Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-07-21
HOME. FARM AND GARDEN.

HOME, FARM AND GARDEN.
1t is stated that if small quantity OF
coal Oil is dropped on piece OF cotton,
then squeezed out as dry as possible, and
the cotton then rubbed over the face and
hands, no mosquito will alight where the
scent has been left.
The Swans of the N. Y. American
Institute Farmers Club, have discussed
the king bird, and come to the conclusion
that he does not destroy bees. A cores
pondent of the Nesc England Farmer says
that he doubts this decision, and recently
watched king bird flying about swarm
of bees. His observations convinced him
that the bird was there for the very pur-
pose of catching the workers as they re-
turned to the hive, loaded with honey,
snd also that he was succeeding at the
business very finely. A few days since
neighbor shot a king bird which WAS Hit
ting about among his swarms, and upon
dissecting him, found ten of the bees in
his stomach. Now, if king-birds don't
eat bees. how came bees there?
Sure Cure for Bed bugs" Aunt
Hattie says. in Western RnroI. -Four
years since moved into a house which
was swarmipg with bed bugs. l white
washed the ceiling, pspered the walls and
secured the floors with boiling hot sudt.
Yet enough survived To establish good
sized colonies in every bedstead. j then
took a teaspoonful of quicksilver, costing
ten or fifteen cents, which beat up with
the whites of two eggs, just as l would
make frosting for cake, or till the quick
silver was thoroughly mixed with the
egg this / applied with feather to every
crack and crevice where bed-bug could
hide, after washing the bedsteads in cold
water. This | repeated three or four
times during the fret summer, and about
three times during the second summer.
The result Ia, have not seen q bug for
two years. As the bugs will not stay
where quicksilver is applied faithfully, it
is necessary to overhaul the bedding ire.
quently, TO capture stragglers who are
seeking a more healthful abode. ] have
never known it TO fail when faithfully
applied
Cheap Portable Fcnce.-We find In
an exchange the following description OF
q cheap fence that may be erected for
permanence, or can be easily moved !:
Take for full fence, four pieces of boards
six inches wide and Of the common length.
sixteen feet. To these put on three
clests, one at each end and one in the
middle, nailed with either hammered or
with good eight-penny cut nails snnealed,
or at least those that will clinch good.
These win make pannels easily handled,
and when set up in the desired place, let
each alternate PANEL have cleats face in
opposite directions. The ends Of the
boards ON one PANEL would butt up to
the cleat on the other; the boards In this
little space are double. A pair of stakes
are then to be driven into the ground, the
top boards resting on the stakes where
they intersect; they also rest on the top
edge of the second boards from the top.
In this way the stakes serve IS wise to
hold the whole together. The stakes can
stand straight enough, 90 that but little
ground will be lost from cultivation.
How to Make Toast.-A good dish of
toast is Q rarity, and an Enjoyment. For
breakfast few things surpass 1t to those
who are accustomed to that dish at that
meal. 1t is light, digestible, and reliable.
and is not very expensive. A cup OF tea
or coffee, with baked Spitzenburg, or q
dish Of any other sub-acid in addition,
will make . satisfactory meal TO reason
lble man. In tcasting bread the follow
Ing rules should be observed: Warm
your bread well, by changing the sides Of
The slice. When heated through, brown
Is il desired. There should be rather lit.
lie than much browning, and the slices
should be quite thin, say q quarter TO
hree.eighths Of an inch, no more. But
DO not scorch avoid that in all cases.
The philosophy in browning is TO take
your time until you are done. Where the
toast accumulates, keep in hot dish, but
use a. soon as possible. What 10 desirable
in toast ID the rich flavor formed by chang
ing the starch into dextrine or gum. Heat
eysporates moisture IN bread as well as
elsewhere. The moisture that escapes
rom toast leaves the bread light and soft,
md porous inside.
Stirring the Soil in Dry Weather.
X the soil Il likely 70 bake-become a.
{ were, stonc-thc more Il q stirred the
better and this is not unfreqently the
:ase on clayey lands or where there IL
title but clear loan. When soil IL cool
n than the air-and 1t always 10 when
{ u In the ahsde-it will condense mois.
;ure from the air even in dry weather,
md this Is one reason We stir the soil
n drought. When the ground u turned
~, the cir In the interstices between the
:lods becomes cooled, because n y mot e.
scted By the direct rays Of the Gun, md,