Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1870-08-19
FARM AND FIRESIDE.


who adver tise for Three, Six or Twelve month
FARM AND FIRESIDE.
How TO HOLD THE FERTILITY OF THE
SoIL.-Gypsum attracts. 1t is not only II
manure in itself, but attracts the manure
from the atmosphere that comes in contact
with it (Which is abundant on windy days y
but it holds the fertility of the ground that
in some soils escapes. Lime will also do
this SO will clay. Clay, dried and powder
ed is an excellent thing to put on barn
yard, or cover compost heap with, or work
through tho heap hence we use gypsum
and lime in our stables and privies. Gypsum
is best; it has the most attraction, besides
other properties. A little should be kept
by every farmer for use, even at high cost
as the benefit is sometimes more important
than the higb;prices. But we waste our
| manure. We not only permit its strength
to escape, but we are glad to get it out of
the way. The same recklessncss extends to
the land. 1t is well our soil has good
proportion of clay to hold its strength. We
must conserve. The time is not far distant
when we shall be compelled to do it, AL
ready there are symptoms of lack in our
soil we do not raise as heavy crops as we
used to-here and there field, here and
there farm is less productive. 1t is not
so much that We need plaster here in the
West to hold the strength of the soil as to
use it TO abstract it from the atmosphere,
and to save the ammonia of barn yards and
stables. For this lot us always keep little
on hand. Let us save and improve our
manures, and thus save our farms.--Col-
m1au's Rural World. Ill ..4-.
To PURIFY DAIRY UTENSILS. on
end in convenient place for use, an open
ended vessel of suitable dimensions for the
size of the dairy, say from half barrel to
hogshead. In this slake some good quick
lime, ,enongh to make a thin whitewash when
filed full of water, and cover to keep out
dust and dirt The lime will settle, leaving
a saturated solution of lime over it, as clear
as spring water. After using the milk-pans,
ETC., wash them as other utensils are wash
ed and rinsed then dip them in the adjoin-
ing cask of clear water, giving them quick
turn, SO that every part becomes immersed
therein set them to drain and dry, and the
publication is complets, without any scald-
ing process, from the new pan to the old
worn-out one. gN ui. fsr- Ifl' a5s sl3
The lime in the clear water instantly
the acidity of the milk yet re-
naming in the cracks or seams, etc., of the
milk vessels, to destroy which the process of
scalding has been performed. In the case
of a very small dairy, or of one COW, the
clear water may, if preferred, be dipped out
for the time being and poured gently back
again, the lime purifying the water and
keeping it good all Summer. Of course
there will be little waste and evaporation,
which will be made up by adding clean wa
ter as needed, the lime settled in the bottom
of the cask keeping up the strength of the
saturated solution. Let any one who reads
and doubts its efficacy, simply try it
tn oroughly, and he will effect great saving
in time and cost.
PosT AND RAIL FENcB-A writer of
Pennsylvania, in 1888, says he planted four
gate posts, with two inch auger bored
trough them, which was filled with salt and
plugged at both ends ; they were cased with
boards, and some salt was put inside the
case near the ground. Twenty years after
wards these posts were in the best state Of
preservation. The same individual has ap-
piled salt to chestnut posts for common rail
fence in the following mode A hole with
an inch auger across the post diagonally,
one side about four inches above the surface
of the ground, and other two inches below
it, tho holes being filed with salt, and Sc
cured by plugs of cedar or chestnut. A
ter ten years the salt remained as at first,
and the posts were perfectly sound. 1t is
not necessary to bore entirely through the
post.
ASHES For TREEs.-The editor of the
HorticuAuralist says. awe have known
quite number instances, indeed, so often
as to make it quite rule, that old orchards
apparently dying out have been brought
back again to fruitfulness by the liberal use
of wood-ashes. also stirring the soil.
Potash is the most important element in
the successful growth of all kinds of fruit
trees. An old gentleman told club, not
long ago, thai he had known man to make
and preserve au orchard of apple trees in a
hourishing and productive condition, ORR
ginally placed on very poor ground, by
sprinkling every year around each tree, to
the circumference of the extent of its BRAN
ohes, half bushel of ashes. We consider
this very important item"
ONIONS AND ToMAToEs.- are
susceptible of being cooked in many ways.
To the writer's notion the .glorifcation of
tomatoes is to cook them with little finely
chopped onion. Of course there are many
who do not tolerate onion under any circum-
stances, but let those who like both onio1s
and tomatoes try it, The flavor of each,
the onion and tomatoes, seems to modify tie
other, and the result is, to our individual
notion, what James Russell Lowell describ-
ed poetry to be-''a touch beyond"
Hor HAM SANDWICHES. batter
of -four, eggs and milk, and pour some into
frying pan of hot fat, as for pancakes let
it be very thin, and when is has fried for a
minute or two, lay very thin slices of cold
boiled ham on it, and cover them again with
some more butter when brown on the other
| side cut it into quarters and turn them to
brown an the other side.
EAT RIPE FRuIT.-One of the oldest and
best physicians in Connecticut constantly re-
commended eating ripe fruit. If each in its
season is partaken Of when fresh, there is
little fear of any of the Summer diseases
that are so common III some sections, and
which cause so much trouble and so much
expense. "