Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 74, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 May 1899 — FARM AND GARDEN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARM AND GARDEN

Handy Wagon Jack. With this jack the heaviest load that can be put on a wagon can be lifted by one man, and thus, if a break occurs with a load on, it need not be unloaded to take a wheel off for repair. It is made with a lever In two joints (A and B), fastened together with straps of iron (0), in such a way that the part A works upon the straps C, which are firmly bolted to the long part of the lever (B) as a hinge. The foundation (D) is a 2x4 plank 6 feet long. At one end bolt on a 2x4 about 4 feet long (E), to prevent it upsetting. Bolt on the foundation, on each side, a 2x4 block (F) for a fulcrum. Bore a three-fourth inch hole through these blocks, 10 Inches from bottom, and also through lever just below the straps. An Iron pin through these holes makes the pivot Great weight sometimes rests on these blocks,

no they should be bolted together at top with a block between. At the other end of foundation plank bolt on a 2x4 (G) so that the lever will work close to It, and bore three-fourth inch holes in G two inches apart Make a pin of hard wood to fit these holes, to hold the lever at any point desired. Make lever of tough wood; flatten where Iron straps are bolted on, and also Where it comes in contact with G. The top of lever (A) is placed under axle. If it •does not reach block up each end of E.—Ohio Farmer. Points About Growing Potatoes. The quantity of seed potatoes required for an acre will depend a great •deal upon the size of the potatoes and the size of the pieces each seed potato is cut into at planting time. As a general rule it requires from ten to twelve bushels planted in rows 3 feet apart and 18 Inches apart in the row. This is supposing that the potatoes are of medium size and are cut so that each piece will have two or three eyes. The land should be rich. Loam well fertilized with stable manure is as good as any soil that can be had. If the potatoes can be planted on clover sod, so much the better. Prairie sod can be well cut up into a mellow seed bed. Ordinarily the second year after breaking the prairie is better than the first Ground which had no crop last year and was covered with weeds will contain a great number of weed seeds and •*uch labor will be required to keep the potatoes clean.—Orange Judd Farmer. A Movable Fence. The illustration, from the American Agriculturist, shows a kind of fence panel with which either small or large yards can be made for pasturing pigs out of doors tn summer—a fence that can be taken up and moved to a new location when tt is desired to move the occupants of the pen to new ground. The posts of each panel of fence extend about twenty Inches below the lowest board, and are sharpened. If desired, hooks and staples can be placed on each end part, so that two panels can be hooked together at the corners. Un-

less the ground Is very loose, causing the stakes to be insecure, this will, however, hardly be necessary. Handy Water Supply. I have a good wind pump on the north side of the house, about four yards away. It is over a good well which seldom, if ever, goes dry. The water is soft The water is forced through a two-inch piping up into the house tank, which is a large galvanized tank in the kitchen. It has a box frame over it and a large lid to cover it up. When the tank lacks just a few inches from running over in the house it begins to flow out at a standing pipe. It flows through piping under the ground to the cellar. It goes in at a piping to the milk trough. It flows to the lower end of the cement trough, and then when the trough is so full it begins to run out, but still leaves a certain' amount in the trough. After it leaves the cellar It flows through piping under the ground to the lower aide of the • hone lot, where It comes up in the large tank. There are two other tanks on the place that this same pump fills, watw, and you mJj before

cooks in the kitchen hare had a good supply of fresh water, for all the water pumped by the pump first went through the house tank, and It all had to flow through the milk trough, too, so it has been very useful already —the milk and butter are kept cool. Ws have it arranged handy for bathing. The water never gets warm on the house tank, for fresh water is constantly flowing through. The piping is below freezing point—Charles W. Lovelaw, in Practical Farmer. Waste on the Farm. Good management both on the farm and in the household demands that all source of waste be guarded against and that all by-products be utilized to the best advantage. ' That the kitchen and table waste are generally realized. Don’t waste your cold bread; and after each meal take the bread that is left, carefully cut off all the top crust, place these in some sour milk, same as you use for making bread, In time to become thoroughly soaked before making bread for another meal Then when you are ready to make your bread take one or two of the soaked biscuits, crumble them up and mix well with your dough, and your bread will be lighter, and it will not take as much lard as the ordinary way. Those that try it will be pleased with the result, for it Is a great saving and makes a nice delicious biscuit Don’t depend upon the top of your stove for anything. There is nothing like a good oven for-making nice preserves. There is little or no danger of scorching, and the long, slow cooking results in clear, delicious preserves. Don’t waste fuel by keeping fire when not necessary. While ironing on top, do your baking or preserving In the oven. Don’t let the cheese mold. Use it In preparing cooked dishes. Don’t neglect your household duties, but let each one of us make our duties as light as possible. Use judgment in our work. Learn to apply the old saying, “Let your brains save your heels.” To imagine some one else has an easier time than we do does not lighten our tasks, and only results in making us disagreeable and unhappy. Women should realize and with the realization accept the fact that their household duties are something to be taken up and carried on cheerfully and uncomplainingly, making the home hafipy and pleasant for all In it—Mrs. J. R. Brenton. Better Use of Cotton Seed. It seems almost incredible now that the old-time practice with Southern cotton planters was to pile all their cotton seed in heaps after it was separated from the cotton, and after it was rotted down it was used as manure. Now all the oil is pressed out of the cotton seed, and the meal is found to be an excellent feed for stock. This does not lose its material value, however, but probably makes it more effective, as the meal, after it has passed through the animal, can then be rotted down into a much stronger fertilizer than It could while in the seed. It is such economies as this in the use of all parts of the cotton plant that make it possible to grow cotton at much lower prices than anyone could have thought could be done in the old wasteful times.— American Cultivator. Rubber Shoes for Horses. While Improved roads enable a horse to draw a load with less exertion, the Bounding on the hard surface has <

rather serious effect on the joints of the animal’s leg, causing them frequently to go lame f from no other cause whatever. This is to be remedied by the.elastic tread shoe, which offers at all times a soft cushion for the

animal’s foot and yet a firmer one thaw the ordinary type of metal shoe. Thlf is done, further, without the use ol screws, which have the objection of soon becoming loosened by the constant hammering. The shoe proper, which is fastened to the hoof in the usual way, has an IncHned wall around the outer surface. Inside oT which a rim of rubber is placed which acts as the cushion. The latter is held firmly in place by a securing plate clamped to the shoe by three depending pins, one of which is supplied with a bolt This holds the three parts securely together. Rubber for this purpose is very durable, and lasts a long time, and when finally worn out can be readily replaced without any special knowledge of horseshoeing. The rubber gives a sure footing at all times, and on all characters of road, while such is not the Case with the metal shoe, for the latter sometimes becomes smooth, when a sheet of asphalt presents almost as dangerous a surface as one of inw. Superior Quality in Tobacco. The most Important requisite of the tobaco plant is potash. This can be told by anyone who has noticed the great proportion of ash which tobacco, whether in cigar or pipe, leaves after it has been burned. On the other hand nitrogenous manure, which makes a rampant growth of leaves, do not produce the finest quality. The leaves are thick and do not show the delicate texture of the leaf which indicates high qualities. Of course tobacco land needs to be rich, so as to make a large leaf, but to secure tobacco'that will burn freely there should always be an excess of potash in the soil. Stable manure is objectionable, not only because it generally lacks potash, but because in midsummer when ft beats tt furnishes such an excess o£ nitrogen .that the leaf is gorged with sap. A small amount of nitrate of potash on yjgrausagsag tt very superior quality.

WAGON JACK.

MOVABLE FENCE FOB PIGS.

RUBBER SHOE.