Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-08-18
H0HE, FARM AND GARDEN.

The editor of the Rorticuxursst says
that he has known quite number Of in
stances in which old orchards, apparently
dying out, have been brought hack to
ffuitfulness by the liberal use of wood
ashes. also stirring the soil. Potash Is
the most important element in all kinds
of fruit trees.
1T is said that very weak tea, with .
squeeze Of lemon in It. will quench the
thirst more effectually than all the "juleps"
or "sOurs" ever concoctcd. To working
men, who are apt to get very thirsty. and
sometimes forget TO count their drinks,
this hint may be found useful.
"A correspondent of the Country Gen.
aenan says: eff any of your readers
are troubled with lice on cattle, tell them
remedy that I ever used. Ny hogs l
something I never heard of before. Salt
water twice applied cleared them"
"A correspondent, of the Rural New
Yorker says that he has saved the foliage
of his currant and gooseberries from the
caterpillars for the last six years, by
throwing air slaked lime freely upon
them when the dew is on. The caterpil-
lars being wet with dew, the lime adheres
to them and kills them. A new brood
generally makes its appearance in about
10 days, but not 30 numerous as the first ;
it must be treated in similar manner.
M. Planchon, q French savan, pro-
poses to exterminate leafeating insects
by the use of compound of sulphur and
lime in equal parts. Into pint of water
put 40 parts Of sulphur, and 40 parts Of
lime unslaked, and let it evsporate until
1t is reduced to one pound. The liquor
should be corked up tightly, rs the ad'
mission of air will convert it into sui.
plate of lime by the absorption of oxy'
gen. This liquor, when about to be sprin..
killed. on the vines, ETC., may be diluted
with 80 times its volume of water.
H. J. Selmers, veterinary surgeon,
gives, in the Western Rural, this recipe
for curing foot-rot in cattle, which he says
will never fail "At first. all loose horn
in general, everything that has been de.
stroyed-should be cut away; then for a
day or two, poultices of fisxseed powder
should be applied, and after that, when
the sore IL clean and Of white appear
ancc, one part of pure carbolic acid dis
solved in one part OF alcohol and one part
OF water, applied once or twice, by means
of q little brush, win effect healing in a
few days"
"A correspondent of the Ahaerionn
Ag-icultuytst gives the following mode
for preventing games in chickens. He says
he has treated his young chickens in this
way for several years with complete sue.
cess. When the chickens ere in condition
to take from the nest, he puts them with
the hen In coop with board bottom, SC
as to keep the young ones from the cold
and damp ground. They are fed with In
dian meal. on which boiling water il
poured from the tcs-kettle, well stirred
and allowed to cool. The whole secret is
to keep chickens dry and warm when
quite young, and give them cooked food
Charles Carlisle. Of Woodstock, VT,
writes TO the New York Farmers Club
that he experimental last year with ashes
on corn, to which he applied shoveiful
of rotten manure in the hill. Fifty hills
were left without the ashes; handful
being put with the manure on the other
part Of the field. He weighed the pro-
duct on the ffty hills unashed, and q cor
responding number Of hills with the ashes.
The gain on the part sshed was estimated
TO be equal to bushel Of corn for each
bushel Of ashes used. He asks, is it not
possible th&t the corn Ia benefited by the
mixing, if we cover with the mellow soil
to receive the liberated ammoniaf
The tomato is vegetable that 1t il
difficult to spoil, and II Is generally ac-
ceptable even when rudely cooked. It Is
capable of so much change in the cooking
as to afford pleasing variety. One way
of stewing tomatoes is to choose very ripe
ones, skin, and slice, rejecting any hard
parts. Put in pan with salt, butter, and
pepper, and cook very slightly, not more
than ten minutes. Another way is to stew
the tomatoes until thoroughly soft, rub
them through sieve, and then cook them
down tn the desired thickness. Butter,
salt and pepper, are the usual seasoning.
Those fond of the flavor OF onions will
find the addition OF chopped onions while
cooking, TO make an excellent variety.
Baked tomatoes are fine. Choose large
fruit, and cut out cavity at the stem end;
fll this with mixture of powdered
cracker or bread crums, butter, salt, or
other seasoning, set on pan and bake
until done. II managed carefully, the TO-
matoes retain their shape. Tomatoes may
be broiled cut them in halves crosswise
and put them outside down, upon grid
iron over the fire. When the cut surface
Is scared, turn them and put butter, salt,
etc, on each, and cook with the skin side
down until done-American Agriculsu~.
Sat.
TO Keep Water Pure in Cisterns.--
Rain water from the roofs of houses car.
ries with it SCOT and dust, and all other
impurities that may be deposited on the
roofs. In order to remedy this evil, filters
of various kinds have been invented. One
of these is this, described by j. Wilkin-
son, Baltimore, an agricultural engineer,
who h IS built many c!stern: In rural
districts where the roofs are not liable to
collect dust from roads, no filter is neces-
sary, as the water from cistern in such
situations viii be rs pure as it can be /;
but where filters are necessary the best is
a wall Of soft bricks across the cistern, OF
four inches, or the width Of brick, lay
ing up the filter-wall In cement mortar,
but without plastering on either side.
Such filter viii operate efectually for
ten or fifteen years, and should never re-
quire to be cleaned all that Is necessary
Is to change the suction pipe TO the re-
cciying eide of the cisteYn, and pump out