Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 July 1896 — FARMS AND FARMERS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARMS AND FARMERS.

The Horse Nettle. This pest of many a good meadow farm is commonly found from Connecticut south to Florida and west to Texas. It is very abundant in portions of the prairie States, especially Illinois and Missouri,'occurring not only in fields and along roadsides, but In the streets of cities and on vacant lots pnd too often In cultivated fields, where It does great injury to crops. Its common name, .horse nettle, botanical Solanum Carolinense. does not indicate that this weed is closely to the cultivated potato, but the/Botanical name of the genus shows* close rela-

tionship. An examination of the flowers shows they much resemble those of the potato, being bluish or whitish In color. The berry, commonly called the seed, also resembles that formed on the potato. The leaves have large prickles on the midrib and some of the larger lateral ribs. They are also plightly hairy. The stem is beset with numerous stout prickles. Many of the related plants of this genus are annuals, but horse nettle is a deep-rooted perennial, its roots often extending three feet or more into the soil. Thia fact makes it a very tenacious weed, very difficult to exterminate. For this reason the weed grows in dense patches, which are carefully avoided by stock in pastures. I would advise plowing the land at this season, allowing none of the leaves to appear. The plants should be kept down the 'succeeding year. Plow the ground again next summer. Sow thickly with rye and keep watch of the nettle, allowing bone to grow. Careful work for two seasons should remove It.—Farm and Home.

Growine Harty Planta. An economical mode of growing ear/y tomatoes, melons, etc., where but a few are desired, to produce crops for home use, is to use egg shells. Break the shells near the small ends, fill with rich dirt and plant a few seeds of the kind desired. The shells may be set in a shallow pan or box of bran and placed in the sunlight on warm days, care being taken not to expose tnem to cold at night. When trtmsplantlug simply set the shell with the plant in the ground. The roots of the plant will soon break through the shell. Sheep and (Short Grass. Sheep are partial to short grass and will travel over a field of long grass io select the short herbage. White clover is the best of all the foods for sheep and they prefer it to other kinds. When seeding old pastures, or beginning with the new, white clover seed should be used liberally. Sheep wip seek the shade during the day, preferring tq graze after the sun begijnrto set. and it is for that reason that they cannot be shut up at night as a protection against dogs. - For Milk in Welts. Where ice is not at hand, the custom of hanging milk cans In the well, for coolness, is often practiced. The illustration shows i 1

device for holding four cans securely within the well, with a chance to draw up. water between, the cans, the curved Iron rods affordin grjfeis.

chance. If the for. a squarwfljiw-, <ft;. a fdut hbop can be used, thus econonihtjng;space. It Is surprising. how nicely milk and many other articles can thus be kept in a deep well, even in extraordinarily hot weather. It is equally surprising how many families fall to use this simple device, which is so easily made and so very convenient. What High Breeding Does. Individual records of noted animals of certain breeds are valuable and important in many .ways. While a farmer may not have a cow equating one with a high record, yet the records of noted cows are indications of what can be accomplished by breeds. The breed is brought to a higher degree of improvement also by the endeavor of enterprising breeders to suppress existing records. It is the desire to compete' and excel with individuals that has made the reputations of the breeds. Fall Fre»h Cow«. The annual yield of milk is easily io Er cent greater from cows fresh In e fall than from those which calve

with the coming grass. If well fed and comfortably housed they yield a good quantity of milk all winter, and as the flow begins to cease materially there comes the favorable change to grass, and the yield is increased and held for some time. Cost of Growing Cora. I send you the result of keeping an account of the cost of producing a field of corn, containing fourteen acres. I kept an account of time in breaking, pulverizing, planting, cultivating, harvesting, etc., and charged for the same euch costs as the labor could be hired for In this locality and board themselves. I could give an Itemized account, but will not take the space. The land, fourteen acres, was valued at S4O per acre, and a charge of 8 per cent, interest was made on the investment. Cost of corn in crib per bushel was 19 cents of 620 bushels to the field. The fodder was estimated at twenty-ontptqns, or about one and onehalf tons.per acre, and cost in the mow $3,41 per. ton. The corn was husked by a "corn busker.” This Is the cost should I have hired everything done. The fodder cost in cash, not including any of my own labor or labor swapped for or boarding bands, etc., $1.93 per ton. The total cost of corn in crib and fodder Tn mow, including the 8 per cent, interest, was $192.20. The value of the corn at 25 cents per bushel, and the fodder at $4 s per ton was $239, leaving a profit on the fourteen acres of $46.80, saying nothing abotit loss of soil fertility, or barnyard 'ma-; nure applied to the field. The fodder to be worth as much as the corn would have to be worth $7.38 per ton. This would increase the profit' somewhat. One thing about the account showed the difference about estimating and knowing. When the corn wa« being husked it was estimated by good farmers at sixty bushels per acre. But when the corn and land both were measured, It was found tq yield only a fraction over forty-four, bushels per acre.—C. L. Hawkins, in Indiana Farmer. Salt with Phosphate. It is always a good plan Jo put some salt with phosphate drilled 'in with the seed grain. • It keeps the mineral in soluble condition for the roots of tiie young grain to take hold of. It also Increases the tendency td fermentation of vegetable or animal manures when used, as it must be, In small quantities. Large dressings of salt make the soil barren for one or two years until the rains have washed out the surplus above what is needed.

For Pickinc Fruit. A very useful and convenient contrivance for picking peaches, pears, etc..

is made in the following m a n u e r: Take a strong butter tub of the smallest size, and bore a hole in the center of the bottom. In this hole insert a long pole and nail firmly. Now drive a row of small nails around the top edge, and It is ready for use. This will pick as well as one bought

at a store, and costs nothing except the labor of making. Odds and Ends. When the eyebrows and lashes are scant rub them every night with vaseline. To keep insects out of l>lrd cages suspend from the top of the cage a lutle bag filled with sUJphur. Always buy small nutmegs in preference to the large ones. They have a much more delicate flavor. Try a penny or large silver piece for readily removing paint from glass. Simply wet It and rub the paint. Sift a little flour over suet when It is being chopped and It will prevent the pieces from adhering together. :DoU’t forget to offer pure cold water tb the b»by. occasionally. The milk Is for food, and Is not sufficient to quench the thirst of the little one. To make a cream soup yellow and rich the yolks of eggs are used. The eggs are first beaten thoroughly, and after the cream or milk has been added to the soup they are stirred In just before it-Is taken from the fire. A teaspoonful of borax put In the last water In which clothes are rinsed will whiten them surprisingly. Pound the borax so it will dissolve easily. This is especially good to remove the yellow that time gives to white garments tliat have been laid aside for two or three years.

A TROUBLKSOME WEED.

FRUIT PICKER.