Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 January 1890 — FACTS FOR FARMERS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FACTS FOR FARMERS.

Seasonable Suggestions and Useful Hints for Agriculturists. A Cheap and Durable Farm Gate —Selecting Corn for Seed Temperature of Cream {or Winter Churning —Undrawn Poultry for the Market A Convenient Farm-Yard Gate. The illustration, a sketch of which was sent us by J. W. Graham, N. C., Is a simple double gate frame, made to open either way, ;ind closed in the following manner: Midway between th<r gates is a short post firmly driven in the ground, or mortised into the ground sill, on both sides of which is a large ‘'button,” as shown in engraving. These “buttons” are fastened to the post by a small iron bolt with head and nut and washers, and turn with difficulty. When the gate is to be opened either way, turn the “button” vertical on the side toward which the gate is to be opened, and both gates are at once free to open that way only. Near the lower and outer corner of each gate is a contrivance for keeping the gate in position after it i 9 opened, which may be used to help keep it firm when closed. It consists of a small piece of timber as broad as the gate-frame and about an inch and a half in thickness, through which is an auger-hole; and in this is the cylindrical piece, which should be pointed .units lower end. It then passes through an auger-hole in the lower horizontal

piece of the gate-frame. When the gate is open sufficiently wide the ironshod peg is stuck down in the earth, and the gate is thus held in position. Both gates are furnished with this device. _ The Whole Ear For Seed. Several years ago I saw a statement in a seed catalogue recommending the planting of the whole ear. rather than to shell off the tip and butt kernels, and then using the remainder for seed. The old plan or at least the one I had always been accustomed to, was to go to the corn crib in the spring when the time for planting corn came and pick out the best ears, and shell off the tip and butt kernels and the rest was used for seed. There was no particular reason I know of for doing this, except custom. After seeing this statement I made a careful trial, planting several rows of corn, part of seed used was the tip kernels, part the butt kernels and the rest was from the middle of the ears. Considerable care was taken in the selection of the kernels, so as to get kernels from the extreme ends, and from as near the middle as possible. The soil was well prepared in a good tilth, by plowing and harrowing. and the rows marked off three and a half feet each way. and the seed carefully planted and covered. All reasonable care was taken to have the soil as nearly alike all over as possible. The seed w s all planted the same day, and cultivated together, harrowing twice and cultivating four times. The yield was good, the only difference of any consequence was in the time of ripening. That part planted with the kernels from the tip of the ears, ripened several days earlier than the stalks that grew from the but kernels. Each lot was carefully weighed with the grain and the fodder, and the ears and nubbins counted, the difference was small; so much so that it satisfied me that there was no necessity for discarding the tip or butt grains for seed if they were sound.

Churning In the Winter. Temperature is the most important element in dairy work, but unfortunately it is almost wholly ignored. A thermometer is rarely seen in an ordinary dairy, and as far as the temperature is concerned everything goes by guess-work. It is quite obvious that if a small change in temperature is injurious, the winter season calls for more than usual attention in this respect. One degree of temperature m kes all the difference between water and ice, and changes a fluid into a solid substance. If bo, how important a matter it must be in the manage--1 ment of milk and cream and the making of butter. It is in the winter that most of the trouble in butter mhking is met with, and these troubles may all be referred to in. urious cnanges in the temperature. With good, clean milk, from healthy cows to start with, one may secure the best quality of butter every time in the same time, if the proper attention is given to the temper iture—always I providing of course, that the milk and cream are kept in pure air and are not subjected to injurious influences which might spoil the flavor of the butter. The normal temperature for setting milk in open shallow pans or the earthen pots that are sometimes used, is 60 to 62 ° At this temperature the eream will all rise in 96 hours and the milk will remain swbet if the air is pure. At the same temperature the cream will become Yipe for the churn, that is, it will acquire the exact degree of sourness needed for the best churnipg in 36 hours; if the three skimmingß are put/in one jar and are gently stirred when the fresh cream is added. This will give 12 hours for the cream to remain after the last'skimming is added! It is then just right for making the very best quality and the largest quantity of butter. Undrawn Poultry. '■ One evidence of the advancement of the world 1b the vigorous protest' ■Agalftsi undrawn pouitry~ Soi intense is the feeling that many of the market men in the large cities refuse to handle poultry at any prtee unless AtfaVm. Here is OSS' reform that

poultry breeders for market might have reaped long ago, had they inaugurated it instead of allowing a disgusted public to find fault. No poultry breeder ever made a dollar by marketing undrawn poultry. For every cent gained on the additional weight of tfie fowl in such a condition, two were lost by reason of the refusal of the dealer to buy more of the same producer because so many spoiled on his hands. Any competent housekeeper will tell us that an undrawn fowl is not fit to eat if left in that condition two hours after being killed.

Phosphate For Poultry The advice to give bones to hens to make them lay has been improved by a farmer who accidentally learned that commercial phosphate answers the same purpose. He spilled some with seed wheat last September, and gathering it up mixed with soil gave this to his hens. Rather to his surprise the pieces of phosphate were eaten as readily as the grain, and about the same time his hens began laying as they had not done before. Not all of the commercial phosphate sold now is made from bones. This incident, which a Tribune correspondent furnishes, indicates that the rock phosphate may serve a good purpose for hen feed, as we know it. does for crop food.

Sweet Clieese. Put on a large kettle half full of fresh buttermilk, lei it just come to a boil, then-add tts mueh s weet milk as there is buttermilk, stir it just enough to mix and let it again come to a boil; take immediately off, strain throughlinen or sieve,after it has drained work the curd while still quite warm with the hand and fingers about ten minutes; add three tablespoonfuls of butter, a little salt; make into balls and it is ready for use. Some Selected JKeelpes. Raised Cake. --Two cups sugar, two cups bread dough, three-fourths cup butter, one cup raisins, one egg. halfteaspoonful soda, nutmeg, cinnamon. Add more flour if the dough is too thin. Lemon Pie.— One lemon, one cup sugar, three eggs, one cup water, halftablespoonful cornstarch, one tablespoonful flour. Cook over a Kettle. Bake crust separate. Frost with the, whites of the eggs. Spiced Molasses Cake. —One cup sugar, half-cup butter, stir well together; three dggs, one cup molasses, one eup sour cFeam, one teaspoonful soda, one teaspoonful cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon, 2J cups flour. Corn Meal Gems. —One cup granulated meal, two teaspoonfuls flour, two teaspoonfuls sugar, one heaping teaspoonful baking powder, one egg ana sweet milk enough to make a thin batter; bake in gem tins in a well heated oven. Cream Cake. —Five eggs, one pint sour cream, one cup of sweet milk, one cup of butter, four cups of sugar, two teaspoonfuls of soda, four of cream of tartar, flour to make a stiff batter. This makes a very large delicious cake; bake forty minutes.

A SECURE FARM-YARD GATE.