Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-09

to Keep his bees out Of mischief by this
simple and profitable remedy. Other
late-blooming plants might DO added
to the one above mentioned, with, per-
haps, some advantage"
Gossip with the Farmers.
TnE Plantation says hens will thrive
we'll on a mixture Of beans, boiled soft,
and about one part corn meal to two of
beans, we'll stirred together. Un-
marketable beans may be used for this
purpose.
A SAFE HAlR-DREss1Na.-The follow
ing is from the Year. Book of Pharmacy
for 1872: "On Of. cocoanut, twelve
ounces; castor oil, three pounds.
Melt the cocoanut oil, and then add
the castor oil; agitate until they are
thoroughly mixed, and then add strong
alcohol, four pints."
To cure leg weakness in chickens, a
correspondent of tho Prairie Farmer
gives each of the chickens from three
to eight grains of citrate of IRON daily,
and q due supply of nutritious food,
care being taken to select such sub
stances as are fesh.prodncing, and not
fattoning-wheat, barley, and q due
supply OF worms, or, III default, some
chopped raw meat.
CONSUMPTION OF TooD.-As o general
rule, cattle, horses and sheep viii cut
three per cent. of their live weight OF
food per day-that is, very near their
own weight every month. But there is
vast difference among them as to the
profitable resultseof their consumption
o. food. Some win merely-keepialive,
while others will increase in weight
and size or produce milk in much
greater proportion for the food con-
sumed.
T. FARMERS AND .-RoADs.-TEola' is no
single itemrin connection with The far
mers' business that attracts more of his
attention-that more excites his ire, or
gives him greater satisfaction than
good or bad roads; and yet there is no
subject in which be il more Professionally
pcrverse and careless. Who ever heard
Of two farmers agreeing upon the
proper time of repairing roads, or the
best means Of. doing it, Road mend
ing with them is, in most instances,
merely a spasmodic outbreak of mis-
directed labor, applied without def
nite object, and regardless OF; all recog-
nlzed laws of mechanics or nature.
THREsH1Na !T1MoTHY.-The best way
to get out timothy seed is to thresh it
with q nail; for although-a machine
will work more rapidly, yet the seed
which it outs and wastes more than
overbs1ances the advantages. When
.threshed out, then spread it out on the
floor, go over it again thoroughly with
the fail; then pass it very slowly
through tanning mill, so as not to
blow ont the seed (Which can be soon
learned by examlnation) then pass it
through . sieve fine enough for the
clear seed to pass, but retaining the
chat. covered seeds, and tEresh the
latter again-and so on till all is saved.
For home use, all this care is unneces.
sary, but only to fit it for market. y
Nox1ous GASES IN WEL1s.-Lives
are frequently lost by noxious gases
in wells. This may be prevented by:
the adoption of the following very SIM
pie means: Take some pieces Of car
pet, or common sacks, and make them;
up into loose bundle, nearly as large
as the area of the we'll. Enclose in it
. brick, to give weight. and attach
to the bundle o rope of sufficient
length to reach the bottom of the we'll.
Throw this bundle down the we'll, and
haul it up again as quickly as possible.
Repeat the operation rapidly for ten
minutes, AMI the atmosphere of the
we'll will become innoxious, rs may be
proved by letting down lighted
candle. This bundle, as, is easily un4
dersto6d, carries before it q quantity
Of fresh air from the surface, and this,
OF course, displaces the foul and dam
gerous air from the bottom.
UsEs OF RAwH1nE.-The skin of an
animal whether COW, calf, colt, or
horse, that dies on the farm, is worth
more at, home than at the tanners.
Cut it into narrow strips and shave off
the hair with sharp knife before the
kitchen fire, or in your workshop on
stormy days and evenings. You may
make them soft by rubbing. A rawhide
halter strap an inch wide will hold a
horse better and last longer than an
inch rope. It is stronger than hoop
iron and more durable, aud may be
used to hoop dry casks aud boxes, and
for hinges. Try it on broken thill. or
any wood work that has been split put
it on wet, and nail fast. Thin skins
make the best bag strings in the world.
A rawhide rope is good substitute for
a chain. It. is valuable to mend a
broken link in a trace chain. For some
purposes it is best to use
it in its natural state. For other
purposes it may be dressed soft.
How're USE A SPADE.-The man who
can handle . spade properly does not
find it very hard or laborioue to work.
He first let's the spade fall of its own
weight down to the spot where the
spadeful is to be taken up, taking care
that the breadth on the surface ground
IS not more than four inches; then he
draws back tho spade q little, which
takes of much of the friction
of the descending blade. One
good thrust of the spade with the foot
then sends the blade down it's full
depth. A. backward pressure makes a
lever of tho handle and heel of the
spade, and dexterous turn of the wrist
sends the spadeful upside down lust
where it is wanted. There is no rank
ing or etsputtering" needed to make the
ground level. A slight tap with the
corner of the spade makes the work as
regular and plain as if laid of with an
instrument.
BAD SEED WHRAr.-It is q mistake
IN wheat culture to SOW inferior seed.
Indeed, tlis is very foolish IN regard to
any and every crop. Like begets like.
weakness and disease are propagated
in the plant world very much as they
are transmitted from parent to child in
tue world of human BEINGS. The great
est pains should be taken to procure
c!eanest seed that can possibly be had.
It Will pay the farmer who depends
upon his own growing of seed, to Gull
out the best portions of O field. when
there is perceptible difference. and
devote them to this important use. In
Decd it is a wise policy to select the
earliest and finest heads, and from
these grow seed. It is also we'll to oh.
tain change of seed from time to
time, as successive sowing in tho same
soil and climate seems to induce more
or less degeDeracy. The farmer should
never grudge a little extra outlay in
the purchase of choice seed. Such
outlay is pretty certain to be we'll re i.
warded.