The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-10-20
USEFUL AND SUGGESTIVE.

The Net0 England Farmer thinks the
discussions among farmers at fairs, when
properly conducted, as important as any
branch of the occasion.
ENGLISH Potato BALLs.-Boil some
potatoes very dry, mash them as smoothly
as possible, season well with salt and
pepper, warm them with about an ounce
OF butter to the pound and few spoon
fuls of good cream. Let them cool a
little, roll them into balls, sprinkle over
them some crushed vermacelli or maca
roni and fry them light brown.
A. NJ. GARLAND, in the Western Rural,
reiterates the opinion that farmers who
sell their focks Of sheep to butchers, or
allow them to be decimated by neglect or
disease, act very foolishly. He thinks
wool will soon bring better prices, and
that the demand for mutton is steadily in
creasing. He, however, does not advise
keeping large Jocks in the States east of
the Mississippi.
IT is said that clothing treated with
tungstate of soda may be rendered nom
inflsmmable. a concentrated neutral so
luton of this salt is diluted with about
one third water, and then mixed with
three per cent. of phosphate of soda. 1t
is used in the royal laundries of England.
Even the lightest muslins dipped in it and
| dried will not take fire or burn.
SECRETARY HOWARD, of the Michigan
Board of Agriculture, in reviewing the
characteristics of the season, in 1869, in
Michigan, says the great agricultural les
son to be learned from the season is the
necessity of drainage. He thinks there
are many thousands of acres on which
the Increased value Of the crop that
might have been obtained in that year
would have paid the whole expense OF
drainage.
| A BARREL of -four weighs 1876 pounds,
a barrel of pork 200 pounds, barrel o!
rice 600 pounds, keg of powder
| 25 pounds, firkin of butter Sc
pounds, tub of butter 81 pounds. The
following are sold by weight per bushei
Wheat, beans and clover seed, 60 pounds
corn, rye and flaxseed, 55 pounds; buck
wheat, SO pounds; barley, 4S pounds
coarse salt, IS pounds.
COOKING OAT MEAL.-Take one quar-
OF water in TIN kettle, place it on The
stove and put in a little salt. Stir in slo y
| ly two large tablespoonfuls of meal. Let il
simmer gently for half an hour, stirring
| frequently. 1t will thicken and grow
whittier until the expiration Of that time
when it is suff1 GENTLY done. Some MILF
can be added. If scalded milk is obi ected
to, cold can be used after being brought
to the table.
A CONVENIENT method Of preparing
outdoor labels for plants, capable OF re
sisting any weather consists in first cut
ting them out of smooth paste board, an(
writing upon them whatever may be de
sired in ordinary ink. When this is dry
they are immersed in linseed- oil, or, wba
is still better, linseed oil varnish, unit
they are completely permeated by the
liquid; after which they arc hung in thu
open air upon threads to dry. They be
come like iron, and resist wet for a Ions
time, and are more durable than slips o
metaL-Erchange.
BIOLOGISTS say that building ston,
should be placed in wall in the sam'
relative position as that in which it Wa
taken out of the quarry. When the root
became solid from its prlmeval semi.fuit
condition, gravity made the stratifcatio,
take place In horizontal direction. So
as wood in psvements is exposed with thu
end of the grain to the wear, the ston,
should be dressed in such way that til:
edge Of the grain may sustain the actor
of the elements.
; A WRITER in an English journal sug
gests the use OF ordinary sulphurIc aciC
or oil OF vltrlOl as an excellent agent fol
the destruction of weeds on lawns Tn
difficulty of Graduating such unsi ghtly
elements OF the lawn is we'll understood
since TO do SO satisfactorily requires tn,
removal of large amount of dirt, pro
ducng corresponding injury to the gen
eral appearance. By taking the acid il
question and allowing few drops to fal
into the crown of any obnoxious weeds
it will turn them brown in an instant, anC
ultimately cause the death of the plant
Great care must of course be taken to pre-
vent any of the acid from falling upo1
the skin or any articles of clothing.
PETROLEUM AS PAINT.-We recon-
J mend the use of petroleum to preserv,
wood-not as a paint Nothing shout,
be u liked with it. The only point in ap
plying it is to get as much Oil on as tn,
wood will absorb. We use it on nipple
ments, machines, wagons, carts, fences
buildings, shingle-roots, pig troughs, etc
with great advantage. 1t will certainl,
do much to preserve wood from decayiD g
: and iron from rusting. We buy it by tn
barrel, at from rs to 30 cents per gallon
and use it freely on all wood work expos
ed to the weather. 1t is not necessary t,
go into the details of its application. w
would simply advise our readers to get
barrel and use it freely on plows, barrows
drills, cultivators, reapers, mowers, ted
ders, forks, rakes, spades, shovels, hoes
axes, scythes, cradles, hen-coop., dol
kennels, hot bed frames, sashes, swill bar
rels, pals, pig troughs, plank floors
wheeloarrows, gates, fences, wagons, carts
sleighs, stOne-boats, horse-pOwers, ant
sewing -mechines We have used it On al
these and many similar things, and thinl
even log chains and crow bars would b
none the worse for being rubbed owe
with it.-American Agriculturist.