Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 July 1878 — HOME, FARM AND GARDEN. [ARTICLE]

HOME, FARM AND GARDEN.

—Every enterprising farmer should make an experiment-station of his farm, himself being the director. —To destroy bugs on squash or cucumber vines, dust them with woodashes, lime or plaster-paris; or sprinkle them with water off of coal-tar.— DctMoines Register. —lt is found that I,sso'pounds of po-, taloes are required, in cattle-feeding, to form the same quantity of slosh that 100 pounds of beans would do.— Bt. Louis Republican. —Salt is very important tor animals. Large pieces of rock-salt put into the mangers and feeding-troughs are recommended. One-half the ash of animal blood consists of salt; without the latter the blood cannot be in a natural or healthy state. —Parsnips contain qlmost twice as much dry matter, or real food, as turnips, and this of a superior quality. Carrots, again, oontain about as much dry substance as mangolds, but are richer in sugar and of better feeding quality. — St. Louis Republican. —House-plants that have been turned out of their pots apd set in the garden, will often grow durinfr the season to a size that untits them tor their former use, and the better way is to start new young plants from cuttings to take their places.— lowa State Register. —To utilize feathers of ducks, chickens and turkeys, generally thrown aside as refuse, trim tne plumes from the stump, inclose them fn a tight bag, rub the whole as if washing clothes, and you will secure a perfeefly uniform and light down, excellent for quilting coverlets and not a few other purposes. —Some men never do anything at all on their farms, because they stand like a little urchin in a big watermelon patch, dazed at the innumerable chances for choosing. They have so many good things to plant—and so many good ways to plant them—so many pressing things to do, and no one to begin on, that the year glides from unaer their feet, and they have made nothing but a—failure.— Southern Planter and Grange. —Weeds are like Banquo’s gfiost. They will not “ down at your bidding.” No matter how much you mutilate them, and disturb the soil under them, if you leave them on the surface in a rainy day they will still persist in growing. They cling to life like cats and some other animals, which, strange as it may seem, prefer to live rather than die. But no tender-heart-ed sciitiinentalißni.inust be allowed to come in to weaken the efforts of the agricultural army in its war of extermination against the weeds. No lopping off here and there a leaf or a sprout will amount to anything. No half-way work will answer the purpose; the evil must be removed root and branch, prohibited, suppressed, obliterated. If you adopt the false theory that mild measures are best, and merely cut off the tops while the roots are left in the ground, you will soon find them springing up with moro vigor and power for mischief than before. Radical measures and no other are in order among weeds. It is not for the legislature to proclaim a prohibitory law against them The law of Nature and self-preserva-tion requires that they be exorcised, banished, put down, and this law must be enforced, or they will get the advantage of the corn and potatoes, and when harvest time comes there will be notliing but weeds to harvest. — Vi rmont Record and Farmer.