The Placer herald., 1874-05-16
HOUSE AND FARM.

informed us mat soap root, which grow
wild in most hiIly districts in California, ma
cera ted and applied, gives almost instant re
lief to the surface affected by olson oak
AS coon as dry it seems to form an air tish
covering. We have seen it tried with eff
feet; but as TO whether in bad cases it il
sufficient without any further means of Grad
icating the poison from the system, we Cal
not say Mrs Sherwood writes to the Sal
Francisco Gail as follows: "We tried sew
eral cures, but all failed but the follow ng
which was Gu: from your paper. 1t did no
act so quickly as promised in the recipe, bu
was very effective
dissolve one ounce of gum shellac in six
ounces of sui pllurc ether; cork tightly in Il
bottle. Battle the surface where the irrita-
ticn appears with cold water, and wipe dry
then apply the above solution. The ether
will evaporate, leaving an elastic coating OF
gum, impervions to the air. In about two
minutes the most distressing case of poison
oak can be relieved entire of all unpleas-
ant sensations. AS the coating peels off,
apply more of the solution, and in twenty
four hours the cure is performed.
We presume that collodion which is
gum cotton dissolved in suphurc ether,
will answer the same purpose. 1t may be
obtained at any druggists, and when ap
piled to the surface with a brush, immedi-
a,ely forms a thin coating impervious to air
or water.-ED. CALL.
The last suggestion on this subject is that
a simple mustard plaster answers all pur-
poses in effecling cure for poison oak.
Scientific Press.
PorAroEs FOR SEED.-H G.. A., Nortl,
Bridgewater, Mass, sends us his experience
in preparing potatoes for planting. He has
missed but once in twenty years of having
ripe, new potatoes on the Fourth of July
His seed potatoes are brought fom the
cellar early in March, and kept in warm
room where they wther and dry up con-
eiderably. but when planted, in April, they
will come up as soon as corn or peas, while
potatoes which have rem,ined in the celia,
are often several weeks in coming up, and
look small and weak compared with those
from his prepared seed N f. Farmer.
FEEDING PouL1RY.-No plani is so extrava-
gait or injurious as to throw down heaps OF
food once or twice a d,y. They should
have it scattered as far and wide as possible.
that the birds may be the longer employed
in finding it. 1t is the nature of fowls to
take grain at a time, and to pick dirt and
grass with it. which assists digestion. But
if, contrary to this, they are enabled to eal
corn by The mouIhsfu.l, their crops are
soon over-filled and they seek relief by
excessive draughts of water. Nothing is
more injurious than this. Let the hard grain
be buried under straw or loose dirt and let
the fowls scratch fo. it.
USE OF LEMONS When persons are fe-
verish and thirsty beyond what is natural
indicated in some cases by metallic taste
in the mouth, especially after drinking wa
ter, or by a whiiish appearan of the great
er part of the surface Of the tongue, one of
the bes. "coolers,' internal or external, is
to take lemon, cut off the top, sprinkle
over some loaf sugar, working it downward
into the lemon with the spoon, and then
suck it slowly, squee zing the lemon and ad-
ding more sugar as the acidity increases
from being brought up from lower point.
lnvalids with feverishness may take two or
three lemons day in this manner with the
most marked benefit, manifested by a sense
of coolness, comfort and invigoration.
In kerosene lamps the light often is un-
satisfactory while all is apparently in good
order. 1t should be borne in mind that,
though the wick is but very gradually
burned, it is constantly becoming less able
to conduct oil. Duri, several weeks some
quarts of oil are slowly filtered through the
wick; which stopped every particle of dust
or other matter that will with the utmost
care be in the best kinds of OIL The result
is that the wick, though it is of sufficient
length and looks as good as ever, has its
conducting power greatly impaired, and its
pores, 80 to speak, or the minute channel by
which the oil reaches the place to be burned,
become gradually obstructed. 1t is often
economy to substitute new wick for an
old one, even if that be plenty long enough
to serve some time to come.
STRAwBERsIEs.-The strawberry is the
first in the list of all small fruits. The mos,
welcome, beautiful and refreshing of fruits
it is the first in the fruit season. 1t bears
abundanfly, and continues bearing so long
as we will cultivate and care for it. As
strawberry plants always spread Their fb-
rous roots near the surface, the surface soil
should be continually moist. When kept in
a thrifty growing condition, they are htlle
subject to the attacks of worms and insects.
To keep the ground cool, and to prevent the
rapid evaporation of moisture, in hot re-
g:ons, good muchng is very necessary, as
is also irrigation.
RAsPBsRh1Es AND BLA'KBERR1Es. Any
situation that will grow good corn is suita-
be for these fruits. Land naturally moist,
or kept so by deep 'illing. thorough working
and mulching. or by irrigation, is indispens-
ibe to the vigorous growth and perfect
fruitne Of these early and refreshing berries
For field culture they are everywhere profit
able; for the garden, ever desirable. They
appear 10 do eouully we'll from the hiuh