The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-01-06
HOME AND FARM NOTES.

HOME AND FARM NOTES.
The farmer should have something to sell
every week in the year.
To make men happy requires great deal.
Dumb brutes require only bodily comfort.
Give them warmth and food, and they are
blest.
Western farmers are demoralized by TOO
much good land. They hardly know the
pleasure there is in reclaming and making
fruitful sterile soils. Yet in this very thing
both enjoyment and profit may be found.
Farm stock is more likely to do badly in
an open, than a severe winter, because the
farmer trusts too much to warm weather.
Wintering stock means waste with great
many.
Because man is farmer it does not fol-
low that he must necessarily ignore personal
decency, cleanliness, genteel habits, and a
regard for good manners. Some part of his
work requires coarse and strong dress but
he has as good right to use soap and water
as the President of the United States.
Speaking of bees at the late con gention in
Louisville, Gen. Adair made some very in
structive remarks in regard to the wings of
bees. He shows that besides being organs
of flight, are in reality lungs. The blood in
the wings. however, is not confined to those
leaves of plants to all parts OF them, and it
is likely, is thus also aerated. He argues
that the practice of some in clipping the
wings of queens, to prevent them from fy-
ing away, Is Pernicious.
COMMUNICATIVE Springfield Republi-
can laments the decline in the art of CONVEX
satiOn, which, it urges, should be cultivated
in families. This would tend to develop at
tachment to the home which is sadly want
ing in many households, besides promoting
the education of children. Conversation as
Lord Bacon says, makes a ready man, but
what we wants nOtthe glib fluency of mere
takers, but the expression of knowledge
and ideas. If Intelligent and thoughtful
conversation were studied and practiced in
the domestic circle the effect would be
healthy upon all the family. Many good
rules of conversation are laid down, but two
are indispensable, viz: Do not monopolize
more than your share of the time to the ex-
clusiOn of others, and, secondly, when views
differ, do not be offensive by impeaching the
motives, intelligence or character of your
opponent.
COFFEE IN LARGE QUANTITIES Mrs. Lv-
man, in the Tribune, has given a valuable
hint how to make good coffee for festivals
and large parties: Parch and grind the cot
fee and put it into flannel bags, each holding
about half pound, sew them up tightly all
round. When the festive time comes heat
in a clean wash boiler as much water as will
be required for the first making of coffee;
when it bOils throw in one or two of the
bags and let them boil ten or fifteen minutes
more or less, according to the strength de-
sired. Then take them out. Add boiling
water when necessary and throw in another
bag of coffee, allowing il to remain ten or fif-
teen minutes as before. In this way the
beverage will be kept aromatic as well as
strong, and the bitterness of long boiled cof-
fee be prevented.
WINTER ORNAMETTs.-In Moore's Rural
New Yorker this direction is given, which is
a nice experiment for children to try: A
pretty mantlepiece ornament may be OBJ
tanned by suspending an acorn, by piece of
thread tied around it. within half an inch of
the surface of some water confined in a vase.
tumbler or saucer, and allowing it to remain
undisturbed for several weeks. 1t will soon
burst open, and small roots will seek the
water: straight and tapering stem, with
beautiful glossy green leaves, will shoot up
ward and present very pleasing appearance.
Chestnut trees may be grown in the same
manner, but their leaves are not so beautiful
as those of the oak. The water should be
changed once month, taking care to supply
waite OF the same warmth; bits of charcoal
added to it will prevent the " alter from sOur-
ing. If the little leaves turn yellow, add one
drop OF ammonia into the utensil which holds
the water, and they will renew their luxuri-
anee.
BUTTER SCIENCE.-In a late discussion
David Moore, who has been butter buyer
for twenty-five years, in New York, said:
There are many essential rules to be ebserv-
ed in making fine butter. We must have
good cows. good pastures, good clean water,
clean stables clean mixers, clean dairy
room and utensils, milk kept at proper tenn
perature, SKINNED and churned in time.
butter thoroughly washed so as to remove
all impurities, then sailed with pure Ashton
salt, and no other. Avoid slOps about the
milk room, either out doors or in. Cream
IL very susceptible TO foreign flavor Cows
teats should ipe washed not with milk Int
clean water. snd allowed to dry before milk :
ing. If properly cooled, milk may be allow
ed TO Staud thirty-six hours in dry weather
and be pure. bit not in wet weather. 10
keep butter through the season, make bag
large enough to cover the top OF The package;
I'LL with salt, lay it over the butter so as TO
exclude Jse air thoroughly, i1ioistsn when
put0n and nlOfsten ones a week az long As
you keep the butter. H-r--.r ss =s.-,i7s
- WHEE TO c0r TIMBER---Dr. -Hartig, who
made numerous experiments to determine.
the point, states that March and April ara
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 fifsy-oas. per cent,
and in the three following months forty
eight. He further. states that properly sea-
soned timber should not contain more than
twenty 20 twenty-five per cent Of moisture,
and never less than ten per cent. II the
mOis, ure is removed 10 a still gTast extent
the wood Loses its strength and becomes
brittle. An English authority rf.Eses that ii
trees ar3 felled az soon as tley are in foil
leaf an6 allowed to remain ula ,sturbsd un-
Gil The leave-sdry UP and fan of. the timber