The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-04-23
Farm, Garden and Househ old,
SensOnable Hints.

Oats or peas do better on recently
inverted sod than barley. But if the
sod is old and tough it is better to plant
it to corn. '--'
Animals require special care at this
season. The weather is very change
able and horses and COWS are shedding
their coats and liable to catch cold.
Mangel Wurzel is o favorite crop with
us. 1t requires rich land. Should be
sown early in drills, p feet apart, and
thinned out in the rows, IL to Is inches
apart. If drilled in, lbs. seed per acre;
if dibbled in. Is inches apart, lbs. is
sufficient. In the latter case soak the
seed for 48 hours.
Barley can not be sown too early, pro-
vided the land is in the proper condi-
mellow as possible. Sow from II to q
bushels per acre. Barley and spring
wheat are both good crops with which
to SOW clover and grass seed. Make
the land as fine as possible by repeated
harrowings before sowing, and then roll
after the grass seed is sown.
On sod land it is far more convenient
to plant potatoes in hills, three feet
apart, than in drills. On mellow, rich
land, where burrows can be opened with
plow, it is q good plan to make the
burrows B feet apart aud drop the sets
IN the furrow every Is or 1S inches and
cover with the pillow. If the land is rich
enough larger crop can be obtained in
this way than by planting in hills.
Narrowing the potatoes with light
harrow, just as they begin to break the
ground, will kill millions of young
weeds and favor the growth of the po-
tatoes. On our own farm we use a
Thomas harrow for this purpose, and
go over the ground three or four times.
We have frequently used an ordinary
harrow. 1t pulls up few hills, but
not enough to do serious damage to the
crop.
Sheep must be managed according to
circumstances. If the yards are large
and dry and you have plenty of roots it
is probably best to keep them out of
the pastures until there is a good bite
Of grass. If the yards are small and
muddy it will be we'll to let them run
out every fine day. A sod field that is
to be plowed for corn will make a good
run for them and will save the regular
pasture. Feed all the hay they will
eat. 1t is q great mistake to stop feed
ing hay and grain as soon as the sheep
are turned to pasture.
Potatoes require dry land. A rich,
clover sod is excellent. But if the land
is rich enough, says the AgricuUwist,
potatoes can successfully grown after
any crop. If manure is used it should
be well rotted and fine, and the more
thoroughly it is mixed and incorporated
with the soil, the less likely it is to in.
jure the quality of the potatoes. Peru.
Wan guano is one of the best auxiliary
manures for potatoes-say 200 pounds
per acre sown broadcast, or a table.
spoonful dropped in the hill and mixed
with the soil before dropping the pota
toes. The latter is the better way tc
apply it, provided the work is done
carefully. Peruvian guano, if a good
article, will burn the potatoes if they
come III direct contact with it.
Pure sperm oil is tie best known l11.
brlcator, but many other substances
are used, because they cost less the
following are some of the substances
CARRIAGE AXLE GREAsE.-Take half
pound OF sal-soda and dissolve it in
gallon OF water just at the boiling
point, now add 5 pounds of tallow and
OF lard, and stir the whole together
until they are we'll mixed. An iron YES
sci is the best to use for this operation.
When these ingredients are thoroughly
amalgamated, the vessel should be
taken off the fire and it's contents stir.
red until the compound has become
cool. A very good and simple grease
for the axles of carts can also be made
by stirring half pound of powdered
black lead in six pounds Of melted
lard.
INDIA RUBBER LUBRIoAToR. Take
one gallon of rape-seed or of lard oil
and heat it to about 212 degrees Fab,
then add half pound of India rubber
cut into fine shreds and stir the whole
until the rubber dissolves. This i,
held to be superior anti. friction lubri
Gator.
LUBRIcAToR FOR CLocKwoRK, &C.
Refined glycerine is the best lubricatine
vehicle for clocks, watches, and othel
very fine mechanism it is a substance
which never becomes hard like some
oils when exposed to the atmosphere
and 1T does not freeze in cold weather
Effects of Cold in Fattening.
A producer of pork in Muskingun
county, Ohio, who has made an expert
ment with view to ascertain how fal
cold retards the rate of fattening, re
ports the following results Carefully
weighing the hogs fed and the corn fec
to them, and estimating hogs at foul
cents pound, he found that what he
ted out during the first week in Octo.
Der returned Gn pork so cents pei
bushel; the first week in November
6O cents the third week, 40; the fourtl
week in November and the month ol
December, 25; the first half of Janu.
ary, D; the last half, 0. In the Octo
Der week of the experiment the weather
was pleasant and warm. 1t gradually
grew colder till the latter part of No
vember, from which time it remained
about stationary till the 1st of January
after which it ran down to zero and be
low in the latter part of the month
The hogs were we'll sheltered in a goot
pen with plank floor.
A farmers Productions.
If farmers productions are of reall,
good quality, as they should be, the,
will be sought in preference to wha
others have. There is the greatest diff
ference in the world between choic