River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-10-14
Gossip with the Farmers.

Gossip with the Farmers.
The Plantation says hens will thrive
well on mixture of beans, boiled soft,
and about one part corn meal 20 two oil
beans, well stirred together I'm.
marketable beans may be used for this
purpose.
A SAFE HAIR-DREssING. The follow
ing is from the Yearbook of Pharmac,
for 1872: coil 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, fc"r hints.
To cure leg weakness in chickens, a
correspondent of the Prairie Farmer
gives each of the chickens from tire
to eight grains of citrate of iron daily,
and due supply of nutritious food,
care being taken to select such sub
stances as are flesh producing, and not
fattening-wheat, barley, and due
supply of worms, or, in default, some
chopped raw meat.
CONSUMPTION OF FooD. AS a general
rule, cattle, horses and sheep will eat
three per cent. of their live weight of
food per day--that is, very near their
own weight every month. But there is
a vast difference among them as to the
profitable results of their consumption
oS food. Some will merely keep alive,
while others will increase in weight
and size, or produce milk IN much
greater proportion for the food con-
sumed.
FARMERS AND ROADS. There is no
single item in connection with the far
mers' business that attracts more of his
attentlon-that more excites his ire, or
gives him greater satisfaction tnan
good or bad roads; and yet there is no
subject in which he is more persistently
perverse and careless. Who ever heard
of two farmers agreeing upon the
proper time of repairing roads, or the
best means of doing it, Roaamend-
ing with them is, in most instances,
merely spasmodic outbreak of mis-
directed labor, applied without a def
mite object, and regardless of all recog
nzed laws of mechanics or nature.
THREsHINa TIMOTHY. The best wa,
to get out timothy seed is to thresh i
with fail for although a machin,
will work more rapidly, yet the see,
which it cuts and wastes more thar
overbalances the advantages. Whel
threshed out, then spread it out on Tia,
floor, go over it again thoroughly witt
the fail then pass it very slowly
through a tanning mill, SO as not tc
blow out the seed (Which can be soon
learned by examInation) then pass il
through a sieve fine enough for the
clear seed to pass, but retaining the
chaff- 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.
NoxIoUs GASES IN WELLs.-Liyes
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 a loose bundle, nearly as large
as the area of The well. Enclose in il
brick, to give weight, and attacl
| to the bundle rope OF sufficient
length to reach the bottom of the well
Throw tins bundle down the well, and
haul it up again as Quickly as possible
Repeat the operation rapidly for tel
minutes, an the atmosphere of Tia,
well will become innoxious, as may bt
proved by letting down Lighted
candle. This bundle, as is easily un'
derstood, carries before it a quantit,
of fresh air from the surface, and this
OF course, displaces the foul and dan
gerous air from the bottom.
Uses OF RAwHIDE. The ski. of al
animal, whether COW, calf, colt, q
horse, that dies on the farm, is wortl
more at home than at the tanners
Cut it into narrow strips and shave of
the hair with a sharp knife before th'
kitchen fire, or in yOur workshop OF
stormy days and evenings. You ma,
make them soft by rubbing. A rawhId'
halter strap an inch wide will hold
horse better and last longer than "A
inch rope. IL is stronger than hoop
iron and more durable, and may b.
used TO hoop dry casks and boxes, an,
for hinges. Try il on a broken thill, o
any wood work that has been split pu
IL on wet, and nail fast. Thin skim
make the best bag strings in the world
A rawhide rope is good substitute TO
chain. IL is valuable 10 mend
broken link in trace cham. For som,
purposes II is best to us,
il In its natural state. For othe
purposes il may be dressed soft.
BAD SEED WHEAT. 1t is q lnistak
IN wheat culture TO SOW inferior seed
Indeed, this is very foolish IN regard I,
any and every crop. Like begets like
Weakness and disease are propagate,
in the plant world very much as the.
are transmitted from parent 10 child ii
the world Of human beings. The great
est pains should be taken 20 procur
cleancst seed that can possibly be had
II will pay the farmer who depend
upon his own growing Of seed, 10 cul
out the best portions Of a field, whei
there is perceptible difference, an
devote them 10 this important use. IN
deed, II is a wise policy 10 select th
earliest and finest heads, and fror
these grow seed. II is also well to OIL