Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 June 1892 — THE FARM AND HOME. [ARTICLE]

THE FARM AND HOME.

Tbs Farmer who Beads and Thinks will Here be Interested. ' Beana Heed Light, Sandy Soil Artificial Egg-Hatohing Esquire* Great Care—How to Care Hog Cholera—Household Hints and SoggMtioni—Useful Eeeipes. Bean Culture The Rural World says in regard to this legume, which is being raised quite extensively, that it is a crop that need not depend on the general market for sale and profit, for it is one that can be disposed of readily and profitably on the farm. No class of animals on the farm, from the farmer himself and his family, down to the poultry hut but will be benefited by a diet of beans. Having, as they do, a large proportion of albuminoids or muscle making elements in their composition, they form an excellent substitute for meat Pursuing the subject the Rural World says:— r —T : _ “But few farms are without some land that is well adapted to this crop. The soil best suited to it is a light,l sandy, well drained soil, not over rich, at least in vegetable matter. Beans will do fairly well on land too poor for many crops, and for reason many have thought that only poor land should be used; but for paying erops and for this reason many have thought that only poor land should be used; but for paying crops they demand fertile land, though the fertility must be adapted to their needs. Maimers containg a largo per cent of nitrogen and a good proportion of phosphoric npid, are best

Why U« Failed. Not every one knows how to keep a hotel—or run an incubator. A correspondent of the Prairie Farmer who has tried to do the latter thus describes his experience: Allow me to make an admission. I have exchanged a goodly pile of hardearned shiney dollars for a striped and varnished incubator, filled its secret chambers with expensive eggs, got up steam, regulated the regulator, coddled the thermostat, vigilantly regarded the rise and fall of the mercury, and patiently endured the scoffs and gibes of unsympathetic neighbors, for a period of twenty-one long days and nights. I say I have done all of the above several things; and then, while darkness o’erspread the land and unfeeling men slept, I have done as follows: Raked those expensive eggs out of the dark recesses of that infernal machine, let them fall with a dull, squashy thud into a bucket, stealthily dug a great hole in the earth, and, with many low but deep imprecations, poUred them into it and piled the soil upon, and jumped flii it. The failure was probably due to one of two causes—a" defective: Incubator, of which there are many on the market, or to a lack of the patience, watchfulness, and “horse sense” .Requisite for so delicate an operation as hatching eggs. We have seen many thousands of thrifty chickens and ducklings hatched in incubators; but the result was secured only by unremitting care and attention from start to finish, and the exercise of an intelligence duo to been observation and much experimenting. Artificial incur bation is a business which must be learned. The mother-hen makes a business of hatching, and so must.man, if he would succeedAn it. EQLfltdiaary. farm chicken-raising, the hen is still the best incubator.—Examiner.

To Cure Hog'Cholera. An old gentleman dropped into the office of the Washington Star in search of a reporter to whom he wanted to impart some ‘Valuable information on the above subject. Ho said: “I read in a Chicago paper some time ago. where a farmer out west lost his corncrib by fire and that a number of his hogs got into the debris and ate the burned corn they found there—lt so., happened that nearly every pig he had was suffering from the cholera. Many had died and he found little hopes of saving the others, though he had resorted to all kinds of treatment knflwn, but every hog that ate that coril got well. t “I did not takes much stock in that story, but recently visiting Mr. James Nutel, of Montgomery county, Md., I found he was losing many of his hogs by cholera. I suggested and we tried the burned corn on one he had given up as gone, and it got well in a short ttahe, as did others under the same treatment. This is a simple remedy, at the command of any one, and I vouch for its success in the cases I have tried. My name, is Wm. Hill, and I live on N street southwest, near the Washington Barracks. Many of your farmer readers, both in the city and out in the country, will be glad to know of this, and as the §tar takes great interest in giving its readers valuable information I should like to . see it in print” ■ Bow & Tell Good Oat*. Good oate are clean, hard, dry, sweet, heavy, plump, full Of flour, and rattle like shot They have a clean and almost metallic luster. Each oat in a well-grown sample is nearly of the same size. There are but few small or imperfect grams. The hard pressure of the nail on an oat should leavp little or no mark. The kernel when pressed between the teeth should clip rather than tear. should be thin. The size of the kernel will be less in proportion than the *kiu is thick. The color W the oats is not very material, but white oats are generally thinner in the skin than, black. Again, black oats will -grow on inferior soils. Short, plump oats are preferable to large, long grains. Bearded oats must havo an excess of husk- Oats are hot necessarily bad because they are thin-skinned or bearded ; but they must contain a less amount ol flour per” bushel than thin-skinned oats without beards.

Cara of tha Bands. The hands may be kept clean and soft by washing them in lukewarm - water containing a little ammonia or borax. A little oatmeal mixed with water will whiten them. ; When the hqnds are chapped and

sore, mutton suet is the most healing of JSll remedies. Apply as often as convenient, after washing and wiping the hands thoroughly, and the soreness will soon disappear. Glycerine is good for some persons who have chapped hands and not for others, for it is irritating to the skin in some cases. Sunburnthands may be’treated with lime water or lemon juice. Gloves save the hands from much wear and tear and staining, and, if the fingers are cut off. do not hinder work. A housekepeeper gives the following recipe for a preparation to be used upon the hands before retiring: One gill oi honey, one gill of sweet oil, odo ounce of yellow wax. Boil together and stir till cool.

Farmers* Meetings. When the farmers of any community are able to hold frequent meetings for discussing subjects relating to farm crops, for several years in succession, that community will step in advance of one where no meetings are held. Those who have had opportunities to observe such communities are able to see a difference in the management of tbe farms, as well as in the conversation of rthe farmers themselves. It is impossible for farmers to meet together and discuss farm ing operations. without being improved socially as well as intellectually. They learn to fit into society, and are made to see more clearly the position they occupy. The man who keeps on his own farm and avoids society, contracts his ideas and sees"bur little his own farm. Having but limited opportunities to compare ideas, or crops, with others, he is very likely to either overrate or underrate himself and his crops. , '

Hint* to Housekeeper*. To take iron rust out of white goods. Pour a teacupful of boiling water; stretch the goods tightly across the top of it; then pour on a little ol the solution of oxalic acid dissolved in water, and rub it with the edge of a teaspoon or anything. If it does not come out at once, dip it down into the hot water and rub it again. Shrunken, half-worn bed-blankets or comforts, past using on a bed, make good pads to put under a stair carpet. They will answer the purpose just as well as the bough ten pads, and be a 4 great saving in the wear of the-stair carpet Painting the kitchen walls enables one to wash, them off, and in general tends to a neat appearance. The paint should begood oil paint, applied as for outdoor work, first sizing the surface to be** coated with a solution of onehalf pound of glue to a gallon of water. Clothespins boiled a few minutes and quickly dried once or twice a month become more durable. Apples will not freeze if covered with linen cloth, nor a pie or custard burn if in the oven with a disk of water. > Never wash cups, plates, spoons and knives used in the sickroom with those of the family. Scarlet fever and other infectious diseases have been spread in this way. Do not eat, in the sick person’s room, or partake of anything that has stood there. A remedy for burns is a paste of baking soda and water. Take a wet cloth, cover with the paste and bind over the burn. Should the paste become dry, wet it from the outside. Never puFpotatoes on the table tars covered dish. They will reabsorb their own moisture and become soggy. White merino underclothing, when rags and cleaning-cloths, and nothing makes better holders for either ironing or use .about the stove than cast-off woollen hosiery covered with thick drilling. It is a good plan to make the covers for iron-holders of white drilling in the form of a bag, then they can be slipped off and washed when soiled. Sugar Gingerbread.— One and onehalf pounds of flour, one pound of sugar, three-fourths pound butter, five eggs, ginger, and a little saleratus; spread oa thin sheets and roll thin. Jumbles. —Six cups of flour, three of sugar, one-half of butter, four eggs, teaspoon saleratus dissolved in a cup of milk; drop on tins with a spoon, sprinkle with sugar and bake quickly. Newfort Tea Cake.— One cup of sugar, one-half cup of melted butter, 1£ of milk, two spoons of cream of tartar, one of soda and flour to make a i stiff batter ; mix the soda and cream of ’ tartar with the -flour; hake' twenty minutes. "" Potato Cakes.— Rub two spoonfuls of butter into two pounds of mashed potatoes; add two pounds of flour, a little salt, and milk enough to make a stiff batter : add half a cupful of yeast; set the mixture to rise, and when light bake in cakes the size of muffins. Serve hot and buttered.