Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1873-04-24
Farm, Garden and Household.
Turkeys.

poultry. The legs of young turkeys
are generally black. An old hen-tur-
KEY has the legs rough, and of o
reddish hue the cock has long spurs.
The fattest, those with short necks, a
broad, thick breast, and white skin,
are the best. When fresh, the legs are
flexible enough, but they get stiff as
the bird gets seasoned. -,
Saturday-eveningturkeysare made with
old hens and old roosters, and commonly
sold to confident buyers In this way
two or more market boys take posses
sion of a closed stand rather late on
Saturday evenings they have their
goods in basket or box, and each is
holding a fowl that he shows for and
calls a young turkey, holding the head
in one hand and the legs in the other,
crying loudly, "Youngturkeys for
pound" (stating the price. =" head and
legs off with other remarks, such as,
"We offer them at that low price be-
cause it is late" because we want to
close" etc.
Unsuspecting women, attracted by
the low price they are offered at head
and legs not weighed), stop and look at
them, and in less time than it takes to
sayit. the head and legs are chopped off,
he bird is weighed, the whole price
announced, and before the woman has
had time to say word the bird Is IN
her basket. Half bewildered at the
celerity with which the whole process
has been gone through, and startled by
the small sum she has to pay for tur.
KEY, at least nine out of ten pay and
move along, conscious of having made
good bargain.
Planting Potatoes.
Early last spring I plowed piece OF
ground two rods wide by 10 long har,
rowed it fine; then took two-horse
plow and ridged it up something like
sweet potato ridges, only fatter on top
then took a hand-stake sharpened al
one end, and made holes by thrusting
the stake down into the ridge the
holes were made about Is inches apart
on alternate sides of the ridge. A boy
followed and dropped seed in each hole
then we took mixture of Stacked lime
and leached ashes, equal parts, and put
q handful in each hill, covered lightly
with earth. They soon started to grow
and as the plants began to appear above
ground we covered them with straw
about one foot deep. That was all tht
work they got, except going through
them every morning for two weeks anG
killing the bugs. The weeds never got
through the straw during the summer
We began using them the 18th of June.
used all we wanted { a family of siz
persons) until the first of November
We took up what remained, which was
so bushels of as large and dry potatoes
as could be desired They were of the
Early Rose variety. The ground was
only common prairie, and has been IL
cultivation for ten years. Was it the
lime and ashes, or the manner of plant
ing, or the variety of potato used, that
gave such results ? There was not less
than at the rate of 800 bushels per acre
Value OF sea-weed Manure.
1t has long been customary on the
seacoast to use sea-weed (Fucus, Lan1i'
maria, etc. } for a manure, its value fol
this purpose being considered by many
as scarcely inferior to stable manure
This applies, however, to sea-weeds
proper, the eel-grass (zoStera marina
being of very different character, and
on account of its slow decomposition
and different chemical combination, ot
much less value. An especial feature
of the true sea-weeds consists in theil
large percentage of nitrogenous matter
and in the great amount of ash, one
analysis giving for dry sea-weeds nearly
per cent. of nitrogenous matter, rs Of
cellulose, and about Is of ash. The
amount of nitrogen proper may be esti'
mated at from II to 2 per cent.
The principal objection to the use ot
sea-weed as a manure consists in its very
small percentage of phosphoric acid
This, however, can be easily remedie6
BY the addition of some phosphate
such as bone-meal. In the large amount
Of gypsum it contains, sea-weed serves
admirably as a dressing for grazing
lands. It is also very well suited tc
potatoes and other roots, tobocco, fax,
and growths requiring a good deal Of
potash. AS all element in compost it is
quite unrivaled, owing to the readiness
with which it is decomposed and the In
innate combination which it enters into
with other substances.
Diseased Potatoes.
The extensive failure of the potato
crop in Great Britain, in consequence
Of the prevalence of rust and rot, is Q
subject of grave moment, as bearing
upon the welfare of the laboring classes,
and method of utilizing the diseased
potatoes has been made public at the
instance of the British Government
This depends upon the fact that the
starch OF the potato is not affected by
the disease, but retains its nutritive
properties. The process consists ii
rasping the peeled tubers, upon bread
crater, into tub of water. The starch
sinks to the bottom in few minutes
and the diseased matter, woody fiber
ETC., are suspended in the water, anG
should be poured off with it. Fresl
water is then to be added, and the starcl
stirred, and again allowed to settle. Two
or three such washings will thoroughly
remove all impurities, and render the
starch fit for use. If dried, it can bC
kept any length of time, and can bt
used like arrow-root, for puddings ant
cakes, or mixed with -four, as bread.
Charcoal for Poultry.
The benefit which fowls derive from
eating charcoal is, believe, acknowl
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