The Placer herald., 1872-09-14
HOUSE AND FARM.

good manager he VIII sell only MS poor dili'
mails.
To determine which cows are the best foi
keeping, try their milk separately, and weigh
their butter-for sometimes IL COW may give
much milk and little butter, and vice versa.
Cows should run dry six weeks before
calving-if MIXED closely before calvng the
calves will be poorer.
A COW newly come in should not druk
cold water in cold weather, but moderately
warm slop. Calves intended for raising
should be taken from the COW within a few
DAYS, and they will be less liable to suck
when old. Feed them first with new milk
for time; then skim milk, taking care that
all the changes are gradual, by adding only
portion first; add graually little meal.
Calves well fed and taken care Of, with a
quart or two of meal daily in Winter, will
be double the size at two years they would
have attained by common treatment. Heif-
ers thus treated may come in at two years
old, and will be better than neglected ami
mails at three, and one year Of feeding saved.
Hearty eaters are desirable for cows, and
they may usually be selected while calves.
A dainty calf will be a dainty COW.
Hefers should become accustomed to be
freely handled before calvng, and their teats
should be drawn. They will not then be
difficult to milk. Begin gradually, and never
startle them.
In milking COWS, divide the time as nearly
as practicable between morning and evening,
especially at time of earl y grass, that the
udder may not suffer.
Persons who milk should keep their nails
cut short-animals are sometimes hurt with
sharp nails, and are unjnstly charged with
restlessness.
Old cows should be fatted at fifteen years
The daryman, therefore, who has fifteen
cows, should raise heifer calf every year to
supply the vacancy; if the herd is thirty cows
he should raise two calves and so forth.
Hefers dried mp too early after calving,
will always run dry about the same time in
after years-therefore be careful to milk
closely the first year, until about six weeks
before calving.
Spring cows should come in while they
are yet feed on hay, and before they are
turned to grass, which will be more lke y to
prevent caked bag and milk fcver.-Annual
Register.
VINEGAR FROM MELoNs--EDs. Pass
Will you please inform me, in the next issue
of the Press, how to make pure cider vine
gar out of watermelons, as spoken Of in your
small work on "Sugar Making" also the
time required, and obigo O. G. W.
San Jose, Ang. 10, 1872.
Express the .jnice from the watermelon by
any convenient method and strain it through
course woolen cloth Set the juice away to
ferment as you would cider " hen the vi
nous fermentation is complete, which will be
in a few days, draw off the liquor into another
cask two-thirds full, add a small quantity OF
the 'mother of vinegar and the aceious fer
menation is readily accomplished, resulting
in excellent vinegar; and in the space Of six
weeks from the melon.
1t will make vinegar without the aid oi
"mother," but a longer time is required tol
the acetous fermentation to accomplish Its
purpose.
PUT Up Your JAM WHILE HoT,-lt is
said that ordinary .am-fruit and sugar (which
have been boiled together for some time
keeps better if the pots into which it is poured
are tied up while hot. If the plper can act
as strainer, in the same way as couor
wool, it must be as people suppose. 1t ONE
pot of jam is put to cool before it is tied down
little germs will fall upon it from the air, anC
they will retain their vitality, because they
fall upon a cool substance; they will be shu
in by the paper, and will soon fall TO work
decomposing the fruit. If another pot, per
fecty similar, be filled with boilng-hot mix
ture, and Immediately covered over, though
of course, some of the outside air must bC
shut in, any germs which are floating III il
will be scalded, and in all probability de-
stroyed, so that no decomposition can take
place.
TREES IN PASTURES. 1t is a fact that all
careful farmers must have noticed, that @
tree seeming ever so thrifty and of whatever
kind to which cattle have access, and under
which they stand, will soon die. In the
case of solitary shade trees in pastures on
standing by the roadside, this is IA common
occurrence, and the question naturally arises
why is it? First rubbing is injurious, and i
persisted in, will commonly destroy then
sooner or later. But if the trees be cased Sc
that their necks will not touch it, death viii
ensue just as certainly if they are allowed tC
trample around it. But why should tramp
ing tn earth destroy the tree? The roots o
plants need the air just as much as do tho
leaves and branches. If it be all shut off
SO that none which is fresh can get to them
they will exhaust the supply on hand apc
then die for want of more.
ToILING WIFE.-A farmers wife on
large farm, with six or eight children of al
ages, from nineteen to two years of age, has
without help, toilsome life of it--a life o
hard labor. She is generally the first one
up in the morning and to bed the last at night
toiling necessarily from early nom till lat,
in the evening. There is baby to attend, tC
get to sleep. The mother and wife on alarg'
farm with large family, most of whom I
great portion of the year go to school, has {
laborous life of t--much more shan the hus
band and father No wonder so many o