Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-01-18
Farm, Garden and Household.

est OF all errors, and one that Is INDUCED
in by so many of our planters in their
horticultural infancy, is that of setting
out frst-class tree in q second-class
yard. Scarcely town lot or cemetery
Enclosure is laid out but this mistake is
made, although ignorance in nearly every
instance is the excuse, and Justly so, too,
oE-CAIKs.-The slippery state Of
the roads during the winter makes it
necessary for horse-shoes to be pro.
tected with sharp calks 1t is during
this season that horses receive the great.
est number of serious injuries that result
in permanent blemishes or lameness.
The greatest caution in driving but es-
pecially in turning team, is necessary,
and Also in not permitting horses to get
loose in the stable or frolic in the yards.
A kick becomes dangerous affair.
HEDGEs.-P. A. Boundinier, Louisi-
ana, Mo-, tells the Club: You have
had many discussions about hedges, but
SO far, none Of you have spoken of
charmille, or hedge of yoke-elm. The
yoke elm is tree of medium size, hardy,
tenacious and Of great longevity, and
when planted in close proximity, trim
med, and kept low, it stays dwarfed ;
and when well interlocked, it makes
strong, beautiful hedge, more advanta-
geous than your thorny Usage, and less
vexatious, for you can handle it without
glove, and make faggots with the trim
mings, pea brushes, and bean poles. I
have seen such hedges in France, so
thick and strong that a rabbit or q
buffalo could not pass through, and as
old as old Parkway be more.
STRAWBERRIES FOR THE MnMoN.-
1t is burning shame at this day for
any farmer or gardener, no mat
ter where located, to be without clean
and thrifty strawberry patch for family
use. The old plea that the common far
mer has no time to fritter away in rails
ing such "stuff" never was q valid ex-
cuse for neglecting the kitchen garden.
1t is one of the most profitable parts of
any farm. No kitchen-garden is COM
plete without strawberry-bed. To one
that has always been accustomed to o
bountifm supply of small fruits for home
use, it is strange too and farmers cultiva-
ting from fifty to two hundred acres with
the ordinary field crops from year to
year, and still these very same men
working hard and still contented"-
without a raspberry, q blackberry, u
currant, or strawberry under culture.
These same farmers would think it quite
important to keep fifty acre field OF
corn as clean as an onion-bed, yet they
have no such feeling about strawberries.
We have seen many plats that might
with propriety be called grass-beds, with
here and there a strawberry plant, be-
longing to this class of farmers.-N Y
Tribune.
BUTTER IN SAoKs.-The dairymen in
Washington Territory, for want OF tubs
and jars, have adopted method of put
ting up and keeping butter which,
though novel, presents some features
that are worthy the attention of those
having butter packed for family use or
for the retail trade. The package is
thus described All butter is packed in
muslin sacks, made in such form that the
package, when complete, is cylinder
three or four inches in diameter and from
half foot to foot in length. The
butter goes from the churn, as soon as
worked over, into the cylindrical bags,
made Of fine bleached muslin. The
packages are then put into large casks
containing strong brine with a slight ad-
mixture of saltpeter, and by means of
weights kept always below the surface.
The cloth integument always protects
the butter from any impurities that
chance to come in contact with the pack
age, and being always buried in brine
that protects it from the action of the
air, and it has been ascertained by trial
that butter put up in this way will keep
sweet longer than in any other way.
MAKING BEEF ON SMALL POTATOES. -
VIM. V. Reid, Monmouth County, N.
j.: In looking over the Clubs discus
sion of Nov. 81, notice q request in re-
gard to the best means for making first
quality beef We have just slaughtered
our second beef this Fall, bullock two
and half years old, the meat four quart
ers of which weighed over TOO lbs, net !;
hide 80 lbs Six week ago we dressed COW
he meat counting over 600 lbs, hide II
bs., and the quality of the beef is very
fine, SO said by others, who see and eat
OF it, beside our own experience. The
main food was small or Gull potatoes,
from September to about Nov. l, once
day, then alternate twice day since,
morning and evening, with soft and
small corn nubbings at night, and
the Gull potatoes, one quarter bushel
each, in the morning. Such potatoes
are worth here about 80 cents per barrel
I thought two or three of our farmer
citizens in this vicinity have tried and
carefully observed this potato feeding
and valuable fattening beef property
for several years, and it never seems to
fail or disappoint. Cattle never seem
TO loose their keen relish for that vegeta-
BILE, and it has fattening properties to
oil cud chewing animals, fully equal to
corn. How many farmers make little
account of that sized vegetable except
it be for swine, which is of little value
unless properly boiled and mixed with
bran or other feed. There is no mistake
in potatoes for cattle or sheep, either for
fat or milk.
How HORSES SHOULD BE SHop.-The
whole art of shoeing, as generally prac,
ticed, consists of pairing away the foot Il
Mhe shoe, and afterward rasping the
outside to please morbid fancy. The
frog, natures elastic cushion, is also re-
moved shoes are lost in consequence
Of the foot being reduced, the nails used
often being too large, and splitting of
portions, alternate effects of dryness ant
moisture, and unnatural dryness in con