Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 October 1875 — AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC. [ARTICLE]

AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC.

—Lime slaked just before application and sown by hand is said to be an infallible protection against fly in turnips. —A good way to start slips of plants is to get an old glass fruit jar, sift nice mellow earth in it till it is two or three inches deep, of till it touches the end of the slip, then pour water over it till it is full. Set the jar where it will not be moved often. After the roots start sift more earth over, fill agaip with water if neededi, and so on till it is full and filled with roots, then carefully break the glass off and transplant to a pot, and you will have no trouble in starting it.— N. Y. Herald. —Picklelily. (Query: “ Pick-a-little?”) —One peck of green tomatoes, one head of cabbage, six onions, six green peppers; chop these together, salt them, put the mixture in a colander and let it drain over night. In the morning pour off- the green liquid and throw it away. Cover the chopped tomato with vinegar, add one cup of scraped horse-radish, one cup of white mustard seed, one cup of whole cloves* one cup of stick cinnamon, one cup or mace and one cup of sugar. Boil until soft but so that it will hold its - form. It will keep without sealing but is better when tightly covered. It should not be eaten till it is at least a month old. — Household. —The best remedy we have tried for rats is cats. I had rather keep a halfdozen cats Ilian that number of rats. Once we thought we could not endure a cat on the premises, but when the rats ran everywhere—through the buildings, into the garden, chicken and goslin coops, and would face a person with such an insulting look—we caved in. We keep three (one is eight years old) the year through; at tiipes there are more. What we cannot give away we allow a free ride when old enough to take care of themselves. A cat should not be fed any meat; give plenty of milk, some potatoes, crumbs of bread, etc. Rats for the past- ten years have been few and far between; the cats . stand as sentinels and take them soon after making their appearance on the farm.— Cor. A. Y. Tribune. —We have had a case of felon in our family lately, and treated it successfully by steaming the whole hand with bitter herbs. It was allowed to progress, through ignorance, until badly swollen, exquisitely painful, and of a livid, purple color. Being in the palm of the hand it involved the whole hand and wrist in the swelling. A handful each of tansy, hops, catnip and wormwood was thrown into an old basin, a small quantity of tobacco and half a teacupful of soft-soap added, and sufficient water to cover. When boilinghot the patient placed her hand over the steam, and a small blanket was thrown over the basin to retain the steam, which was applied until the mixture cooled. This was repeated day and night until the pain was entirely removed, which was in forty-eight hours. The relief from the paroxysms of pain is almost magical as soon as the steam is applied. The mixture was only once renewed, between The applications of steam a poultice of soft-soap thickened with slipperyelm flour was applied, but I think it was unnecessary. After using for a day the hand was submitted to a physician, who thought it should he lanced or no relief would be found in less than a Week, hut the next day the pain took its final leave. No anodyne was used to procure sleep, as the steaming instantly relieved the pain until the next attack.— Cor. Country Gentleman.