The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-11-26
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.

interior. The same mark drawn on the
edge of shelves will also prevent the APP
prOach of an ant, as they are not able to
crawl over the chalk. But II they are
numerous among jam and jelly pots,
take large sponge, wet in cold water,
squeeze it nearly dry, and then sprinkle
fine white sugar over it. Place it on the
infested shelf, and next morning dip it
quickly and carefully into bowl of
boiling water. tried the experiment
in my jelly closet last night, and killed
at least hundred this morning Have
set the trap again, and shall continue to
do so while one ant runs. Red pepper
busted over their haunts will also destroy
them, but the sponge is the surest
method.
How TO CLEAN MARBLE.-Marble of
any kind, alabaster, any hard stone, or
glass, may be polished by rubbing 1t
with linen cloth dressed with oxide of
tin (sold under the name of putty pow
der). For this purpose couple or
more folds of linen should be fastened
tight over a piece of wood, fiat or
otherwise, according to the form of stone.
To repolish mantelpiece, II should be
first perfectly cleaned. This is best done
by first making q paste of lime, soda
and water, wetting well the marble, and
applying the paste. Then let it remain
for day or so, keeping it moist during
the interval. When this paste has been
removed, the polishing may begin.
Chips in the marble should be rubbed
out first with emery and water. At
every stage of polishing, the linen and
putty powder must be kept constantly
wet. Glass, such as jewellers show coun-
ter-cases, which becomes scratched, may
be polished in the same way.
To Cook RIcE.-The following is the
method recommended by the French
Academy for cooking rice, during the
seige of Paris: Take one cup of rice
and one-fourth of cup of water in a
saucepan; cover and place over good
FIRE; after an hour the water will be
evap0rated, and the flee cooked tender,
but dry, and with the grains distinct
not in paste. Sufficient salt should
be added in the first place, and care
should be taken not to disturb the rice
while cooking. By adding little but
ter, and allowing the rice to dry little
more over gentle fire, a more delicate
dish is prepared. The Boston Medical
and Surgical journal says that rice cooked
in this manner, which is the same as
that employed in the East Indies, bears
the same relation to the indigestible paste
of the New England kitchen as does
bread to boiled -four.
POULTRY ENRICHING LAND.-In vii
lagos and towns where manure is scarce
the poultry houses may furnish valuable
manure. In relation to its great value,
Elements of Agriculture "says Poul-
try manure is nearly equal in value to
Peruvian guano, except that it contains
more water. If granted that hen will
consume, of the different kinds of grain,
meat, and vegetables, during the year
the equivalent of two bushels of corn,
which weigh one hundred and twenty
pounds, then it is certainly low enough
to place the excrement-the result of
the digestion of these two bushels-as
equivalent to fifteen pounds of guano.
AS the manure from one hundred fowls
during year would amount to- l 500
pounds of guanO, taking the above sup
position as at least safe, and as three
hundred pounds is ordinarily sufficient
for an acre of corn, it will be seen that
the manure from one hundred fowls will
make. compost enough for five acres.
The experiment has been tried by the
writer Of applying to one acre of corn in
the hill the manure of twenty hens for
one year, mixed with swamp muck, in
proportion of one part hen manure and
three parts muck, and the result was a
better crop than upon an adjoining acre
enriched, for sake of experiment, with q
good, fair, ordinary dressing of stable
manure"
ORCHARD MANAGEMENT.-A success
full Michigan orchardist gives his meth
cd of cultivation, in communication
to the Pathological Society, as follows:
/ manage the field as though there
were no trees-plowing, cropping, seed
ing to grass, moving, pasturing, ETC.,
but do not forget my trees nor allow
them to take care of themselves. do
not allow living thing to grow under
them--grass, weeds or grain. U
When the field is plowed, the pillow is
allowed to skim lightly over the roots,
with care not to cut many If any of
them. am also particular to keep the
trees well mulched with straw litter,
either from the barnyard or straw-stack (;
the latter is preferable, as it is not apt
to be mixed with weed seeds, and not so
rich as the former. Too much manure
can be applied to fruit trees for their
good but straw, entirely clean and un-
broken, is a capital application-if a lit
tie fine and slightly mixed with the
droppings Of stock as they feed on it, all
the better. Beneath each tree, and as
wide as the branches spread above
(wider If the trees are youug) apply the
clean straw eight to twelve inches deep
one half or two thirds this depth if the
mulching is finer or richer, as from
straw-stack feeding.
In this practice, here is my theory for
success in raising fruit: Plentiful mulch
ing serves the tree in many ways. First,
it is fertilizer; second, it always keeps
the root-bed soil mellow and moist !;
third, it operates rs sponge, by catch
ing and retaining the water which falls
Oft-times in summer in heavy, dashing
showers, until it gradually sinks away
beneath the tree root-bed, where 1t is al
ways much needed in the hot fruiting
season, but where it seldom gets where
turf is allowed to form often and near
~ always running of, and not wetting
half an inch deep during good average
shower the little knoll on which an APP.
pie tree is too apt to stand, so the roots
do not get a taste Of that for whicht hey
are the most thirsting, and must have,
to do well.
Lastly, think in some way it favors
the destruction of the apple worm, which
thrives by thousands and millions in
some orchards. have not seen single
nest or worm in my orchard this season,
nor do / remember of seeing any last
year, though have had few years
ago, but never many. / have seen this
year in a neighboring orchard ten to
thirty nests to tree throughout the
orchard, and it looked nearly ruined.
This orchard is often cropped but never
mulched.
j have yearly uniformity in bearing,