The Placer herald., 1870-12-10
HOUSE AND FAR NJ.


of a single weed upon the agriculture of a
field or garden, selected plant of purslane
(pursley or pursles as called by some), the
meenest plant, and carefully counted the
number of pods. 1t was a large sized plant
from rich spot of ground. The number of
its seed pods was 4,613. He then took four
teen of the pods-seven small ones, four me-
dium, and three of the largest, and counted
the seed in them. The result gave an aver
age Of ninety seeds to the pod. Thus in this
single plant we have the enormous number
of 415, 40 seeds. If these were spread
over plat of ground, and should germinate,
and man should attempt to cut them with
hoe, and should average six plants at a
blow, and make thirty strokes of the hoe
per minute, it would take him thirty-eight
hours and twenty-three minutes to cut them
out. Or, if these weeds are equally dis
seminated at the rate of four to the square
foot, they would cover two and third acres
of ground. Again, allowing that only one
third of these seeds germinate, and that the
product shall be only one-half as rich in seed
as this one, yet they will produce the enor-
nous number of S,727 ,52S, $50 seed
enough to cover broad fields the third year
from one seed Do not these figures show
the immense Importance of cutting and des
troying every weed before it goes to seed?
There is no doubt that many other weeds
are fully as prolific as this. 1t has been
known in wet weather to grow and mature
its seed long after it had been entirely sever
ed from the root.
FEED THE FRUIT TREEs.-lt must be ap-
parent to every rejecting person that the
material round about fruit tree, which rem
ders important aid in the production of fine
fruit of any kind, must be more or less ex-
hausted after vine, bush, or tree has pro-
duced aboundant crops for several successive
seasons. For example, large pear tree or APP
pie tree will frequently yield from ten to hf-
teen bushels of fruit annually. Many trees
have produced more than twice these quanti-
ties at one crop. After few seasons the
material that the roots must be supplied
with, in order to develop fruit, will be more
or less exhausted. For this reason fruit be-
gins to fail, and the failure is attributed to
an east wind, or some mysterious atmospheric
influence, when in reality the sole cause is
starvation, arising from an Impoverished
soil. 1t is evident that frui. trees cannot pro
duce fine fruit out Of nothing, or out of such
material as may be desirable for some other
purpose.
How TO Boil TorGH MEAT TENDER
Alexander Forsyth-who besides being an
original genius, was once a pupil of Louis
Philippe's head cook-says that while tough
and lean meat is made tougher and leaner
H., - III -, -. l.. l.,
tender, and have the requisite fattness sup
piled, by being boiled in suet or other fat
He says that a thin lean strip of beef, of the
toughest and cheapest character, may be
boiled into a cylinder-shaped mass, bound
with cords, and boiled in suet, in small
vessel of nearly its own size and shape $50
that but small quantity of the fat will be
needed), and thus made fat, tender, delici-
Gus, and fit for an epicure. The experiment
is simple, easily tried in any kitchen, and it
looks promising. Fatty oils boil only at
from 600 to 700 F.; while water boils at
212. The same result is attained by boiling
in oil that would be reached by boiling in
water under great pressure, as in a steam
boiler
lAON ~ -'lthE Ahhfh Doh OulII-
vate wheat and oats largely. Sell all you
raise. Have your grain thrashed in the field
and burn the straw when it is in your way
That is the way to make the farm poor
This is the way to make it rich: Cultivate
wheat, oats, and otEer crops, and feed to
the stock Take all care of manure, manure
your grain fields and your fruit trees Change
crops by rotation-not forgetting the great
value to lands of clover. We are quite sure
that more stock should be raised on farms
than is now done. There is greater profit
in raising horses, cattle, hogs and sheep, than
in growing wheat Western Farmer.
FIsH.-In purchasing fish, care should
always be taken to have them perfectly fresh
To know whether it is or not, aside from
the smell, observe the eyes-f they have a
bright life-like appearance the fish is fresh;
but if they are sunken and dark colored, or
have lost their brillancy, the fish is too old
for good fry or bake. If the dealer is
honest, the buyer may judge by the redness
of the gills; but some fshmongers knowing
this will color them to deceive their customers.
But they can't paint the eyes-look at them.
To DESTROY FLIES To one pint of milk
add quarter of pound of raw sugar and
two ounces of ground pepper; simmer them
together eight or ten minutes, and then place
it about in shallow dishes The flies attack
it readily and are soon suffocated. By this
method the house may be kept clear of flies
without the danger attending posion.
JOHNNY CAKr.-One pint of sweet milk,
two eggs, pinch of salt, a teaspoonful Of
cream tartar, half teaspoonful of soda, two
thirds of pint of Indian meal, and large
tablespoonful of wheat -four. Bake forty
minutes and serve with butter.
HOUSEHOLD EcoNoMY.-Use coal oil to
clean furniture and remove blotches and hide
scratches; it is excellent. When sewing ma
chimes get gummed up, use it to loosen the
dirt, and it will clean it thoroughly without
th.,.