Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1860-02-25

BLANcnING CELERY wirH sAwDusT.


BLANCHING CELERY WITH SAwDuST.
Having had some trouble in the winter of
1857, in keeping late celery from rottng in
new Kitchen garden, where the soil was very
'.etentivc and damp, and the plants earthed up
IN the usual manner, ! have since used sawdust
for the purpose, and ind that it answers per-
fectly. Last winter all the late celery here was
earthed up with sawdust, and II kept quite
sound till April, aud no slugs or insects at
tackled il underground; the heads being very
solid, clear, and crisp, aud well favored. had
some doubts that the sawdust from resinous
trees might give the celery disagreeable iia-
vor, but on trial ] found that not TO be the
case, and the sawdust is now taken indiscrimi-
nately from the saw-pits, where different kinds
Of trees arc sawn up. Before the late severe
frost occurred in October, had just flushed
the earthing-up of all the late celery with saw
dust, and | find it now wonderfully fresh, the
frost not having penetrated far through the
surface Of the hearts. The practice of using
sawdust may BIO new to some, yet often hear
of the difficulty Of keeping late celery from rot
ting in. winter, and the more extended use OF
sawdust may be of advantage to other garde-
ners who, like myself have stiff and damp soils
TO manage.
BOARD FENCES.
The usual width of boards, for panel fence,
is about seven inches for the two upper boards
and eight or ten inches for the lower ones,
making A feet of boards per rod. By having
the upper and lower boards six inches wide,
and two four inch boards between them, and
leaving space of six or seven inches between
the boards, 81 feet of lumber per rod will make
fence high and strong enough to keep out
farm stock.
CUT AND CRUSHED FOOD FOR Houses.
The horses in Flanders are kept in the stable
winter and summer. Their straw and hay is
always cut, and their grain always given to
them in the form of meal, and generally ''mix-
ed with their drinks" Their daily food in win
ter is Is lbs hay; l0lbs. straw, and 8 lbs. oats.
In summer, clover is substituted for hay. The
horses are in the finest condition.
SALT FOR MICH COWS.
Without the use of salt the milk becomes
scanty and imperfect. The greatest necessity
for its use is in the spring, when the cows are
first turned out to grass. A few experiments
in May and June showed that going without
salt Eve days shrunk the milk from one to two
per cent. in quantity, and from FIVE to seven per
cent. in quality. Later in the season, less diff
ference was observable.
FOOD FOR HORSES.
Variety is an essential. Oats are not the
only food that will fit horse for labor or the
road. Roots are oftentmes much superior.
OF these CARROT are the best, and keep the horse
sleek and in good health. Heayey horses,
while fed on cut corn stalks, together with a
little corn and cob meal will not show any
symptoms Of the disease.
THE IMPORTANCE OF CLEAN MILKING.
Careful experiments showed that the strip
pings, or the last half pint of milk drawn from
the COW, contains more cream than twelve times
the same quantity taken from the first part OF
the same milking. In some of the experiments
the proportion was considerably greater.
SHEEP IN WINTER.
The first great want of sheep in winter is
protection from the inclemency of the weather.
Shelter is prime necessity to them. ConGne-
ment is, however, not advisable but the OPP
portunity Of having refuge to go to when it
is necessary, ought to be given. Feed regular
ly, and give them free access to water.
SEED CORN.
Every farmer should know that if seed corn
is frozen before it is dry, its vitality is destroy
ed. If farmers will take care that their seed
corn is gathered in season to get thoroughly
dried before it freezes, there will be no danger
of a strange and mysterious failure of seed
corn, if the corn is ripe, Or nearly ripe when it
is gathered
WINTERING CALVES.
Particular care should be taken of calves
during the early part of winter. 0ther food
besides hay should be given-small quantities
of oats or roots will be most seryiceablc.
pSs@ Thousands of lambs are lost for thu
want of one nights shelter. Thousands o.
sheep are destroyed by constant shelter
Easr If you invest money in tools, and ther
leave them exposed to the weather, it is tn,
same as loaning money to n speudtheift with.
out security-a dead loss in both cases.
SWELL, farmer you told us your place wa
good place for hunting now we have tramp
ed it for three hours and found no game