Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-08-17
Farm, Garden and Household.

CoRNED BEEF cooking corned
beef, at this season of the year so delic-
ious, it should be put into boiling water
when put ON to cook, and when it is
done it should remain in the pot until
cold. This is the whole secret of having
corned beef juicy and full-favored, in
stead of the contrary.
To KEEP BUTTER IN THE SUMMER. A
simple mode Of keeping butter in warm
weather, where ice is not handy, is to in
vert common iower-pot over the but
ter, with some water in the dish in which
it is laid. The oritice at the bottom may
be corked or not. The porousness of
the earthenware will keep the butter
cool
FARM ACCOUNTS. How many farmers
are able to tell the cost or even the pro-
duct of any Of their crops? Farming
is now more or less successful, as it is
conducted on ordinary business princi-
pies. Ii choice of crops were not
permitted, or the manner of conducting
a farm were immutNbly fixed. then it
would not matter whether accounts were
kept or not. But when it makes all the
difference between a gain or a loss,
whether this crop or that shall be raised,
1t is necessary to act Understandings as
to the cost Of producing either of them,
and their relative yields when sold or
consumed. Then, in feeding the pro-
duce of farm, how little is known of
the relative merits of breeds of cattle to
repay the cost of food and labor, or
whether this or that species of stock is
best suited to the circumstances of the
farm, or disposition of the farmer him
self. For instance, man of impatient
or irregular disposition cannot possibly
feed sheep to advantage. The perfect
regularity with which all their needs
must be attended to, is impossible with
some men; still we see or hear that this
or that man has no luck with sheep, and |
yet hepersists in keeping, or at least try
ing to keep them at a certain loss. But
he cannot tell how much he loses, or
what their feed has cost, or what was the
weight of any particular fleece Until
a farmer keeps regular account-book,
and notes all those things which are
necessary as basis on which to calcll-
late costs and income he is continually
at the mercy of accidents, and cannot
expect to realize the true value of his
labor
SHIPPING FRUIT. inexperienced fruit
growers are often surprised at the small !
returns they receive from firms to which
they consign goods. In many cases,
doubtless, the middle-men run up such |
bill of commissions and charges, as to
etfectually eat up any profit but it is
often the fault of the grower in forward
ing unsortcd and badly picked fruit.
Numerous letters have recently been
forwarded to farmers in the peach-grow-
ing districts, advising them to be more
particular in picking and shipping fruit.
A. consignment of one hundred boxs of
peaches was recently sold in New York
for dollar a box, on which the charges
amounted to ninety-one cents, thus leav-
ing the grower only nine cents a box,
which by no means paid him for his
trouble, or the interest on his invest |
ment. One half of these peaches are
said to have been good ones, which if |
packed by themselves, would have read
lily brought So box. One fourth of the
lot was soft and crushed, and the remain
der were hard and unripc As the
freight on box of peaches or vegetables |
is the same whether the contents be good |
or bad, it is important that only good
fruit should be sent, if any profit is ex-
pected from the transaction. 1t is the
quality, not quantity, of fruit which
brings good prices, and growers should
bear this in mind when sending off their
goods. What is true of peaches holds
good of other fruits and vegetables. A
poor article badly picked will hardly
bring enough to pay for its forwarding
and selling.
MAKING HAY.-In regard to ripe grass
and hay made of grass that has already
gone to seed, the Massachusetts PlOm- |
man says some argue that cattle love this |
dry fodder, and that there is more nour-
ishment in the hay than if the grass
were cut in its green, succulent state. If |
so, why do not the instincts of cattle
lead them to eat it when rowing in the
pastures and acting their option as to
what they will eat All must have OBJ
served that when any locality in pas
ture has gone to seed, the cattle avoid it,
and nothing but starvation will induce
them to eat such grass The instincts
OF cattle are pretty sure guide-cer-
tainly as likely to be correct as the alb
stract reasonings of the minority of
men. The true principle in haying, we
think, Is to secure the hay at time
when we can harvest the largest amount
that shall be like grass in its perfect
state this we can do when grass has at
tanned its growth, and before the starch,
sugar and gluten of the plant have gone
to the formation of seed, or been con-
verified into woody fibre. The starch and
other nutritious compounds are on the
increase so long as the plant grows but
with blossoming growth ceases, and is
the time, with the least labor, to secure
the greatest amount of forage in its best
condition.
FRESH GRASS FOR HORSES. 1T is not
strange that an animal that runs wild
upon the prairies, and grazes the year
round in his natural state, should pine
when confined to a diet of hay and grain.
The stabbed horse will do well for time.
if not worked too hard, upon dry Hood.
But he can not endure the privation of
green, succulent food continually. The
horses upon our city railroads average
only three and half years of service.
They either die in the harness, or are
prematurely broken down, and sold off
to men who slaughter them for their
hides and carcasses. This early failure
is not more owing to hard service than
to the privation of their natural food.
The great eageness with which stabbed
horse crops grass, especially in the