The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-05-01
Farm. Garden and Household.

IL.
REMEDY FOR ScRAToHEs.-Fernando
Peck writes the Rural Nelu Yorker that
he washes the affected parts clean with
weak I've, and then uses water in which
he has soaked chewing tobacco in the
proportion of one-eighth of pound of
tobacco to one quart OF water. 1t effects
a speedy cure, and he never knew it to
fail.
DOES WIRE FENCE TURN CArT1E.-A
wire fence, well made, will turn cattle
and horses. have used great deal OF
it, and have never known an animal to
hurt itself against one, or go against it
second time. Iuse No. 9wire, and strain
it through stout posts set eight or ten
feet apart. Close the holes in the posts
tightly with pine plugs, previously
soaked in oil.
MANURE ON Corn LAND.-Abraham
Brand, of Delaware Station, n. j., asked
whether it is better to leave manure in
heaps on corn land until Just before
breaking the sod, or should it be spread
as soon as the frost is out Of the ground,
before it becomes much dried out. Mr..
Curtis said, in the fall manure should be
spread on the top OF the land, but in the
spring it is better to pillow it upon the
soil. II it be stiff clay, pillow the ma
nure under.
APPLE TREES may be grated in spring,
any time after severe cold weather is past,
until the leaves are fully formed. There
are many different methods of grating
invogue among nurserymen and orchard
lists, but for large trees in the orchard,
what is called cleft grating is the one
usually practiced. In performing the
operation, the main stem, il not more
than an inch or two in diameter, or q
branch, or any number of them on q
large tree is sawed of, and the portion
remaining is split downward two inches
or more, with o large knife or chisel, be-
ing careful not to bruise or break the
bark.
The AGRICULTURAL JOURNALS begin to
talk of new industry, the manufacture
of sugar from sweet potatoes. The av-
erage yield of bushel OF potatoes-the
yam variety being preferred-is said to
be over two gallons, and as the average
yield peracre on poor, sandy soil is from
hundred and fifty to q hundred and
eighty bushels, it follows that the pro-
duct will be from three hundred to
three hundred and fifty gallons of syrup
This syrup, moreover, is said to surpass
that Of the beet, and even that OF sor-
ghum in delicacy Of flavor and in nearly
all the other qualities which should COM
mand it for use at the table. The residu-
um, after the juice is extracted, is pro-
nounced valuable article Of food for
either man or beast.
GuSPowpgR FOR BoRERs.- Stillman
Stockwell, of Lyons, Iowa, writes to the
Farmers Club that we nearly destroy
the tree before we can find the borers.
In case cannot find him without much
trouble, make hole with small bit
as far ahead as can and hit the hole of
the borer, then put in say thimbleful Of
powder, plug the hole the borer has made
with moist dirt and rag, then fire the
powder with hot wire, and by the time
the smoke clears up the borer is dead.
1t makes no difference whether he goes
up or down, the fire will find and cook
him perfectly. Sometimes it is neces-
sary to make small cartridge out OF
piece Of paper, or goose-quill. have
practiced this course for some years and
have seen no bad results.
REMEDY FOR QUAoK GRAss.-Mr. D.
n. Brown, of Gowanda, n. Y, tells the
Farmers Club his method of treating
quack grass is as follows: To properly
enrich the soil and the quack will die out
Of itself, or nearly so. Cover your field,
or such portions as are covered with
quack, with green manure, and pillow I'M
der; also give the field o top.dressing
with manure, and drag and plant your
corn; cultivate and hoe well, and you
will get good crop OF corn, and nearly
or quite destroy the quack grass. Pillow
again in the fall I; top-dress the field
again with green manure in the spring
plant and hoe as before, and you will
have obtained two good crops of corn,
and my word for it, you will not be
troubled with the quack grass on that
field until, from everlasting, the field
again becomes impoverished.