Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 April 1887 — RURAL TOPICS. [ARTICLE]

RURAL TOPICS.

Some Practical Suggestions for the Husbandman and the Housewife. Information for the Farmer, StockBreeder, Poulterer, Nurseryman, and Housekeeper. THE FARM. Scald inn Hogt. The work of butchering is always heavy and disagreeable, and is made more so for most farmers by lack of proper conveniences. Even for well-grown spring pigs the ordinary barrel is too small for a scalding tab. This should be made horizontal so that the hog can be laid on its side in it, and deep enough bo that one-half of the largest hog can be put under water at •once. A set of tackles with ropes will greatly aid in handling the animal. liinlde Pal of llvgi. Where hogs are half starved the early part of their lives and fattened suddenly, the fat will be unevenly distributed and much of it inside. Tho cleaning of fat from the intestines is difficult where the animal has been fed much soft, and especially warm food, ns this makes the intestines liable to break. Withholding food, for at least twelve hours before killing is usually practiced, to have the inwards nearly empty of the refuse from digested food. Something si bout Drainage, One great desideratum in all drainage is the outlet. Be sure and have a good outlet first. Most all writers on drainage advocate the system of a main drnin and laterals coming in on both sides; this is a good system and drains the land perfectly, but the system that I have always thought practical is to have as few laterals as possible, but have all your drains as far ns practicable run straight to the outlet or near the outlet, and have a very large tile for a few rods at tho outlet. By this system a larger amount of water can be taken off in a shorter time at a less expense; while the water would be running across the field in r the laterals to the main drain, by this system it would.be at the outlet, ns the distance would be little further, and the fall by this system would be enough f renter to make up for the distance in the rains. By this system it is certainly the cheapest, as you dispense with a long, string of large tile, but a great deal depends on the lay of the land; if the land is rolling in some cases only the lateral system can be used; but always keep in your mind the one idea of getting the water off as quickly as possible at the least expense. It is now admitted by all that tile drainage is the best-paying investment that a farmer can have; therefore, do not slight your work to save a little money. Tile drains, if perfectly made, will not only last a lew hundred years, but will last for all time to come. Bound tile is the best, and about the only kind used at present. It is economy to make yonr tile drains just as they Bhould be in the first place, and save the expense of making them over. It makes no difference at which end you commence r foTlyyour t tile. r; =-f buve laid them both ways, but I consider it the best to commence at the outlet and lay the tile as fast as the ditch is dug, covering the tile a few inches with clay from near the bottom of the ditch, keeping the upper end covered ' as you leave it. Any silt or debris that may be washed in the tile will surely be washed out if you have graded your drain •properly, aiul this, is one of the most important points in making drains—to have a perfect grade. It is a very good way to have your drains leveled by an engineer, but I would never lay tile in a drain until it was leveled by water. I consider water the best leveler that can be had in a tile drain. It is very often the ca6e that you have m large stone to take out of the bottom of the drain. In this case never All the hole with clay, but with stone and pebbles, and pound them in, and your tile will not sink. Persons that have not drained any,.and are not posted themselves on drainage, are almost sure to commence wrong. In commencing they think that they will only drain their wet lands, but after draining the swales it has paid so well that they will drain the high lands if they need it (there is plenty of land that needs no draining), but if your land is clay it certainly needs draining and will pay to do it; therefore it is best to take this into consideration when you commence to drain. The depth of drains should run from four to six feet. You have the use of your land as deep as you drain and no deeper; if you drain it twenty inches deep your crop roots will go no deeper; if they are six feet deep yorr crop roots will go that deep, for tho re.non that tile drains do nearly as much good of a dry as they do of a wet season, i Ts lend is drained deep the surplus water lunr off, and the land becomes more porous and the air and frosts get deep down, and seem to raise the land up and make it porous, so the plants can eend their rootlets down deep and suck up sufficient moisture during a severe drouth. In regard to the distance that drains should be apart that depends upon the depth of .your drains and the nature of your lands. —Chicago Tribune. STOCK-BREEDING.' Cheap Horne*. As long as a farmer breeds cheap horses he will have cheap horses to sell. The •outcome can generally be judged from the starting point, and when you see a man patronizing a cheap stallion, just because the service is Jess than that of better horses, you can rest assured that that man will never consider horse-breeding profitable unless he changes his ideas and man- ' ner of breeding. The penny before the eye hiding tho dollar in the distance, has interfered more with tho cjf tho horse in this country than anything else. The farmer who looks about for the cheap stallion to breed 10 is also casting about fpt the cheapest class of buyers to be found when his horses are ready for the market. High-priced service fees as nrule mean high-priced horses when matured, and the difference in tho proportion of the two generally makes a very respectable percentage on the money thuß invested. When we speak of high fees, of course we mean or expect that the individual merit and breeding of the. horse corresponds strictly with the amount charged for the service.— The National Stockman. -- The Farm Dreed. Is the best farm cow obtained in the ranks of any of the present breeds of cattle? Many farmers are nsking themselves this question. Breeders Who desire to sell stock for breeding purposes, thus securing a price beyond what animals would bring atthe block, or milk in the pail, are quick to anßwer “yes.” Farmers who have no desire to sell breeding stock are by no means certain. There is no nse in denying cattle are still inclined tohunt for that muchdesired animal, the “general-purposecow.” The tendency is to breed for special purposes, and ho pure-bred animal can ever completely fill the place of a “jack of all, trades.” No breeder, however skillful; can put beef ottthe Jersey and retain the the little cow’s wonderful butter record,

and there will always be “a great gulf fixed” between excessive milk production and excessivo beef production. Cnn the desired result be more nearly obtained through.high grades or cross-bred animals? For all practical purposes a good highgrade Jersey is as valuable as the thoroughbred. Her price will be measured solely bv the number of ppunis of butter she can make, and for men who have no desire to speculate in pedigrees or sell breedingstock, this basis will be satisfactory enough. Cross-breeding is being more generally practiced than ever before. There are several herds in the country, in which this practice has been followed systematically, where the characteristics of what may be called a new breed have been developed. The offspring of a Jersey bull and a grade short-horn cow has given, excollent results in many instances, while calves from a Holland bull out of grade, Devon or shorthorn cows are reported excellent for cheesedairies. The farmer who will drive' his cows by a thoroughbred bull, for tljp purpose of patronizing a scrub at a small price, is foolish, but he is far from wise, to buy thoroughbred cows, unless he can afford extra trirne for rearing, advertising, and selling bis calves. If be wants a “general purpose” cow, be will bo apt to find the best animal for bis purpose in the offspring of a thoroughbred bull of one of the diary breeds, and a high grade beef cow. Tho “general-purpose cow” may be known as the “farm breed,” as distinct from the Jersey, Devon, and the others. Bearing in mind the fact thnt each of the pure breeds represent ’certain fixed characteristics, a farmer can, at a small cost, develop a herd best suited to Lis farm.— Rural New Yorker. DAIRYING^ llow 1o Hevp llilk, Sulk was not intended by nature to be exposed to air, but to be conducted as directly and speedily ns possible from the milk-duets of the parent to the stomach of the offspring. As a liquid containing a good deal of tho element nitrogen, it is liable to early decay, or, in other words, to changes in its chemical and mechanical condition. The temperature it has when Inilked from the cow' is favorable to its decomposition. Above or below blood-heat its decay is more or less retarded; and, b'y passing a volume of oxygen through it, it is made to keep the longer. Left niono, it is a suicidal sort of thing, constantly inviting its own destruction, so to speak. It drink 6 ’ ingreedily Tool odors from the atmosphere, and provides just the food that bacteria delight in. It is determined not to remain in its original form, for it begins to throw off its cream at once on coming to rest. To chemists it is known as a “transition compound,” seeking fresh conditions and combinations. It is congenial food to the fermentive germs that float in the air, and contains within itself a principle that is an aid to digestion, which is only another word for decomposition. Such being the case, milk requires intelligent treatment if we want it to remain as it is when we get it. Assuming that it is sweet and fresh when we first take it in hand, the first thing to do is to cool it; and for this reason, by lowering the temperature, the ferments to which it is exposed operate much slower, or do not operate at all. These ferments gpt hold of it best at the heat it is at when it comes from the cow. They need warmth, as most things do; for their- fruition; anAW__we. cannot get rid of them, because they fioat about m embryo in my place where air is, the next best Thing is to deprive them of warmth. If wo boil milk, and immediately enclose it in an air-tight vessel, it will remain sweet for years; but it will sour when it is re-exposed to the air at GO degrees F. and upwards. If we freeze it, and keep it frozen, it will remain sweet as long as we like; but, when it comes to thaw, the effect of the freezing is to hasten its decomposition. This, indeed, holds good with butter and flesh and vegetables, with, any perishable article, in fact. It is their mechanical combination which the freezing has interfered with, and this is an aid to chemical decay. The effect of a strong ray of light falling on milk is to develop the fermentive organisms that lead to the decomposition of the liquid. They are of a vegetable character, and need light as well as warmth to enable them to thoroughly do their work. It is, therefore, expedient to keep milk in the shade, not necessarily in a dark room, but away from the ligbt of a window. Butter and eggs, too, are injured, though less quickly, by a strongdigbt; and they should not bo exposed to its influence. It is generally considered advisable that milk-rooms should be well ventilated; but the air must be as pure as we can have it; otherwise I bey are better without the ventilation. Whatever. Jbe air is, so will be the milk, after a time. If it is tainted with any sort of an odor, the odor of flesh, of vegetables, of mint-sauce, of paraffine, of smoke, anything, in fact, the milk will taste of it. Intelligent people who make butter are aware of this, and keep' their milk in clean vessels, in a pure atmosphere, in a cool room, while the cream is rising. This is absolutely necessary in order to keep a pure-flavored butter that will keep as long as it ought. A stuffy atmosphere in a room is abominable; ventilation with impure air is equally so; and in either of these cases, if they I 'are unavoidable, it is better to keep the milk corked up in a bottle, previously cooling it well, and stirring it as it cools. It is of the first importance that milk should be put into vessels that are scrupulously clean, and they need cleaning after milk as much as after almost anything else. By putting new milk into a vessel that has been more or less soured with old milk, the new is at onee introduced, so to speak, to the old leaven, that will turn it all sour very soon. Before*such a vessel is employed to contain a fresh supply of milk, it shonld be washed in boiling water, to kill all the germs of sourness, both the lactic acid and the bacteria that it may contain, and then in cold water, to cool it. It is hardly necessnry to say that the water itself must be clean; this is obvious on the face of it. Arid again: The room must be cool, say not more than GO degrees, if possible, or it is not of much use to cool the milk, which will always rise or fall to the temperature of the air that surrounds it. At the same time, it iatrue that cooling the milk to 55 degrees or so will preserve it the longer, even in a room that is GO degrees or upwards. Cooled milk in clean vessels, and in a cool room whose air i£ fresh and sweet, will keep well for a day or two. The cream, however, which is in mechanical rather than m chemical combination with the milk, will rise to the surface unless the. milk is frequently stirred. — Science Newts. POCJLTRY-RAISING. Care of Poultry. , J One of thegreatest problems to be solved by the poultry-keeper is how to make the hens lay in the colder months, when eggs bring twice as much ns they do in summer. There are two important factors to success, and they are, first, to place the fowls upon the same footing as in summer, supplying them with warmth, animal food, and exercise;* and second, to. get a breed which has the reputation of being good winter layers. From a great many breeds before the public the.best all-winter layers have been decided to be the Plymouth Rock and Light Brahma, and under proper conditions either of these breeds should supply the farmer with dark brown eggs during the winter. To keep the poultry-house warm there

is nothing so cheap, and at the same time so well suited to the purpose, as an inside lining of tarred paper. The cold and frost are kept out, the paper serving also as a protection against insects. Care should he taken to bank the house where exposed, and it made ns tight as possible compatible with suitable ventilation. * The air in a hen-house must be pure and constantly renewed, as the ammonia arising from the droppings and impurities from the bird render it injurious to thehealth of the fowls in a very short time. Circular holes cut into the sides of the building, and a sliding board arranged so they niny bo adjusted in mild or extreme Weather, make excellent ventilators;' The house should be whitewashed; the perches gone over often with kerosene; the hay in, the nests taken out occasionally and replenished with new, and until the first enemy met with in shutting np fowls, lice, is overcome. Ground tobacco, stems with a small quantity of supercarbolate of lime is excellent ns an insecticide scattered in the nests and about the bouse. The lime is very good by itself as a disinfectant, a little in tho whitewash bucketserving as an additional SRfegnard. For the summer time a fowl if given range finds insects, worms, plenty of green stuff and gets sufficient exercise. In winter the case is different; being confined they must be supplied with those articles necessary to health. To feed a fowl, whether for fancy or for eggs, requires great care. They must not be overfed, as hens will not lay if fat. Feed as much as they will eat up clean. Variety in food adds greatly to the health of fowls and to the egg production, especially in the cold months. Good feeding of fowls in winter calls fora large percentage of cooked food. A hot breakfast should nlways be given as early as possible.' It shonld be warm aud well cooked. A good feed is made up of a mash one-tbird corn and oats ground together, one-third wheat middlings, onesixth boiled potntoes (or nny vegetable) and one-sixth boiled meat. This served to the fowls early will be eaten greedily, and the bens will feel in a conditions to commence laying at once. A little red pepper in this early feed is good, nnd every other day throw in some ground bone. The poultry should have green food daily, such as steamed clover, rowen, cabbages, chopped onions, and beets. Onions are considered the preventive of the roup. The best wav to prepare rowen is to simply put the amount to be used in a barrel, pour on hot water, nnd cover the barrel up, letting it sit for a couple of hours, when it is ready for use. This feeding should be at noon. At night give them all the whole corn, wheat, oats, and buckwheat they will eat. A pile of millet straw with bends is a good thing for the birds to pick over, giving them exercise. Corn on the cob is good for this purpose. 'With some breeders it is a custom to scatter corn over the floor of the houses, which lor practical purposes should be made of screened gravel, and then draw the earth lightly over the corn with a rake, thus furnishing a novel mode of exercise. A good winter house should also have n shed which the fowls can use in mild weather, avoiding the necessity of shoveling the snow out of the yard. Ground oyster shells and bone should be constantly at hand. There iB nothing a fowl likes as well as a dust bath, nnd coal ashes, road dust, or dry earth are valuable. The road dust and enrth may be got in the early fall and kept in barrels. The winter quarters should have plenty of windows facing the south, as the sun is a valuable adjunct in profitable poultrykeeping. Dampness should be avoided, as it is conducive to roup and many other diseases. The fowls should have plenty of fresh water, and the pans should be scrupulously clean, as they are apt to become slimy. Care should be taken to remove all cooked food not eaten, as sour feed is the curse of the poultry yard. The droppings should be removed as often as possible, and if properly taken care of will prove a valuable addition to the profits, the amount of guano being estimated at 25 cents to a fowl during the year. The golden rules are care, feeding, and cleanliness. — American Cultivutor. GOOD COOKING. Ferry-Day Apple Pie*. A green apple pie with light, flaky crust that holds without any leakage while baking its sugary, spicy juices, makes ft toothsome dessert, but to my certain knowledge, there are housekeepers, good housekeepers, too, of forty years’ standing, who resort to the expedient of stewing their apples before making pies, thus losing the delicious flavor nmd jellied layers of pies filled with slices of raw apple, because they are disgusted with having the juicy goodpess of such pies boil over while baking, with a big smoke and scorch on the oven’s bottom. If there is anything.tbat will wetblanket a cook’s courage, it is to hear the sharp sizzle of escaping boiling- pie juice, and, unless one has experience aud skill in the manipulation of pie crust, boil and sizzle, aud smoke its juices will, from the time ’ a fat-cheeked green apple pie is shoved into the baking quarters till it leaves them flattened and smooched with its leakage of goodness. , We have read the newspapers, and wo have tried all resorts; binding the pie’s edges with cloth, puttying up the cracking seems with spatted wads of dough, and by making the pie crust so tough that even boiling hot juices could not penetrate it to escape; nnd now, after an experience of twenty years, we have settled on this method for mnking every-day' applo pies, with crust as light and nourishing as bread, and yet, whose flavor aud sweetness and juices will be held and not be candied in a sticky scorch on the bottom of the oven: Three cupfuls of thick sour milk, one cupful of sour cream or one-third cupful of butler, one large teaspoonful of soda, one-fourth teaspoonful of salt, and flour enough to make a stiff dough. This quantity is sufficient to make six large pies or eight small ones. Line the plates with crust aud before filling them with sliced apples, put into each plate two tablespoonfuls of sugar, one of flour nnd what spice you intend for the pie. Thoroughly mix these nnd spread evenly over bottom crust. After the plates are filled with applp, add one tablespoonful of molasses. 801 l dough for upper crusts and spread on each thin shavings of lard or butter. Thickly sprinkle flour over this and roll lightly. Trace a pretty vine and slash holes for steam to escape. Cover without wettiug edges, pressing them closely together. Just before baking, dash cold water over the top crust, enough to thoroughly wet the flour. Bake slowly threefourth of an hour, and longer if apple is hard and unripe. When done, with a tiny nosed toy teapot; pour into the pie through one of the slashes in the crust, two tablespoonfuls of boiling water. We think it a greatrimprovement placing sugar nnd flour below the apple instead of above it. There is less dangerof escaping juice and the apple is thoroughly cooked and deliciously flavored and jellied with the spicy, thickened syrup boiling up through it. This crust, being nearly as digestible and wholesome as bread, we are not afraid to allow our small children a generous cut from such pies, and they are not slow in claiming it.— Clarissa’ Potter, in Good Housekeeping. x