The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-10-27
RURAL READINGS.

SUN FLOWERS. 1T is more profitable to
raise the Mammoth sun flower than the
common kinds, but they are all good. The
seed is valuable for many purposes, sespc-
cially for feeding hens. The stalks are
very useful for kindling fires.
CHANGING SEED PoTAToEs.--A re-
cent publication of Mr.. w. Patterson, of
Dundee, Scotland, of series of expert
ments carried on through many years,
cves as results, deterioration in size of tu-
Der and greater liability to disease when
the same seed is grown second season on
the same ground.
DEEPENING THE SoIL.--Most of our
farms have from four to ten inches of UNI
cultivated soil, which, by gradual pro-
cess, might be brought up to cultivation.
Il is full OF plant food, the deposits of cen
turies, which only needs the warmth and
air and frost to make it available.
THE OsIER WILLow.-Speak;ng of the
osier willow crop in that vicinity, The Var
sa,o Ner Yoiker says "Frank Gould
showed us last week samples eight and
nine feet long, from their patch which he
reports has made the finest growth ever
seen on the flats. AT last years prices
they paid $50 per acre clean profit"
BOG SPAWN ON HORSES. -This often
exists for life time without interfering
with usefulness. If there is no lamencss,
it may be well to let it alone. you wish
to do anything, apply pressure by means
of pads and bandagcs, if these can be
maintained in position. Failing in this, APP
My an ointment of two drachms binodide
of mercury to an ounce and a half OF lard
till active blstering results.
NURSERIES, OF WEEDS. many
farms there are well prepared and nicely
located nurseries of weeds. Among the
spots set apart for this purpose are the
places where manure has been heaped up
before il is drawn on the fields. Often
there is place appropriated to raising
choice seeds of weeds on one side of the
barn, in so convenient reach of the garden
that q large part of the seeds produced will
readily find their way there.
BEHAVIOR or POTATOES The P,uc-
teal Farmer gives a report of the potato
crop this year in the vicinity OF Phladel-
phia. The EARLY Goodrich did not sustain
It's former reputation, although this is be-
leved to have been largely owing to the
season. It did not do as well on light as
on heavy soil. The Michigan White Sprout
did well, as did the Jersey Monitors. The
HARRISON did finely, and seems TO be the
best late potato. The Early Rose rs al
most unanimously endorsed.
HAY FARMING. The HnrQl World
says: Hay farming is the most profitable
we have at the present time. by the aid
of labor-saying machines it can be easily
saved and bailcd and shipped at the South
49, -
their eyes and ears open and raise what
win pay the best, and where good facili-
ties are had for shipping to our large
cities and towns, or to the South, no
branch Of farming pays better, so SOW
timothy seed this very fall.
CIIURNING BUTTERMILK.-Ac CORES
pondent Of the .imeiicaa Institute farmers
club, writes that he obtained two pounds
of butter from the first chuining OF cream,
and by churning the buttefmilk several
times over he obtained one and one-hall
pounds more, or threc-fourths as much as
the first churning. | churned thirteen and
threc-fourths pounds Of butter from cream,
and afterwards churned the buttcrmlk I'M
til | was well satisfied, and left it with my
" better half" who hunted severely for
sometime, and reported not enough butter
to grease mosquitoes bill. would not
advise the experiment as one of profit.
IMPORTED CATTLE.-Mr. Charles Il.
Coffin, president of the Murkrk Iron COM
pany, of Prince Georges county, Mary
land, imported recently from the Island Of
Jersey a lot of heifers, said to be among
the finest and most costly full-brcd stock
ever imported into Maryland. A RED
helcr, called the Portulaca, was bred il
Essex, and was calved in the fall Of 1869
Another, roam heller, is called the Belinda
Oxford, and was calved later in the samt
year, at Stratton Park.
KEEPING APPLES. The Gan,antow,
Telegraph, tells correspondent how ht
can keep his winter apples until late il
spring, say to the cnd of May: There il
but one answer to make; LIST, the apples
must be good keepers, free from bruises OF
blemish. 2nd, they must be spread out OF
shelves or packed in barrels, and kept il
an atmosphere from forty to fifty degrees
better from forty to forty-iive-that is at ;
temperature as equable as possible. Some
cellars are just the thing and preserve then
beautifully. Others are too moist. Wher'
this is the case few bushels Of stone lint
should be used.
How TO KEEP CIDER.-Mr Il. Vii
lams, in the Journal ofMe firm, gives tin
following on cider Keeping:
am aware that there are as many rec
ipes for keeping cider as for curing colds OIL
rheumatism. Some of them doubtless an
good, but most of them are worthless
Here is one which have found to answe
the purpose admirably, and as your read
ers will observe, is q very simple one :
allow the cider, after it comes from tn
press, to stand until the pumicc settles
When this point is reached, put it in
clear vessel, and let it come to a boil, skim
ming off the scum carefully. 1t is thenpu
into kegs or dcmijohns, and tightly corke
and sealed. BY this process | have excel
lent sweet cider, not merely for the entir
winter, but for years. This method woul
not, of course, be available where Lang
quantities are made, but for an ordinar
family it answers admirably.
SAVING BEEF.-1 send you recipe fo
saving beef during the summer season
which | think is of vast importance to tn
South, as we can raise cattle with but littl
trouble, and by this process can save I'll
largest OK in midsummer for any length {
time. | put up for my own family us
one-quarter to one-half beef weekly, an
have not lost any in the past three months
e.,