Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 September 1874 — FARM AND HOUSEHOLD. [ARTICLE]

FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.

—Composition Cake. —One pound of sifted flour, with two teaspoonfuls of cream baking-powder well sifted through it, one pound of sugar, half a pound of butter, half a pint of sweet cream, and one gill of white brandy. Bake in a slow oven. Flavor to taste. Citron or candied lemon improves this cake. —Blowing sands may be gradually made-productive by spreading six inches thick of straw over them, to remain till rotted. Then seed thickly with clover on the surface, without plowing, and when the clover has taken hold and becomes established pasture sheep upon the land.for two or three years preparatory to manuring and cultivating it. —Sponge Cake Roll.—ls the directions for making this cake are carefully observed there will be no such thing as a “ failure” in making.it. The eggs are not beaten separately, and the quicker the cake is put together the better it will be. Take two teacups of coffee A sugar, two teacups of sifted flour, two large teaspoonfuls of baking-powder; into this break six good-sized eggs; beat all well together; turn into square jelly tins, and bake in a quick oven to light brown. When done turnout on a molding board and spread thickly with jelly; roll carefully, and wrap each roll in a clean napkin. Can be used for the table at once. -

, —Fine and Coarse Hay.—Producers are sometimes puzzled to know why city buyers generally ask for. coarse, well-ma-tured hay in preference to the more tender and in reality more nutritious kinds. The Live Stock Journal thus enlightens them: “ City men feed hay for a different purpose than the farmer. The farmer feeds it for its nutriment and as a principal food, while the city man regards grain as the cheapest food, and only gives sufficient hay to make bulk in the stomach and for the purpose of health. Coarse, well-matured timothy serves the purpose better than the early-cut and fine grasses. They do not desire such hay as will tempt the horses to eat too much of it. Straw would answer this purpose if cut and mixed with the grain about as well. But farmers should be content with this practice of the city customer, for it enables them to sell their poorest hay for the best price, and to retairrthe best quality for home-consump-tion.” —Accidents from Mowers.—The New England Farmer says: “ Accidents occur every year from the use of mowing machines, and what might be avoided by the exercise of a little prudence and common sense. It is always a piece of reckless carelessness to allow yourself to sit or stand in front of the knife bar w’hen the horses are attached, and little better to handle the knives when the machine is in gear. In the first case your legs are in danger of being sawed off, and in the other the hands are liable to more injury, even if the horses are perfectly gentle. A very slight movement of the horses in either direction, to nip a mouthful of grass or drive away a fly, will throw the cutter bar into motion, and if the fingers or hands are in the way they are liable to very serious injuries. Keep a good lookout, too, that favorite dogs and cats and all kinds of poultry are out of reach of the machine when in action. And above all things, keep little children out of the grass when mowing. It is so much easier to prevent an injury than to cure one.”