Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1869-02-26
FARM AND FIRESIDE.

sandy soil but as all farmers gardens are
not sandy, the following method will be found
highly advantageous to those whose soil is a
heavy loan, approaching clay: Make steep,
conical hills, a foot or more in height, and
two and one-half feet diameter at the base;
in the tops of these set the plants. Water
thoroughly and Immediately cover the sur
face of the hills slightly with dry earth, to
prevent the ground from baking. The roots
will soon spread through every part of the
mounds, and being 50 exposed to the rays Of
the sun will grow amazingly Do not be
afraid the heat will burn them up-the to-
mato came from hot country and will en-
dure heat and drought that would be fatal
to Northern plants.
Should the drouth DO excessive and the
vines droop somewhat, dust them with plas-
ter. This will attract moisture enough at
night to support them during the day, be-
sides furnishing them with ammonia. Hoe
and plaster frequently. When the tomatoes
are the size of crab apples, pull off the small
est and also pinch off the tops of the plants
Let the vines fall and remain directly on the
ground, that the fruit may have the full ben
this method ripe tomatoes may be had full
three weeks earlier than by fiat culture in
the common way. .hGo sil.i u aruilt..9 49,,
Farmers are advised to start their. plants
in small squares Of. inverted sod,in a slight
hotbed. Such plants are moved in perfect
safety are more stocky in habit, and in ev-i
cry way better than plants, grown thickly in
-
I have tested no early tomato better than
Early York, and no late, variety better than
the Feejee. II .''Hi'N 'Di9.;f'' = 14i'nr ''
..iisnfs Is;s,s Io~-----At 9 jssJ.s 5a.a.
How 10 SPLIT WooD EASILY IA great
many hard working men, who have never
been accustomed to commit their, ideas to
to paper. understand that any kind of fire.
wood, or timber that is being split into oven-
wood, or riven into slaves, Or Iwagon spokes,
will separate much more easily when split
"slab fashion, than when separated in the
direction from the heart toward the sap por-
ton of the log Or stick There is phil
osophieal reason for this. When stick is
split "slab fashion," the parts are separated
between the annual and the concentric of the
tree, one Of which is formed every growing
season. The union between these annual
layers, Or rings of wood, is not SO perfect as
it is between the particles which form ring
or circle of the wood I'll. -.3asj,j,;.l t.-- -.
inexperienced laborers and boys do not
always understand how much advantage may
be taken Of their hard labor, when splitting
wood, by understanding this fact. When
log'is sawed into short cuts for example, to
be split into firewood, two iron wedges and
beetle would be necessary to open cut
through the heart But by taking off thin
slabs, most of the splitting may be done with
only an axe.
Sugar maple is sometimes so difficult to
split through the heart, that laborer may
drive in all his wedges and gluts without
being able to open alog four feet long :;
whereas were the cut stabbed, the splitting
could be performed with comparatively little
labor. Then, after a log is split into slabs,
the labor Of splitting the slabs the other way
will be comparatively light. Hearth and
Home. ...., ...,-.. .... ....;.,..-.....
PRESERVING TIMER. builders, gar
deners, and others who employ homegrown
timber for fencing and other purposes, 8
correspondent in the London Gardeners
Chronicle recommends preventive of dry
rot, which he says has been thoroughly test
ed by experiment. 1t consists in soaking
the timber for short time in lime water.
A pit or tank, or good-sized tank, accord
ing to the extent of requirement, will answer
the purpose. the lime being added to the wa
ter in the proportion of Lightweight grains
to the gallon. Timber prepared in this way
is said to stand the weather remarkably
we'll. s.:s-....t O..
CURE FOR IN-GRoWING NAILS. 1t is stated
that cauterization by hot tallow is immediate
cure for in-growing nails. Put az small piece
Of tallow in spoon, and heat it over a lamp
until it becomes very hot, and drop two or
three drops between the nail and granula-
tons. The effect is almost magical Pain
and tenderness are at once relieved, and in
a few days the granulations all go, leaving
the discussed parts dry, and destitute of all
feeling, and the edge of the nail exposed, so
as to admit of being pared away without any
Inconvenience. The operation causese little
if any pain, .ifthe tallow is. properly heated.
. II Ts-t I.t
The HARRISON PorATo. An Oswcgo
County, N Y, farmer writes that he plant
ed eight quarts Of the Harrison potato in the
drill on piece of land eight rods long and
three feet wide, from which he raised eleven
bushels Of potatoes---or. a yield Of ] ,210
bushels per acre. During, twenty years ex-
perience as potato, grower he has never had
such production as this The California,
ranking next as q prolific potato, yielded
1000 bushels per acre the past year with
the same advantages
A H1Nr.--By inclosing the north side of
your vegetable. garden with a close plank
fence, and keeping it we'll washed; you may
enjoy vegetables much earlier than without
such a fence, or some other artificial means
for accclerating their growth The earliest
varieties should be planted along such d
fence which will not only screen, them from
cold winds, but, by rejecting the SUMS rays
upon them, hasten their growth.
To purify Lard from Salt, which it often
contains, and which is sometimes added to
increase its weight, it is only necessary to
melt it with two or three times its weight of
boiling water, and when still in a LIQUID
state, agitate it well and set it aside to COOL
When lard is wanted for, ointments Tor
pomades, it is always desirable to free it from
all traces of salt. ..t fe.Hf.ti
1870, %, ash S.5-g
Agriculture is science which teaches
the artist the best mode of improving and
fitting up his laboratory instructs him in
the properties and economical use Of his raw
material him how best to apply his
agents-and it thereby enables him greatly
toabridge his labor and multiply his products.