The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-07-20
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.

PROTECTING FRUIT AND SEEDS FROM
BIRDs.-A correspondent of the London
| FEetd gives the following method as hav-
ing proved in his experience entirely
etficacious:
And what, you will ask, is my tails
man? Simply ball of gray or witty
brown linen thread. l take ball of
this in my hand, fasten the end of it to
ond of the twigs of the gooseberry or
ourrant bush, and then cross the thread
backwards and forwards from twig to
twlg in perhaps dozen different direc.
tons, fasten off, and the thing is done;
and it will last two years-the thread on
the trees l mean. 1t is not necessary
tile thread should be white or coarse it
ought rather to be fine and dark-a
thing to bo felt, not seen. have watch
ed the birds after performing the opera
ton; they come boldly to settle on the
trees; and they strike against these to
them invisible snares, for such no doubt
they deem them to be; they fly off in a
terrible hurry, and settle ON the walls or
trees round about, longing and getting
hungry, till at last they disappear, and
you will see them no more.
AS regards peas and other seeds which
always SOW in drills, simply stretch
Unread, sometimes two, along each drill
at about two inches from the ground,
supporting it at that height by little
forked sticks. If you put it much high
er than this the birds do not seem to
care for tit does not touch them that
Is the grand secret-something which
touches them, something they do not
well see, nor know what it means.
L have seen people put thick white
string with feathers tied to it, and per-
haps two feet from the ground. The
birds soon understand these, and care
little for them in short, know to my
cost 1t sometimes acts as lure, O notice
to the birds that there is something to
be had worth looking after. will an
swer for it, any one adopting the plan /
recommend will never have cause to
complain of the birds, however nume-
rous they may be.
CALLED HORSES SHoULDERs.-There
are few things more painful to look at
than poor horse wincing and baking
at every root which comes against the
plough, while the ploughman is slashing
him with the line, and goading him in
to a passion, for his restiveness under
| the torture of sore shoulder.
In using new collar it is best always
to wet it thoroughly before you put it Oh
the animal. 4 few hours use will give
it set to the peculiar formation of the
shoulder, which it will always keep. The
same collar should always be used for
the same horse. There is no worse prac-
tice than shifting gear upon planta-
| Exyny .,,l, i 1.,- l.
gear, and it should never be used for an
other, and every laborer should be held
responsible for its condition. We prefer
the common bark or shuck collar to any
other kind. If the shoulder should be-
come CALLED, pad of cotton may be put
on so US to keep the pressure off the sore.
A little meats foot oil applied every day
will heal it up. 1t is best, however,
when the first appearance of bruiso is
noted, to apply spirits of turpentine.
But it is better still to prevent such mis-
chief. We always keep at the stable a
bottle of vinegar, with few spoonsful
of alum dissolved in it, and require the
shoulders to be washed with it when the
horse comes in at noon and night. If it
be inconvenient to use this solution, a
strong decoction of oak bark will answer
a very good purpose. This astringent
preparation tougnens the shoulder and
prevents the CALLING, and if little oil
should be applied when the CALLED part
first appears, the animal can be worked
and the sore healed perfectly in a little
while.-Ru1uJ Cdrolinian.
Soil AND RIPENING OF SMALL
FRUITs.-in all of our descriptions OF
different varieties OF small fruit, in speak
ing of earliness, we have referred to the
general crop and not to few scattering
berries. Perhaps there is no strawberry
grown that will color few berries ear
lier than the Wilson, while its main crop
or picking is fully four or five days later
than many other sorts.
The Downer's Prolific ripens up fine
picking with us before the Wilson's AL
bany, If not grown on too rich soil {; and
too, the bulk Of the crop ripens up early
which is not the case with the Wilson.
This same thing is noticeable in the
raspberry or blackberry. The Philadel-
phia will turn few berries as early a:
the Kirkland, but the last yields all OF
its crop early, at three or four pickings
while the Pniladelphis extends along
for weeks and months. Just so with the
Miami and Doolittle. The first will
ripen upa few berries as early as the
last, but the last will all be gone by the
time the first is yielding full pickings
The Wilson and Kittatinny blackberry
show the same characteristics. The last
will ripen up few berries as early a,
the first, but not its general crop. Now
what are the advantages OF one over the
other? Simply that the Downer, Kirt
land, and Wilson's Early are all market
ed when the price is high, while the 9th
er dwindles along late and brings les.
d price-that is in the markets where car
illness is requisite for profit.
How TO MAKE DUTCu CHEEsE.-Al
low the milk to thicken; then heat gen
tly over fire in IA large kettle, till tn,
curd separates from tEe whey; then diI
out into colander or other suitable yes
sci, so that the whey can be pressed ou-
OF the curds as dry as possible; after al
the curds are pressed out, crumble VI
with the hands as fine as can be done
then press down in an earthen vessel
and let it stand few days until it be-
comes thoroughly heated. Don't omi'
to stir it throughout every day. ,tt r
ward pressing it down, SO that ever,
portion of it may become heated alike
now take it out and salt to suit the tast