Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1868-09-25
FARM AND FIRESIDE.

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A REMEDY FOR EpILEpsY.-Some years
ago female was attacked with epilepsy in
one of the streets of Oporto, and several
persons collected around her A by-stander
suddenly cried out, "Cover her face with a
black silk handkerchief
A man took off his cravat and threw it
over her face. Strange to say, her conyul-
sions instantly ceased, and, rising on her feet,
she thanked the persons around and walked
away without any assistance.
One of the spectators of this strange scene
was a gentleman, who aftearwrd became d.
rector Of the institutes of manufactures at
Oporto; and, when year ago, one of the
pupils named Vidal was attacked with epilep-
sy, he recollected what he had seen.
He proposed to the physician of the estab-
lishment to try the effect of black silk
handkerchief thrown over the face-not, he
said, that he really believed the remedy to
be worth much, but that 1t might be we'll to
try it, as it could do no harm
| A black silk cravat was accordingly thrown
on the face of Vidal, and the spasms ceased
as if by enchantment, and he soon after re-
covered. Twenty times after, Vidal had
other attacks, but he always recovered by
means of the same remedy.
The Norn,andie, after reading these facts,
says it cannot explain whether it is the silk
Or the black color, or both, which puts an
end to the epileptic attack but en- attendant
the investigation of scientific men, it strong
ly recommends the remedy
CURRANr TREES Having noticed that
currant bushes may as well be made trees as
shrubs, I conclude to tell you how I have
seen it done. In the spring of 1881 my
father commenced a garden, and among
other things, set cuttings for currant bushes
l determined to experiment on one of those
cuttings, and as soon as it grew pinched
off all the leaves except the top tuft, which
let grow. The cutting was about fourteen
inches long, and during the summer the
sprout from this grew ten inches. The next
spring pinched off all the leaves to about
half way up the first years growth so as to
leave the lowest limbs two feet from the
ground. It branched well and became q
handsome little dwarf tree. When it came
to bear fruit it was more productive than
any other bush in the garden, and the fruit
larger 1t was less infested with spiders and
other insects, hens could not pick off the
fruit, and grass and weeds were more easily
kept from the roots, it wasan ornament, in
stead of blemish. Now, would propose
that currant cuttings be set in rows about
four or five feet apart each way Qet them
be long and straight) and trained into trees.
PRESERVING CRAB ApPLEs.-A beautiful
sight is the crap apple tree, loaded with its
rudy Of golden fruit, which loses none of
its charms when we'll preserved upon the ia
BILE. Core them with a penknife leaving the
hole as small as possible. Put pound Of
refined sugar for every pound of prepared
| fruit in the preserving vessel, and add one
cup of water to each pound offruit and cook
over slow fire. When the sugar is all dissolv
ed and hot put in the apples and boil gently
until they are clear. Take out the apples,
boil the syrup until it is thick, and pour in
to the vessels in which the fruit is to kept.
A few slices of lemon boiled with the fruit
improves the preserve for those who like that
flavor The apples are sometimes preserved
whole with three fourths Of ID. of sugar to
| lib. Of fruit, but they are not go nice. For
immediate use, ] Id. of sugar to one Of
cored fruit makes nice sauce for roast
meats. .. ... .....-..
HORSE SHoE1NG.- new system Of shoe
ing horses is recommended in the recently
published report of the juries of the French
Exhibition. It's inventor, NJ. Charlier, con-
tends that the present style of shoe destroys
the horses foot and substitutes for it an iron
band, fitted into rectangular groove scooped
from the outer circle of the horses foot. This
band is fastened with seven rectangular
nails, driven into oval holes. The sole of
the foot and the frog are thus allowed to
touch the ground, the horse never slips, and
never gets diseases of the foot. The new
shoe has been tried by M. Lauguet, a large
iobmaster in Paris. and has reduced lame
ness in his stables by two thirds. The Om-
nibus Company also have shod 1900 horses,
and speak of the improvement in high terms,
How TO CURE CoRNs. Never let anything
harder than your finger nail touch corn.
The worst kind are controllable as follows:
SOAK the feet in quite warm water for half
an hour before going to bed, then rub on the
corn with your finger for several minutes,
some common sweet oil. Do this every
night, and every morning repeat this rubbing
in of oil with the finger. Bind on the toe
during the day two or three thicknesses Of
buckskin, with hole in the centre to re-
ceive the corn In less than week, in Or
binary cases, if the corn does not fall out
you can pinch it out with your finger nail
Corn FOR SEED.-should be selected per-
sonally before the stalks are cut up. Go
throug Oh the best part of the field, taking
the ears on the most prolific stalks, and
choosing the ears which please you best on
the stalks which are of medium size and not
given to suckering, Mark by string tied
around the middle of the ear. At husking
E time all these ears will be saved by them
selves, and out of them, when the husks are
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