Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-02-06
FARM AND FIRESIDE.


How TO PLUCK POULTRY.-I have
| known persons on market-day to go out
and kill twelve or fifteen fowls, and to
bring them into a room where would be
half-a-tozen women and boys pulling a few
feathers at the time, between thumb and
| foreinger to prevent tearing them. Now,
for the benefit of such, 1 give our plan
Hang the fowl by the feet by small cord;
then with small knife give one cut across
the upper jaw, opposite the corners of the
| mouth after the blood has stopped run
ming a stream, place the point of the knife
| in the groove in the upper part of the
mouth, run the blade up into the back
part of the head, which will cause quiv-
ering and twitching of the muscles. Now
is your time, for every feather yields as if
by magic, and there is no danger of tear
ing the most tender chick Before he at
tempts to flap, you can have him as bare
as the day he came out of the egg-Jo.n'-
mol of Horticulture.
WHY EGGS ARE SPoILED.-The follow
ing is given as the theory why eggs are
spoiled and become rotten, by The Journal
of the Farm: During a late conversation
with one of our egg dealers, he advances
the theory that eggs spoiled because the
yellow OF yolk, comes in contact with the
membrane between the white and the shell,
and if eggs were turned occasionally they
would deep for an indefinite length of time.
He further stated that if sitting hen did
not turn her eggs every few days they
would invariably spoil and fail to hatch
His theory was, that so long as there was
a portion of the white, or albumen, be-
tween the yellow and shell, the egg was
practically air-tight but when the yell
low came in contact with the shell, it ad-
hered to it, and allowed the access of air
Rot IN SHEEP.-Y ouatt says sheep be-
ginning to be affected with rot should be
sent to a salt marsh in preference to the
best pasture On the farm. He then recon-
mends bleeding, and dose of two or three
ounces of EPSON salts. To these means is
to be addeda change of diet-good hay and
| straw; then two or three grains Of calo-
mel, mixed with half the quantity of
| opium; and common salt should then be
given, say two OF three drachms, morning
and night. When the infammatory stage
| is passed, add stronger tonics to the salt,
such as gentian and ginger roots, one or
two drachms, each finely powdered, added
| to each dose. Keep the sheep on the best
and dryest pasture, with salt always in
reach.
WASHING FLUID.-An excellent wash
ing fluid may thus be made: Three table
spoonfuls of soda, the same quantity of
dissolved eamphor 1.-THE same as kept for
family use), to quart of soft water /; bot
tie it up and shake it we'll before using
For large washing take four tablespoons
fuls of the fluid to pint of soap, make
warm suds, and soak the clothes half an
hour then make another suds, using the
same quantity of soap and fluid, and boil
them just fifteen minutes, then rinse in
two waters.
For CLEANSING PURPosEs.-Water in
which potatoes have been boiled exercises
a remarkable cleansing influence upon sill
yer ware of all kinds, especially spoons that
have become blackened by eggs. Even
delicately chased and engraved articles
can, it is said, be made bright by this
method, even better than by the use of the
ordinary polishing powder, which is apt to
settle in the depressions, requiring parti-
cular care in it's removal.
WHAT OIL TO BUY.-Do not buy dark
OF very white kerosene-the light yellow is
safest. Lamps with 'sun-burners' econo-
miZe the light most. There is patent
hanging-lamp fastened to the ceiling by
strong coiled brass string, which can be
pushed up or pulled down to any height at
pleasure. The apparatus is durable. Such
lamp is nearly as convenient as gas, and
is cheerful over tea-table OF workable.
CURE For Venice turpen-
tine, one ounce. Put into it half a tea
spoopful of water, and stir with stick un-
til the mass looks like candied honey:
then spread good coat ON cloth and
wrap around the finger. If the felon is of
recent origin it will remove the pain in
six hours.
How TO GET A HUsRAND.-Take of
modesty a large portion, unite it with ur-
banity and good hnmor, to which add good
sense, plenty of love which, with vir-
tuous heart and a pretty. face, will surely
succeed.
CREAM CAKE.-Take one pound of -four.
one of sugar, half pound of butter, half
a pint of milk, citron, raisins and spice to
taste,