The Placer herald., 1874-08-29
HOUSE AND FARM.

If the point be mostened in the mouth, it
will usually drive more kindly. Oil is bet
ter, but then it is inconvenent to dip each
nail separately into it. Another point is,
that boards become loose eventually from the
rusting of nails, which, communicating to
the wood, causes not only an enlargement
of the nail hole, but the wearing away Of
the nail itself, rendering the fence or building
shaky or Insecure. ibis may be prevented
by heating any rough grease until it smokes,
and then pouring it over the nails to be used.
The grease will penetrate the pores Of the
iron, and cause the nails to last without rust
ing for an indefinite period. Besides this,
no difficulty will then be experienced in
driving them into the hardest wood. The
reason is this, that the coating Of grease pre-
vents contact by air, and consequently oxi-
dation. Oxygen is the great destroyer of
iron, and moisture is the inducing cause.
Anything which is kept from air is preserved
indefinitely, and if it is kept dry the effect
is measurably the same. Paint upon build
ings prevents the contact Of air and moisture.
IL the whole fence cannot be painted the
heads, at least, of the nails therein should
be touched - Neloark Builder.
MANAGEMfNT OF HOUSEHOLD. - Young
ladies', cut this out ard pin it to your bon
nets. "No young woman ought to feel her
self qualified to become wife until she il
sure She understands how to do the most
that can be done with her husbands money
The management of a household is rot a
thing to be properly and safely entrusted to
hireling hands. a servant is a broken reed
for the head of a family to lean upon
There are a thousand little ways in which
money must be expended, in which real
shrewdness and enterprise are requisite in
order to use it to the best advantage; and
there are thousand other ways of saving
money, open only 10 those who have studied
Alright the art Of economy. The Turkish
provcrb has it that "a prudent woman is a
mine of jewels and like many other Ori-
entail sayings, this is beautiful for the truth
it embodies. A wasteful housekeeper not
only actually robs those for whom she UNI
dertakes to manage of the comforts it is her
duty to provide for them, but keeps her hus
band head over ears in debt, and makes the
domestic life of poor man continued Sc
ries of experiments in shining it from one
day to the next; in keeping the stomach full,
though the purse be empty"
FEEDING HENS. - The San Francisco
Weekly Chronicle says: Very few persons
know anything about the nature OF hens, or
what kind OF food they require to make
them lay. Hens to lay any length of time,
must have animal food. When they run
loose they find this food in the shape of
worms and insects, but when shut up in a
close yard, where the ground is baked and
dry, they have no chance to get anything
but what is given them, and unless the con
slant drain on their eystem thus caused is
counteracted by liberal supply of animal
food, they must stop laying for a time.
Hens will lay in the Winter as well as in the
Summer, in our mild climate, if they have
good warm shelter and the proper kind Of
food. Another excellent article Of food is
sour milk. A good plan is to have large
shallow trough in the yard, into which emp
,y all the waste milk. 1t will be found
that the hens will run to it dozen times n
day. Besides, it is as good diet as can be
given to the young chicks after they are Il
couple of weeks old A little sulphur and
black pepper mixed with it occasionally will
prevent disease, and sulphur sprinkled in the
nests will destroy all vermin.
PROFITS or ALFALFA.-Now that it has
been fully demonstrated, says the AgTicut-
tu,qst, that alfalfa is profitable crop, and
that it can be successfully grown on a major
part of our soil, we hope another year may
treble the present area sown to clover. A
good average crop of wheat or oat hay will
be about two tons to the acre in good sea-
sons; the average crop of alfalfa will I'M
doubtedly be three times that much, besides
the pasture it affords for stock The ground,
when once thoroughly seeded, requires no
further trouble. The hay is equal in every
respect TO the best oat hay. 1t grows
equally we'll ON our rich bottom lands and on
the upland soils. Its roots strike deep into
the ground, and hence are not subject to the
drought to such an extent as other grasses.
We have the best of testimony going to
prove that dairy cows pastured on this clo-
yer will produce third more butter and
milk than on any other food, and one acre
will produce as much as ten acres of native
feed.
SUN BATHS These cost nothing and are
the most refreshing, life giving baths one can
take, whether sick or well. Every house.
keeper knows the necessity of giving her
woolens the sun, from time to time, and es-
pecially after long absence from the sun
Many will think of the injury their clothes
are liable to from dampness, who will never
reflect that an occasional exposure of their
own bodies to the sunlight is equally neces
sary to their own health. The sun-baths
cost nothing, and that is a misfortune for
the people are still deluded with the idea
that those things only can be good or useful
which cost money, and they will oheertully
pay away their dollars for Turkish and Rus
sian baths, when they could get any num-