Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-06-27
Farm, Garden and Household.
Good FsrtIII1sr.

The Scientific american says farm
ers have to pay high price for an arti-
Gle which with little skill they could
make themselves during the winter
months or rainy days when they have
little else to do, and gives receipt for
a cheap fertilizer successfully used by
farmers in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
The formula presented below is, how
ever, wanting-except incidentally, as
recommended-iD the ingredient which
is most apt to give trouble and to cause
injury in transportation and handling,
viz: oil of vitriol, or sulphuric acid,
and is doubtless a good one, if the ar
ticle is applied in sufficient quantities.
The mixture is especially recommended
for potatoes and wheat by afarmer who
has tried il, and who says he has used
1t with success on corn and other pro-
ducts. 1t is as follows:
Take 1000 pounds of good mould,
sift and screen it to get the gravel out,
and make it as fine as possible; then
spread on a floor, add 100 pounds sui
plate ammonia, 100 pounds common
salt, and mix with rake when thor
oughly mixed, add twenty-five pounds
pearl ash and twenty-five pounds sui
phate of soda, mix we'll then add 400
pounds ground bone, twenty-five
pounds ground plaster. Mix the whole
thoroughly, throw in a pile for forty
eight hours, and it is fit for use. If it
is to be used for potatoes in districts
where potato bugs are numerous, five
gallons sulphuric acid may be sprinkled
over the mass. The caution is added
that the acid must not be used in con-
fined place, as the fumes are injurious
to health, and that if it is spilled on
the floor, water must be thrown on, as
the mixture generates heat.
gE To Make Soft Soap.
The best and cheapest soft soap ever
made, and one which we have used for
years, may be made 90 follows Take
q clean barrel the size of kerosene oil
barrel, and in the bottom place fifteen
pounds of barrel potash and fifteen
pounds of rendered fat or tallow. Up
on this pour three pals full of boiling
hot soft water. Let it stand twenty.
four hours, and add two pals full OF
boiling soft water, and continue to add
like amount once a day until the bar.
rel is full. Stir it often to make il
white. Beyond all comparison this is
the best and cheapest for household
purposes of any soft soap ever made.
The potash will cost 123 cents pound
the rendered fat cents a pound, or the
tallow 7.
The following is commended by those
who have tried it for scrubbing ant
cleaning painted floors, washing dishes
and other household purposes Takt
two pounds of white olive soap ant
shave it in thin slices add two ounce
of borax, and two quarts of cold water
stir all together in stone or earthel
jar, and let it set upon the back of tn
stove until the mass is dissolved. /
very little heat is required, as the liqui,
need not simmer. When thorough
mixed and cooled, it becomes of tn
consistency of thick jelly, and piec
the size of a cubic inch will make
latEer for gallon of water.
Cleaning Walls.
Painted walls should be washed i
cold water with cloths tied over broom
first busting them we'll il the sam
manner. Have the water changed often
and see that the strokes are made O
evenly as possible up and down, or tn
walls will be streaked when dry. TAX
out grease from paint or wall-pape
with paste of magnesia wet with Der
zole of the freshest, strongest quality
for half what is sold has lost ali PROF
erty of taking out grease. Clean wal
paper with bread crumbs, cutting
fresh surface of the bread for ever
stroke, or it will soil more than
cleanses. A quicker way is to rub th
paper with dry cloths dipped inwhitine
with little pumice powder mingled
This will remove fly spots and inge
marks. When hole has been made
and there is no paper to match it, cut
square round the place, take off th
paper, and fit piece of heavy whit
printing paper, which paste on wit
size. Wet this with solution of isil
glass, and let it dry then, with tracin
paper draw the outline of the patter
to me matched, cut it out, and color tt
white paper with water tints mixed
size. This may be done by one VIII
has never touched paints, and will in
prove the looks of wall very much.
To Keep Hams In Summer.
LhO L6CtJTUDH Bdyt
There are a number of modes given
keep hams through the warm seast
free from the attackso of insects. Son
bag them and whitewash the BAG
which is troublesome and somewh
expensive seine cover them with d
wood ashes and pack them in barrels
some pack them in barrels and GOV
thoroughly with pine shavings. B
we think the best plan of oil, and CO
tainly the least expensive with all w
have smoke-house, and every farm
should have good one, is to keep t
hams hung up in the smoke-hou.
which should be kept perfectly dark
all times. We have eaten hams SO Ike
two years old, and they we're among t
very best we ever tasted. Unifo,
darkness is complete protect
against the attack of insects.
Brown Robbins.