The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-08-06
Farm, Garden and Household.
When to Cut Grain.

When to Cut Grain.
The period of ripening of grain is
that at which the grain contains the
largest portion of nutriment. It is not
that at which the grain is hardest or of
the brightest color, or parts most readi-
ly from the capsule or envelope in
which it is contained. Indeed, con-
siderable part of the ripening process
should take place in the shock or the
stack. If it is allowed to ripen, or, in
other words, dry and harden completely
while standing, the grain loses much Of
its nutritive properties. As in clover,
hay, or grass, large portion
of the sugar, starch, and gum
is changed into woody fibre by
standing after certain period SO
grain is detoriorated by over-ripening.
The husk becomes developed al the
expense of the kernel, and the yield of
flour from over-ripe wheat is less than
from that cut in the proper season. My
own practice has been to watch the
fields closely, especially around the
outside or along the fences, because it
is there that the grain ripens first. As
soon as I find that the grain shells
readily and has taken fine white straw
color, and when crushed between the
edges of the nails of the thumb and
forefinger produces powdery, starchy
substance, which is in no way pasty or
doughy, turn in the reaper at once.
II the grain is left until it it is too
hard to be easily crushed in this way,
it is too ripe and its quality is inferior.
From my experience in milling, as well
as farming, am satisfied that it is best
for the miller as we'll as the farmer that
wheat, rye, oats, or barley should be
cut at the precise point here described.
When the season is drier than usual l
would hasten the period somewhat.
Bots in Horses.
The complete inef1icacy of the various
popular panaceas for bots in horses
may be better understood when we
come to know something of the nature
of these persistent parasites. They
are not worms, but larvae of fly, and
are possessed of remarkable powers of
endurance under adversity. The most
insinuating substances are but as milk
and honey to them, and in an instance
recorded, colony of them attached to
the stomach of dead horse were in no
way inconvenienced by an hours ex-
posure to bath of spirits of turpen-
tine. But when whale oil was poured
upon them they let go their hold and
died almost instantly. Now, whale oil
being thus indicated as an effective
dose, and being aperient in its action
upon the horse, would seem to be the
remedy that should be chosen before
any other. At least it might be well to
have some experiments made and the
result carefully noticed and made note
of.-Praotacai Farmer.
Cisterns.
"A correspondent of the Maine Fd, n1er
writes NY method of making cisterns
is this: Dig circular hole in the
ground of such size as may be desired,
slanting it in such manner that the
ground will not cave in, cover the bot
tom and sides of the opening with a
good coat of hydraulic cement, and
when the first coat is sufficiently set
finish it off with second. This will
soon become hard and firm, and hold
water like stone jug. The top is cov-
cred with wooden platform, with an
opening sufficiently large to admit an
entrance for the purpose of cleaning,
and in which pump is inserted, a
small spout on one side being necessary
to carry off superhuous water. These
are far superior in durability and clean
liness to the wooden tub or cask.
To Destroy MoIes.
Bryan Tyson, Washington city, gives
the following method for making pills
to destroy moles: Make a stiff dough
of corn meal, mixing with it small
quantity of arsenic. Make hole with
a finger in the runways, drop in lump
of dough about the size of marble,
and then cover over with q lump of
earth to exclude the light. After the
first rain go over the field again and
deposit in all freshly made roads. l
once concluded to plant piece of sandy
bottom land in sweet potatoes but as
it was much infested by moles my sue,
cess depended on first exterminating
them. A few doses of arsenic given in
the way described brought about the
desired result, and it was very rare
circumstance to see the track of mole
in this piece of ground during the en-
tire summer.
ANest Egg.
To make nest-egg, take an ordinary
hens egg, break small hole in the
small end, about of an inch in di-
ameter, extract the contents, and, after
it is thoroughly clear inside, fill it with
powdered Stacked lime, tamping it in
order to make it contain as much as
possible. After it is full, seal up with
plaster of paris, and you have nest
egg which cannot be distinguished by
the hen from the other eggs, and one
which will not crack Qike other eggs
by being frozen.
l.