The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-06-22
FARM AND1HOUSEH0LD.

one of the weaknesses of the American
mind. Fat mems clubs show the ma
tional drift. In what other nation |
would it be possible to associate men
simply on their averdupois merit |
Where else should a man be most highly |
because he could show the |
most adipose matter laid upon his bonesP |
In the decisions given at our fairs, |
weight is not only an important item, |
but the one thing needful. In scale |
of one hundred points, weight would be
the equivalent of fifty, in the minds of
most Judges. 1t is the big swine, the
big pumpkin, and the largest fat OK that
takes the premium. Economy of fatten-
ing, or the process of production, is sell
dom inquired after. The same bad
taste is likely to affect the decisions in
our poultry shows, unless the managers
insist upon a more wholesome standard.
A large, well-developed bird, of maxi
mum size, is desirable. A monster is
not, for any conceivable purpose, except
to excite wonder and draw the crowd.
We raise poultry chiefly for the table.
What the producer wants in his stock is
good quality of flesh, early maturity,
and capacity to make the most flesh out
Of given amount of food. A turkey,
weighing fifteen pounds, is just as good
for the table as one weighing thirty
and most housekeepers would prefer
them under twelve pounds. In most
markets the lighter weights would bring
the higher price. 1t is only in the region
of large hotels and boarding houses
that the very large birds bring an extra
price. For what object, then, do we
want large breeding birds, and how
large do we want them 1t takes about
three years for a turkey to attain his
largest weight. If at twelve months a
gobbler reaches thirty pounds live
weight, at two years he would reach
thirty-fve, and at three years forty, or
little more. But it is rare to get II male
bird above forty pounds, and then it is
generally by some process of stuffing
that dc stroys his stamina and oftentimes
his life. This weight is excellod some-
times; but about the time one thinks he
is almost sure OF forty-five FOUNDER,
the prodigy sickens and dies. 1t may
be assumed, then, that forty pounds is
about the limit to which a vigorous
turkey-cock may be safely carried, and
from half to two-thirds of that weight
is the last safe limit for the hens. With
breeders of this size, and a little under,
we will get large, strong chicks, that
will economize food, and mature earlier
than the offspring Of common-sized
birds. No bird yields more quickly to
treatment than the turkey. The infiu-
ence of large-sized gobbler in flock
is Immediately y visible in the increased
size of the chicks. The introduction of
wild blood increases the hardness of
the young. A larger proportion of the
eggs will hatch, and much larger num-
Der of young will be likely to grow up.
With little painstaking it is quite easy
to breed any desired shade or plumage.
American Agriculturist.
OILED FLooRs.-The Manufacturer and
Builder says: Oiling improves floor
in several ways. Grease-spots, Of course,
will not affect the wood thus treated (;
sndmuch less scrubbing than is necessary
for q plain floor will suffice to keep it
clean. Moreover, the appearance is inn
proved by the oil. Many of our native
woods, prepared in this manner, become
positively handsome. Finally, it gives
the surface a harder texture, which
makes it wear longer and more uni
formly.
Paint costs more, takes longer to dry,
and wears off more easily, since it simply
forms a crust or coating upon the sur
face; while the oil penetrates the wood
Hence an oiled floor looks better than
painted one, especially if a little color
as Van Dyke brown, umber, or burnt
sienna is added to the oil.
Hnnr in ~
take raw linseed oil, or some cheap OF
not offensive in odor, and capable O
drying; mix it, if desired, with some
such transparent color as those mention.
ed above; and apply it with a common
paint brush. Lay it on smoothly, Sc
that it will strike in uniformly ovel
the whole surface and not stand i'll spots
This may be done at night, after tn,
days work and the place will be read!
for us again the next morning. AS fa
as the oiled surface is concerned, i
might be stepped upon at once withou
injury but there would be danger il
that case of tracking the grease to othe
parts of the house. A new coat of oil
applied in this way once or twice yea
is sufficient to keep floor in order.
This treatment Is to be heartily recon-
mended for the floors of kitchens, pan
tries, verandas, closets, bathrooms, ant
laborers' bedrooms. 1t is also goo,
plan in childrens apartments, particu
larly in training them to do their owl
house work, to leave without carpet O
,, mating that part of the floor wher
the bed stands, with few feet aroun,
: , it, and to oil the wood. The floor unde
the bed can then be easily kept free fror
dust, and the sweepings can be readil
removed; while washstands, etc., can b
so disposed as to give the youngsters fire
: scope for their ablutions, without il
jury to carpets.
In country-houses the plan might b
carried still further. We recently ha
all the floors in newly-built hous
oiled; and we think it wise economy
4, Many well-to- -do-fam. les in Europe hav
Q no carpets at all; and, though there al
3 some disadvantages in such a cours
q there are certainly some points gained
. We think it gives cleaner houses, wit
}, less house-cleaning. Putting dowI
a taking up, and beating carpets is til
4 most vexatious and laborious part {
a a our domestic economy, as their cost an
q destruction constitute one of the gres
u items of expense. Still we do not a
t tack carpets--though, speaking of a
T tacks, what a tax the taeks are Wv
:, only say, where you don't need ca
= pet, by all means oil your floor.
It -
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