Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 June 1879 — HOME, FARM AND GARBER. [ARTICLE]

HOME, FARM AND GARBER.

—A sprinkling of line plaster or sulphur over the leaves of the strawberry at the first appearance of the blight (g suggested as a remedy for this disease, which has made suoh sad work with the foliage of this delicious berry. —Quiok Graham Biscuit.—Three cups of graham flour, one cup of white flour; rub in the flour two tablespoons of lard, one heaping spoon of sngar, a little salt, two teaspoons of baking powder, and milk to make a soft biscuit dough; cut and bake as you do the white soda biscuit. These will bo found nice cold as well as hot. —Corn-cobs dipped into molasses and suspended from limbs in the plumtrees have saved many a crop oi plums for a Moreland (Pa.) farmer. He has done this for many years with success. The curculio will lay bis brood into the sweetened corn-cob instead of the plums. From six to twelve prepared corn-cobs are sufficient for an ordinarysized tree. —A certain farmer in Illinois will not allow partridges to be killed on his place. He states that recent investigations made by him prove conclusively that they are the best protection the wheat crop could have. In the crgw of one ho found over a hundred bugs of the most destructive kind to the wheat crop. His crop is excellent, while those of his neighbors have been ruined by bugs. —The Cultivator says of squashes: ♦* The seeds of the different varieties are very apt to mix when planted in close proximity, and hence it is hard to get pure seed, the seed-growers often being too careless about the location whence they have seed. Unripe or partlydecayed squashes are often fed to stock, and make good fat. They should, however, have the seeds removed first, as these have a diuretic effect injurious to cows.” —Family Graham Bread.—Set a sponge of white flour by taking two teacups of milk and sufficient yeast, or should you have your white bread sponge set, take two teacups of the light sponge and one cup of warm water, a little salt, one tablespoon of molasses, one of lard or butter; stir in the graham flour with a spoon until you nave quite a stiff dough, but not hard, then set to rise again, and when light put in pans, using as little flour as possible, handling it lightly with your hands; let rise again and bake slowly about an hour and a quarter. This recipe makes two medium-sized loaves; care should be taken that it does not get too light after putting it in the pans. —A correspondent of Forest and Stream says: “ A very successful plan has been tried by placing in Mr. Crow’s way a number of grains with a horse hair run through them. He is bound to swallow one, and his note of alarm is soon sounded. It is impossible for him to dislodge the grain, and if he can be watched V sufficient length of, time he will be seen to cut his own throat in scratching at it. His usual note is changed, and I can assure you that life to him is such a misery he could ‘ even wish that he were dead.* It has been noticed that after the note of alarm had been sounded all the crows in the vicinity will leave that field and approach it no more that season. It is a simple thing, yet all who try it will find it a success.’’