one-fourth of its meat fat. Most boughten sausages contain more fat than this, the sausage being used to get rid of fat meat that would not be otherwise salable. Care in Keeping Apples. There are greater difllculties in marketing fruit successfully than in marketing any other farm product. Even the best keeping apples will waste enough under ordinary care between fall and spring to more than offset their Increased price at the latter season. Most farm cellars are too warm to store fruit successfully, and if ventilated to keep them cool, it makes the living rooms above too cold. A cellar built by Itself half above ground and half below is best for storing fruit This can be ventilated, and in the very coldist weather a stove can be heated to prevent danger of the fruit freezing.

Feeding Cora in the Ear. The Western Dent corn does not dry out so quickly as the Flint varieties. It has more weight per bushel of ears, especially if the kernels are well filled out. In cold weather or on poor soil the Dent corn will much of it be light and chaffy, especially toward the tip end. The Flint corn is less likely to be chaffy, but if the season Is unfavorable, more or less of it will not be filled out to the end. Where the pollenizatlou is deficient the corn wllj bo scattering on the cob, though the kernels will bo larger and better than when they are compressed in an ear where there is not a missing grain. Keeping Cabbage. Most people bury cabbage for winter use, says l'da Keys, In the Agriculturist, and, if properly done, It is the very best way to keep them. They are, however, not easily got at when the ground is frozen or covered with snow. A part of the crop may be satisfactorily kept as follows: Trim the heads very closely, wrap in newspapers and pack in barrels. Set In a cool cellar and use as needed. They will not dry out or decay as when placed In the cellar without protection. If this process is followed, a quantity can be taken from the ground at one time. Keeping Hogs in Barnyards. We know many farmers who make a practice of wintering their hogs in the barnyard, letting them gather refuse that would otherwise be wasted. It is a good plan where the other animals are stabled and fed, so that the hogs will not annoy them by soiling their feed. If cattle are fed whole grain a few hogs will get much of their living by eating grain voldfed in an undigestible state. In such cases the hogs often get quite is much benefit from grain so fed as do the animals to which it is given.—American Cultivator. Selecting Garden Seeds. The question whether farmers should grow or purchase garden seeds must depend on circumstances. They never should grow seeds for use that will be less pure and true to name than those which they can purchase. Nor should they grow seeds from the later settings of peas, beans, corn and other vegetables of which the first have been used on the table. Nothing deteriorates seeds so much as this practice, and if continued the plants will quickly become not worth growing. Xce-Honses for Farmers. Every farmer who lives where ice can be conveniently cut should own an ice house. It will probably pay as large a profit every year as any investment of like cost he can make. Besides, it is (always convenient to have ice for the refrigerator so as to preserve meats and fruits Uh At wotild otherwise 'go 1 td waste, tn the dairy ice is essential to making good butter in hot weather, and also to keep it in good condition. • V, j , Drive Good Stock. We hare for a long time judged the farmer fly the horse he drives. This animal, more than all others, indicates the condition of the farm. Show us a man with a fat, sleek span of spirited animals, and we will show you a farin in good tilth, neat Improvements and everything wearing a prosperous look.

HOISTING DEVICE.

ARTISTIC GATEWAY.