The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-08-27
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.


A GOOD way TO use dry wood ashes is
to sow them upon the soil at the most
convenient opportunity after they are
collected. In the fall, as top-dressing !;
in the spring, on lands sowed with grain
and seeded to grass. Another good way
is to mix ashes with old muck, and strew
a large handful of the mixture in the
corn hills, and particularly in the pota-
to hills. In the garden, scarcely anything
can be better. 1t will have wonderful
influence on the fruits and vegetables
there.
THE VERBENA.---" Many" says an ex-
change, "would like to cultivate this
beautiful flower who do not feel able to
buy the plants of florists, or are not so
situated that it is convenient. If such
would send twenty cents to any of our
seedmen they would receive small pack
age of seeds which should be sown in
box of fine soil early in March ard kept
in warm room, receiving sunlight
through window, where possible, and
frequent light sprinklings with tepid
water. They should not be transplanted
into the open ground until all danger
from frosts is past, but when they have
attained good size, may be transplanted
into small pots, one plant in each, and
can then at the proper time be turned
out in the open ground with but little to
check their growth. Particular varieties
can not, OF course, be propagated from
seed, but we have seen very beautiful
seedlings, and they are considered more
vigorous and hardy than those from cut
tings.
SENSIBLE ADVICE TO FARMERs.-A
great many farmers are rushing into the
dairy business under the impression that
the profits are large and sure. They fig
ure only on the profit side of the ledger
and do not take into account losses liable
to occur in the different departments.
We do not wish to discourage any one
from entering upon dairy farming, for
we believe that it will compare favOrably
in its profits when well conducted, with
any other branch of farming; but we
have named some of the disadvantages in
one department, that of live stock, i'm
order that men may see their way more
clearly and not get too high notions of
the profits to be realized.
We advise every farmer who is doing
. well and making fair income from his
special kind of farming, to be cautious
in changing it for other branches con-
corning which he is not familiar; for the
chances are that the new business will
not yield any more profit, and perhaps
mot so much, as the one with which he is
acquainted. We believe the profits from
dairying are often over-estimated; and
while its advantages are often the topic
of discussion and laudation, it is proper
that some Of the disadvantages he made
to appear, and then the balance of ac-
coun1 may be struck, arc no one need be
led astray.--Rurnl New 70. 1er.
KEEP WORKING THE CoRN.--A Bucks
County, Pennsylvania, farmer describes
in the Practical Farmer his method of
cultiyating his corn:
~ THE corn crop is my special favorite,
and have generally succeeded well with
1T, having on one occasion reached, by
accurate measurement, one hundred
bushels shelled corn to the acre. 1t is the
main crop of my dairy farm, and valued
as much for its amount of leaf and stalk
as for its grain. attribute my uniform
, success with it to constant and careful
working. A horse cultivatOr of some
kind is never allowed to be out OF the
cornfeld, when the soil is not wet from
its first appearance above ground till four
@ or five feet high. In my observations in
riding around the country the want OF
this early and constant wO king is most
apparent
I'm some places it is not considered
important to cultivate the earth between
p corn rows except to destroy weeds. This
is, a great mistake, the absorption of
dews and gases of the atmosphere, only
to be obtained by an open and porous
surface, being one important process of
fertilizing the corn crop and fastening it
to maturity. Our very late spring weather
the present season, as in other years, pre-
vents anything starting to grow till about
the middle of Lay, limiting the growing
period of the corn crop to about one hun.
dred days, and perhaps much less, taking
in view what Is eaten by birds or de.
stroyed by cut-worms, ETC., which males
it necessary to replant."
WALKING HoRsEs.-A writer in the
National Live Stock journal thus dwells
n. upon the importance of training horses
: to wslk fast:
Zone o. the most desirable and valua.
OiS Sdito lOI IL HOISt 10 IL WALK, anu III
should be the aim to first develope this
gait in the handling of the colt. The
good walker will always make good time
on the road when days journey is tc
be made, without wearying himself while
the slow NOPE must be constantly kept
on the trot if ne tine is to be made. A
horse that will walk five miles per hour
will go as far in Gay, confined to this
gait, as an ordinary horse can be driven
=, when kept half of the time to the trot,
- and with much greater case to himself
If one half The pains were taken by the
farmers boys to make fast walkers of the
youngsters on the farm that is usually
taken to make them trot, the result would
be much more beneficial, and we would
find plenty of teams that would do their
five miles an hour with ease. But in.
stead of this, as soon as the colt is bridled,
the sole aim of the boys is to make a
trotter of him, and both gaits are spoiled.
Make the colts walk, boys; make them
extend themselves in long, sweeping,
square walk, and don't be satisfied with
anything less than five miles an hour
When he gets to trotting he will 60 all
the faster for tbs preliminary training
to the walking gait; and if he can not
trot fast enough to beat Dexter, OF Gold.
smith Maid, or Occident, he w have a
gait that is invaluable for business pur.
poses We hope to see more attention
paid to fast walking than heretofore, and
we respectfully urge upon agricultural
societies the importance of offering liber-
al prizes for walking horses at the fairs
for the coming year.
Household IIeIpa.
LEMON JELLY.---Grate the peel of two
lemons and squeeze the juice; beat with
three eggs, two cups of sugar, butter size
of an egg; stir it over a slow fire until il
boils. The cake should DC baked in -four
layers and the lemon jelly spresd be.
tween them, as for chocolate or jelly
abe