Connecticut western news., 1871-08-04
Farm, Garden and Household.

ehS hSoso eehN MI ACoo, huu COHSIdnb warfare must be waged against them. When weeds are hood up and allowed to 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 to seed If 1t can be helped, as the garden can be kept free of weeds, to a certain extent, if they are carefully pulled up when small.
 To PRESERVE TOMATOES. Take good ripe tomatoes, scald and skin them, take out the seeds carefully, so as not to 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 a slow fire until clear, take them of, cool, and put away in jars for use.
 To HARDEN P1cK1Es.-Alum will hard on 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
 
 ties from knocking together, and allowed to remain over the fire until the water bolls, then removed, and kept in the ket- tie until cool, the vir egar will keep per fectly clear when used for pickles; but it should be added to them cold. Shreds of horse radish root will prevent all pickles from moulding.
 STRONG DRNKs.-A Colorado saloon keeper said of rough crowd: '" couldn't get their whisky strong enough for them so after try ing every way, at last made Q mixture of poison oak and butternut. That fetched them. I called it the sheer he ,der's delight, and it was a popula drink. The first Pike tried it on yelled with delight; the next one took two drinks and turned double somerset in the road before the house. A peddlel came along, and he took SC eral drinks of my sheep herder's delight; he went of and sto,e his own pack and hid it in the W ods."
 RooTs FOR FoRAGE.-,Ihe Practscal 4, rnser says :-" In view of the short hay crop, it will be we'll for those farm CTS who have put in plentifully of sown corn and good supply of sugar beets. Fifteen to twenty tons of the former, and thirty to forty tons of roots per acre, will go far to make up the loss of the hay. If neither of these have been put in, the only remedy now is crop of ruta baga or common white turnips 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 sown, lesides other places, on the headlands of corntields, previ- ously well and deeply stirred with the cultlvator, and fertilized with superphos- phates.
 Ruta bagas from American grown seed are preferable to foreign, as they run much less to what is called neck, and make better-shaped apd 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 ol west without regard to the formation oi the land or surroundings. In fact most ot our country homes have a stiffness or monotonous appearance which might be avoided If due care was given to tho proper arrangement of outbuildings It IS very much like making curves il walks when there is no reason for devi atlag from straight line, which should never be done. If there is no obstacle ln the way which we seemingly avoid il making 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 DO sition of the ground or convenience af lords an opportunity for placing differ ent buildings at different angles to tn road, by all means avail yourself of it and thereby give varied and pictur esque appea ance to the place. If tn, grounds are level, without an undulatin, surface, tnen ees may be introduced a seeming obstacles against putting ever building at the same angle. \ littl study and forethought in these matter will enable the most casual observer t so arrange and place his buildings tha the monotonous appearance will be en tlrely avoided. Rural Ye,o Yorker.
 How TO PACK BUTTER. Butter put u Ill good looking packages, and withal ( slze convenient for the purpose of tn retail dealer, will always command tn highest market prices. Fails are the las thing Ill the world in which butter shoul be packed, unless 1t is of very superiC quality, and the market is known not t be overstocked. It will sell only to th trade of this city, as no others want bu ter put up i'll this style It is usele. trouble to " the constance is put, collect or return hem, and is also expe1 sive. The frkins used with best succes are manufactured from well seasone hard spruce, although white fir, oak ( ash will do. No sap should be left the timber on any account, as, by lon stan ling the sap is liable to sour, gro black and mouldy, and injure the butte Size, about twelve inches deep by eleve Tn diameter at the top, and nine at tE bottom in the clear, with a good tigl cover made to fit close, so as to excluc
 Il air. This size will hold from twent thirty pounds, and the shape is pr
 erred by th2 retailer on account of u
 ase of which the butter IS returned i he tirkin. Too much care cannot l used Tn preparing the firkin before pacl ing the butter. This should be done l. soaking 1t in clear spring or well wat' from four to six days, changing tl water at least once each day, till there no smell of the wood to impart it's dav' to the butter. The day previous to usin fill the frkin with scalding hot brin
 over it tight, and let stand till you a ready to pack your butter Then tul out your brine, and rub the inside your tub with the best of Liverpool sal Butter packed in this style of packag will always sell at the highest prevaili1 rates for the quality of butter, for ho' ever dull the market may be for pail export, still certain amount is needt under all circumstances by the trad and this package is the most handy f their use.-An,es'ican Grocer.