The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-11-16
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.

Il
and safe. When this method is prac-
tised there is much less percentage of
loss from rotting than by any of the old
fashioned modes.
The time of digging celery depends
on the weather. Light frosts will not
injure the stalks, and it may be left
growing until such time as there are in
] dioations of severe cold. Freezing
weather will check the Growth and
"hsrden" the stocks Yet, if celery is
stored too early in the season, while the
stocks are succulent and soft, and there
should be q week or two of very mild,
soft weather, it is not likely that it
would keep we'll. At our farm, we be-
gin to store celery at any time from the
lst to the Goth OF November, and often
as late as the first week in December.
As rule, we always begin with the part
of the crop that is not banked" for
where celery is we'll banked" it is COM
paratively safe against hard "black"
frost, when the surface is not frozen
more than an inch deep.
| To make the trenches we select spot
where there is fall enough to cast the
water. Then trench is made with u
spade 10 inches wide, and from IL to 20
iuches deep, according to the ltngth OF
the celery. When the stocks are placed
in an upright position in the trench, the
than few inches above the level of the
surface, and it is better to have them an
inch below instead of an inch above the
surface.
The bottom of such q trench should be
made SO that the water will tini its way
to the lower end, VIII re there should be
an outlet, provided the ground is tens
cious.
Before digging, the soil is taken away
| from either side OF the row by digging
forks, spades, or, when the crop is large,
by one horse plow. The stocks are
then dug up, leaving considerable earth
attached to the roots. Instead of dig
ging-forks for this purpose, we use u
one-horse lifting subsoil plow, that runs
along the side of each row, loosenip e
every stock. A man follows, pulling up
the stocks, throwing them III small heap.
(the roots all one Way IN the line Of the
row, being very careful not to break any
of the leaves, either while digging or
pat ing in the trenches. The celery
should then BIZ carried to the edge and
packed at once. Beginning ut the up
per end, stand the stocks III all upright
position aud as close together rs 1T will
stand. Continue in this way until tne
trench is filled. 1t may be left III this
way for two or three weeks, or until
sucn time as very cold weather is ex-
pected to set i'll. Then some loose earth
from either side OF the celery in the
trench may be pressed down along side
and some earth drawn up toward the
line of the row, making II convex surface
along the line Of the row. Some long
manure-salt hay or straw-should BIZ
spread on the top OF this filled trench, 80
as to protect the tops OF the celery fl lom
freezing. By mailing two boards to-
gether in the shape of the letter A, and
placing this on top of the celery row it
makes one of the best kind of coverings
for this purpose.
Celery stored in the way described
can be ,a.ily taken from the trenches at
any time during the winter, no matter
how inclement the weather may be; tor
by removing a small gu nifty of earth
from the front, celery can be taken out
1t is we'll to remember that celery, to
keep well, should be dug and stored
in dry weather If packed away in this
or any other kind of trench while the
stocks are wet, rot will very likely fol
low, and the percentage Of loss will be
large. Put in these trenches as soon a,
dug, the stalks will bleach and be ready
for the table very much sooner than Il
allowed to lie in heaps and wilt before
being packed away.-N Y. Tribune.
A NEW METHOD OF PACKING BUT
TER-A Michigan dalryman has lately
published his method OF packing butter
He has oaken tubs, with heads at eacf
end. They are IA inches in diameter al
top, 8 inches at the bottom, and II
inches high. In packing, a cambria bat
is made to fit the tub. The butter i
packed in the tub as it stands on tn,
small end-the sack being long enough
to extend above the edges OF the tub
and is pressed down firmly until within
an inch and half OF the top, when
circular cloth is laid over it, the edges O
, the sack turned down over that, and
layer of fine salt placed on it. The hes'
is now put in its place, the tub 'urnec
up, and the butter in the sack, of course
! falling down to the bottom, leaves
, space ell around it which is filled wit
!, brine poured through a hole in the smsl
end. When full the hole Is corked u
!, tight. The butter floats in the brin
, and is eifectually preserved from tn
air, and will keep for Eli almost indein
ite period.
MILK AS FooD.-Au investigation
into the nutIitive quality of milk, an
!, the reason for its disagreelng with man
adult persons, has been made by d.
. Wiggin, of Providence, r. l., and re
ported in the Journal Of Applied Chemi'
try.
. The results will seem novel to thos
who have looked on milk as slopp
l diet, not to be compared with the MOI
' solid articles we choose in preference fc
our good. For example, milk contain
: eighty-seven per cent. of water br
then a rump steak of beef contain
I seventy-five per cent. of water, and egg
{ contain sixty eight per cent.
' In fact, it turns out that nailk, even G
/. twelve cents per quart is the cheapei
form of animal food. DR.. Wiggin say
that sirloin steak, including the bon
0 at thirty-five cents per pound is as des
| as milk at twenty-four cents per quart
8 round steak at twenty cents per poun
g as dear as milk at fourtt en- cents; egs
= at thirty cents per dozen as dear as mil
: at twenty cents; corned beef at sever
{ teen cents as dear as milk at fifteen cent
t" A great obstacle to the use of milk
Z an important element of food is to |