Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-04-03
: FARM AND FIREsIDE.


slightest doubt. Some recommend and
others practice cutting off all the tops of
the plants. to which We most strongly OBJ
iect. as we are satisfied that such a course
is very Injurious to the plants, as well as
to the perfect ripening of the fruit. AS the
tomato begins to grow. select say three or
four of the strongest shoots, and pinch all
the Others out should there be any, by the
thumb and finger, close to the stem. When
these four branches begin to show fruit, a
small lateral branch will show itself I'M
me6ataly at the next joint. These should
De pinched out as fast as possible, letting
no shoots grow at any time, but the four
main branches referred to: by so doing,
whether the plants ara tied to stakes or
laid on the ground, we have always found
that we secure a larger. finer, and at the
same time a heavier crop than we could by
any other process. 1f- ea
Z COUGH SYRUPs.-We give a couple OF
recipes for cough syrups, said to be 'ex-
cellent.' ]. Take one tea-cupful OF flax.
seed and soak 1T all night. In the morning
put into kettle two quarts OF water,
handful of licorice root, split up, and
quarter of pound of raisins, broken in
ilalf. Let them boil until the strength is
thoroughly exhausted then add the flax
iced which has been previously soaked
Let all boil half an hour or more, watch
ing and stirring tat the mixture may not
burn. Then strain, and add lemon juice
and sugar. 2 Boil one ounce of fax-seed
in a quart of water for half an hour
strain, and add to the liquid the juice of
two lemons and half a pound of rock can
day. If the cough is accompanied by
weakness and loss of appetite, add half an
sounce of powered gum arabic. Set this to
simmer for half ali hour, stirring it occa-
sionally Take wine-glassful when the
cough is troublesome.
TINE TO CUT TIMBER.-Dr. Hartwig
who has made numerous experiments to
d -termine the point, says that Marcn and
April are are the best months in which to
cut timber for building purposes, as it then
contains its lowest per cent of moisture,
which he states to be forty-seven per cent.
During the three previous months, it has
ifty-one per cent, and in the three follow
ing ones forty-eight. lie further states
that properly seasoned timber should not
contain more than 20 IT, Is per cent. of
moisture, and never less than 10 per cent.
If the moisture is removed to still grea-
ter extent the wood loses it's strength and
becomes brittle. An English authority
states that if trees are felled as soon as
they are in full leaf, and allowed to remain
undisturbed until the leaves dry up and
fall off, the timber will be we'll seasoned,
the leaves having exhausted all the mois-
ture in the wood.
How TO KEEP A SrrUATIoN.-An OBJ
serving correspondent in the "Rural
World'' gives the following hints on the
subject:
Be ready to throw in an odd half hour or
an hours time when it will be an accom-
mediation, and don't seem to make merit
If it. Do it heartily. Thought not word
be said, your employer will make note of
it. Make yourself indispensable to him, and
he will lose many OF the opposite kind be-
fore he will part with you. Those young
men who watch the clock the very second
tleir working hour is up-who leave, no
matter what state the work may be in, at
precisely the instant-who calculate the
extra amount they can slight their work,
and yet not get reproved-who are lavish
of their employers goods--will always be
first to receive notice, when times are dull
CHANGE OF SEED.-The American
Agriculturist" answers u correspondent
by saying: with all other grains than
corn change of seed now and then is con-
sdered advisable. Potatoes are especially
improved by Il change procured from diff
ftrent locality and soil. But corn has not
g morally been found to deteriorate by long
planting; on the other hand there are
many farmers who are now planting seed
procured from the corn their fathers plant
ed a generation ago. Running out of the
corn is more likely to be the result Of inn
povesished sill, and the best method Of
improvement would probably be crop of
clover upon the land, to he plowed under
or some other substantial fertilizer"
CURE FOR A BAD BRF.'" I'VE nnu
in an EXCHANGE +,.o following recipe SAID
f., Lv d certain remedy for that terrible at.
fiction a fetd breath: ''Take six to ten
drops of the concentrated solution OF Chic
ride of soda, in wine glass full of pure
spring water, taken Immediately after the
additions of the morning are completed,
will sweeten the breath, by disinfecting the
stomach, which far from being injured will
lie benefited by the medicine. If necessa-
~, this may be repeated in the middle of
the day. In some cases the odor arising
from the carious teeth is combined with
that of the stom ,ch. If the mouth is well
rinsed with a teaspooful Of the solution OF
he chloride in a tumbler of water, the bad
odor of the tee h will be removed"
A PLEA FOR BOOK FARMING.-Carlyle
says: "Although.a man perfects himself by
work much more than by reading, they are
Il growing kind of men that can wisely COM
bine the two things-wisely, valantly can
do what is laid to their hands in their
sphere, and prepare themselves withal for
doing other wider things. There is pre-
cious instruction to be got by finding that
we were wrong. Let a man try faithfully,
manfully to be right, a ID in spite of his OBJ