Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1872-03-14
HOME, FARM AND GARDEN.

WneTe SOOQ Dltc ~ iOunQ
Farmers, make good roads by ditch
ing and grading. 1t pays two-fold. The
adjoining lands are drained, and the roads
made passable during the worst portions
of the year.
Wood soaked in a strong solution of
common salt is thereby protected against
decay, especially when placed under
ground. So says Dr. Dingler, in a late
number of his Polytechisches Journal
Somebody tells the Scientific american
of way to clear well of carbonic acid
gas. 1t is to lower red-hot iron to the
water, so as to produce little steam.
The vapor instantly absorbs the gas.
"A farmers house should always be
retired enough from the main thorough
fare to escape the noise and dust incident
to travel, and this gives room for the eX-
ercise of taste in cultivating and adjoining
the premises.
The Journal Of Applied Chemistry rec
ommends the use of small quantity of
carbolic acid in paste for laying paper
hangings and in whitewash 1t will nerl-
tralize the disagreeable odor consequent
upon the decomposition of the paste, and
also repel cockroaches and other insects.
To kill out horseradish, grub it up
thoroughly. If allowed to grow till the
plants are in flower, the destruction will
be more effectual If impracticable to
grub it, smother (which may be done
by covering it thickly with chaff, sawdust
or straw, or by blowing or spading under
the moment the first green shoot appears
at the surface, and so continuing the sea
son through. If it cannot breathe. through
the leaves it will die.-Couutay Gentle
man.
"A lady sends to the Western Rurul the
following recipe for mince pies, which,
she says, "makes pies sufficiently good
for human natures daily food, withou,
causing unutterable groans for the indul
gence Take pint of Underground
beef. a full quart of minced apples
(green), and mix half pint of sugar, al
least, pint and half of vinegar,
or what is far superior, the liquor of al
most any kind off spiced fruit. Grape
and plum are especially nice. Spice with
a tablespoonful of allspice or cloves.
never measure quantities in cooking, but
think this is very nearly correct"
"A gentleman of large experience, and
claiming to be as humane as the rest OF
us, communicates to the AgriculturiSt the
fact that he rids his premises of rats by
putting potash in their holes and runs.
The poor wretches get it over their feet
and fur, then they lick it, and don't like
the taste of it; it burns them somewhat,
and the more they see of it the less they
like it; and so they clear out almost as
soon as the application is made. To get
rid of mice, the same person uses tartar
| emetic, mingled with any favorite food ;
they take it, take sick, and take their
leave.
Bran for Poultry.--It must be remem-
bered that bulk, as well as nutriment, is
important in poultry feed. A distension
of the digestive organs stimulates their
activity; and, besides, the hulls Of grain
serve in the bowels as vehicles to convey
effetc and waste matter out OF the animals
system. Bran contains some Of the most
nutritious parts of the grain too, and the
very elements of which eggs are largely
composed. A mixture of half wheat bran
or shorts and half corn meal is better than
the latter clear, excepting when the OBJ
iect is fattening In making poultry
dough in winter, never use water; but il
skinned milk cannot be afforded, moist
en- the meal sufficiently by mixing with
boiled turnips, beets, mangolds, or carrots
mashed. These are too watcry alone, bu
are lust what is needed with the meal, and
help to give the diet the desired bulkl'
ness.-HedrM and Home.
The Prairie Farmer says that in order
to make the application of soap to the
trunks of apple trees entirely effectual for
the exclusion of the borers, it is necessary
to take very thick soft soap, without dliut
ing, heat it to the boiling point, and then
paint the trees freely with 1t near the
ground, and thence up some distance
among the branches. 1t strikes into the
bark When thus put on hot, SO that one
application about the first of June pro
tects the trees for the season, killing the
Young borers or eggs which happened to
he at the surface of the bark. We have
never tried this mode, but have used the
old one of rubbing with cold soft soap,
which always proved useful, but never en-
tirely efiectual; and it was always neces
sary in order to complete extirpation, &c
90 over the tree once or twice year WIN
the knife and flexible wire. Our readers
will of course, understand that the soap
has no effect on borers already IN the
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