Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1871-06-30
FARM AND FIRESIDE.
ADVERTISING RATES.

labor that requires the exercise OF great
Judgment than this since upon its success
full accomplishment depends the condition
and welfare of the stock There is no one
but has noticed with what avidity the herd
will deyour the richly perfumed, well-cured
hay, and with what disrelish they attempt
to sustain life, perhaps by eating musty' I'm
savory fodder. Now is it not ques1lon
whether hay can be cut too early from
this fact, that it is generally considered that
the aftermath or rowen is the best hay that
can be giyen to milch COWS, increasing the
flow of milk considerably more than the
hay from more mature grass.
It is said that in some portions OF Swift
zerland where the fields are irrigated, as
MANY as six Or seven tons of hay are cut
from an acre by cutting as many times,
which is as soon as the grass has fair
growth and long before it even arrives at
the period of blooming One thing is GER
tain, that cattle, when left to roam the pas
lures and select their own food, instead OF
selecting the more mature portion as their
free choice, invariably choose the younger
and more succulent, so that in time the
pasture presents the singular appearance of
being covered in parts with mature hay,
and in others closely grazed +; nor is this
peculiar to cattle alone, since the same de-
sire pervades the horse and sheep kind
So, then, the desire of animals, so lar as it
can be expressed, seems to favor growth
Another fact, too, is frequently noticed, in
the fall off in flesh, in the change from pas
ture to the stable, and vice versa, and again
in the Fall fattening of stock by pasture
alone, which the most successful farmer
would little think of doing by feeding of
hay. Now all of this would seem to point
to the necessity almost, to say nothing of
the advantage, of cutting hay while young
and tender. If any have doubts, let them
place quantity of both kinds before the
animal, and they will soon find that the
youngest cut hay, if properly cured, will be
the first to disappear. ..as.. t.a
CULTURE OF SMALL GRAIN. AN Illinois
correspondent writes The other day,
while riding near Mossville, in this county,
we called upon Jacob Littleton, with whose
farm everybody in this section is acquainted.
In talking over the subject Of farming gen.
orally, we remarked that every farmer ought
to keep book account with all Of his crops.
In that way he could tell what he was max
ing money on. and how much, and whether
it would pay to push any particular thing,
Or discontinue raising certain others. MIR.
Littleton answered that that was precisely
his plan. His stocks, fruit, grain, wine,
and all other accounts were kept separate,
and he knew just how much each branch
COST and whether it paid to raise it. To
our question, what paid best, he answered,
''Small grains, especially wheat"
We asked him how, in the name Of COM
mon sense, he managed to raise small grain
at a profit when everybody else lost money
or led starving life at it. To be brief,
this is the plan: He raises Fall wheat
In the Autumn he prepares the ground,
and when he sows his wheat he adds a bush
Ell eff oats to the acre. In due time the seed
terminates and comes up. The oats get
the start of the wheat, and by the time the
Winter sets in are knee high, while the
wheat is only a few inches. The cold
weather in Winter kills the oats, and it
falls over the wheat, protecting it from the
weather, and mulching it so that in the
Spring the wheat makes astonishing growth.
Last year, by pursuing this plan, the land
of Mr.. Littleton yielded thirty bushels
| of wheat to the acre, which he sold at 81 ,45
per bushel. He sent to Indiana ard pro-
cured the seed. It was, we believe, the
| Mediterranean variety.
AMERICAN GRAPES correspondent,
after late trip through the wine growing
countries eff Europe, is convinced that Amer
| lean grape-growers follow too servllely the
process Of European culture. 1t is we'll
known that the European grapes can be
grown upon this continent only on the Pa
cifc slope, where the climatic conditions re-
semble those Of the western coast of the
Eastern continent. Our native grapes be-
ing adapted to an entirely different class of
conditions, would naturally be expected to
require different treatment. Gu: excess
sive pruning, for example, is thought by
many to seriously cripple the productive
power of American grapes. To test this
matter for himself, the writer commenced to
vary the treatment of his own grapes from
the imported methods. He now raises his
trellises to the hight of twelve feet and
trains his vines so as to produce the heavi-
est fruitage at the top of the trellises. He
finds that their elevation above the ground,
and subsequent greater exposure to the
suns rays, secures them from rot and mil
dew While those diseases, with leaf-blight
and tendency of tie fruit to bursting, affect
to considerable extent tbs vineyards Of his
neighbors, he is entirely without annoyance
| on that score. . .flf
To PRESERVE FRESH FISH FOR SEVERAL
| DAYs.-Clean them well of scales and en-
trails, ell up the cavity with pow dered char
coal, and keep them in cool place; they
will by this method retain their freshness
and sweetness much longer than when kept
III the usual careless way. Fresh fish, un.
less kept alive in tanks, as is now the prac
tice in many places, decay very rapidly, and
should be eaten as soon as possible after be-
ing caught. |
REMEDY FOR WARTS. correspondent
says: ssThe amputation of warts with a
string is very good and safe, but the appli-
cation of acids often proves injurious, espe-
cially in careless or inexperienced hands. -
For this reason have commonly used the
more safe, but equally eficacious remedy
recommended by Blame, vizs: Crude sal
ammoniac, two drachms; powdered savin
leaves, one ounce lard, one ounce"
Norris IN CARPETs.-Wrlng coarse