Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-08-10
Farm, Garden and Household.

warfare must be waged against them
When weeds are hoed up and allowed tc
wilt under the scorching July sun, there
is very little danger OF their growing
again, unless there is plenty of yellow
docks Never allow weed to run tc
seed if it can be helped, as the garden
can be kept free Of weeds, to certain
extent, if they are carefully pulled W
when small.
To PRESERVE TOMATOES. Take good
ripe tomatoes, scald and skin them, take
out the seeds carefully, so MS not tc
break your tomatoes. Now boil them in
ginger water until they are soft, take
them out, drain them, and weigh them
and to every pound of fruit add one
pound of white leaf or pulverized sugar
and half pint of the ginger water they
were boiled in add some strips of fresh
ginger boil carefully over q slow fire
until clear, take them off, cool, and put
away in jars for use.
To HARDEN PICKLES. -Alum will hard.
en- cucumbers. To gallon of vinegar,
add one ounce of powdered alum. If the
vinegar is put into bottles tightly corked,
and set in kettle of cold water, with hay
or straw between them to keep the bot
ties from knocking together, and allowed
to remain over the fire until the water
boils, then removed, and kept in the ket-
tie until cool, the vinegar will keep per.
fectly clear when used for pickles; but il
should be added to them cold. Shreds
ofhorse radish root will prevent all pickles
from moulding.
STRONG DRINKS. Colorado saloon
keeper said of "a rough crowd" couldn t
get their whisky strong enough for them,
so after trying every way, at last made
a mixture of poison oak and butternut.
That fetched them. I called it the sheep
herder's delight, and it was popular
drink. The first Pike I tried it on yelled
with delight; the next one took two
drinks and turned double somerset in
the road before the house. A peddler
came along, and he took several drinks
ofmy sheep herder's delight; he went off
and stole his own pack and hid it in the
woods"
RooTs FOR FORAGE. Tile Practical
H. rm,er says -" In view of the short
hay crop, it will be well for those farm
ers who have put in plentifully of sown
corn and q good supply of sugar beets.
Fifteen to twenty tons Of the former,
and thirty to forty tons of roots per
acre, will 60 far to make up the loss of
the hay. If neither of these have been
put in, the only remedy now is a crop of
ruta baga or common white turDips.
The middle of the present month will
yet do for the former, and two or three
weeks later for the latter. These latter
should be sowh, besides other places,
on the headlands of corntields, previ-
ously well and deeply stirred with the
cultivator, and fertilized with superphos-
pilates.
Ruta bagas from American grown
seed are preferable to foreign, as they
run much less to what is called neck,
and make better-shaped and more regu-
lar tubers. This crop requires drill
culture.
Position OF FARM BUILDINGS. There
is far too much attention given to the
points of the compass in placing the
buildings. If the roads run north and
south every building on the place is very
likely to be placed facing due east or
west without regard to the formation of
the land or surroundings In fact most
of our country homes have stiffness
or monotonous appearance which might
be avoided if due care was given to the
proper arrangement of outbuildings.
1t is very much like making curves in
walks when there is no reason for devil
atihg from straight line, which should
never be done. If there is no obstacle
in the way which we seemingly avoid in
making a curve, one should be created,
and the same principle should be carried
out in the placement of farm buildings.
Avoid all stiff formality, and if the po-
sition of the ground or convenience af-
tords an opportunity for placing differ
emit buildings at different angles to the
road, by all means avail yourself of it,
and thereby give q varied and pictur-
esque appearance to the place. If the
grounds are level, without an undulating
surface, then trees may be introduced as
seeming obstacles against putting every
building at the same angle. A little
study and forethought in these matters
will enable the most casual observer tie
so arrange and place his buildings that
the monotonous appearance will be en-
tirely avoided. -RvM Yen Yorker.
How TO PACK BUTTER. -Butter put up
in good looking packages, and withal of
a size convenient for the purpose of the
retail dealer, will always command the
highest market prices. Pals are the last
thing in the world in which butter should
be packed, unless it is of very superior
quality, and the market is known not to
be overstocked. 1t will sell only to the
trade of this city, as no others want but
ter put up in this style. 1t is q useless
trouble to which the consignee is put, to
collect or return them, and is also expen-
sive. The frkins used with best success
are manufactured from well seasoned
hard spruce, although white fir, oak or
ash will do. No sap should be left in
the timber on any account, as, by long
standing the sap is liable to sour, grow
black and mouldy, and injure the butter.
Size, about twelve inches deep by eleven
in diameter at the top, and nine at the
bottom in the clear, with good tight
cover made to fit close, so az to exclude
I'LL air. This size will hold from twenty
TO thirty pounds, and the shape is pre-
erred by the retailer on account OF the
ease of which the butter is returned to
the firkin. Too much care cannot be
used in preparing the firkin before pack
ing the butter. This should be done by
soaking it in clear spring or well water
from four to six days, changing the
water at least once each day, till there is
no smell of the wood to impart its flavor
to the butter The day previous to using
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