Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-04-12
Farm, Garden and Household.
Turkeys.

Turkeys.
A good and young turkey is known
by the same indications as given for
poultry. The legs of young turkeys
are generally black. An old hen-tur-
KEY has the legs rough, and of a
reddish hue the cock has long spurs.
The latest, those with short necks, a
broad, thick breast, and a white skin,
are the best. When fresh, the legs are
flexible enough, but they get stiff as
the bird gets seasoned.
Saturday-eveningtu made with
old hens and old ROSTERS, 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, "Young turkeys for - a
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
celebrity 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 plowed piece of
ground two rods wide by 10 long har-
rowed it fine then took a two-horse
pillow and ridged it up something like
sweet potato ridges, only fatter on top !;
then took a hand-,stake sharpened at
one end, and made holes by thrusting
the stake down into the ridge the
holes were made about 10 inches apart
on alternate sides of the ridge A boy
followed and dropped seed in each hole;
then we took a mixture of Stacked lime
and leached ashes, equal parts, and put
a 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 the
work they got, except going through
them every morning for two weeks and
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 six
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 in
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, Lanai-
maria, etc. y for manure, it's value for
this purpose being considered by many
as scarcely inferior to stable manure.
This applies, however, to sea-weeds
proper, the eel-grass (zoStera n1drina)
being of very different character, and,
on account of it's slow decomposition
and different chemical combination, of
much less value. An especial feature
of the true sea-weeds consists in their
large percentage of heterogeneous matter
and in the great amount of ash, one
analysis giving for dry sea-weeds nearly
7per cent. of heterogeneous matter, IS of
cellulose, and about IS of ash. The
amount of nitrogen proper may be esti-
mated at from II to per cent
The principal objection to the use OF
sea-weed as a manure consists in it's very
small percentage of phosphsric acid.
This, however, can be easily remedied
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. 1t is also very we'll suited tc
potatoes and other roots, tobocco, flax,
and growths requiring a good deal OF
potash. AS an 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 a
subject of grave moment, as bearing
upon the welfare of the laboring classes,
and a 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 it's nutritive
properties. The process consists in
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. Fresh
water is then to be added, and the starch
stirred, and again allowed to settle. Two
or three such washings will thoroughly
remsve all impurities, and render thu
starch fit for use. If dried, it can b.
kept any length of time, and can b,
used like arrow-root, for buildings anC
cakes, or mixed with -four, as bread.
Charcoal for Poultry
The benefit which fowls derive from
eating charcoal is, believe, acknowl
edged. The method of putting it befor
them is, however, not we'll understood
Pounded charcoal is not in the shape il
which fowls usually find their food am