The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-02-27

Make bags OF coarse, unbleacheu cloth
he to contain the geese and ducks feathers
nd the others for chickens and turkeys
fathers. When plucking the poultry, strip
III the feathers from the parts nearest the
ody, and then peel off the fea,hery parts near
st the body, from the quill, but take care that
% skin or flesh adheres to any of the feathers.
Put the bags into brick oven, if you are the
brtunatc possesSor of one, and keep them
lere, excepting when the oven is used for
akiag purposes-taking them out to the
ind occasionally and beating them with a
tick. When you have collected enough to
II pillow, cut the shape you desire out OF
cd.tiCking and stitch it round on the wrong
de with coarse thread, well-waxed leaving.a
mail space at the top to put in the feathers.
ow lay it on table and rub it over on the
Frong side with piece of beeswax, just warm
a little, so that it will besmear the ticking.
you cannot obtain the beeswaX common
elbow soap will do as we'll
If you do not wish to use the feathers
ther for pillows or sofa cushions, they can
put in beds that have become a little emp
The geese and duck feathers make the
lest beds, but the mixed feathers do well for
ishions. If any of the skin or flesh adheres
the feathers they will have a putrid odor,
hich may seem to be an insurmountable oh.
Ection to their use; but if after a family
ash is finished, the bag, tied up closely at
DO neck, is put into the boiler of soapsuds
nd boiled few moments, moving it about
it'll the clothcs-stiCk and lifting it up and
own and squeezing il out few times and is
len taken out and hung in the air and
baken hard for several days, when the fcath-
rs become dry they will be light and free
om any bad smell, and they can now be put
lto the oven, and thus kept from moths and
always ready for usc.-Couatry Gentleman.
CUTTING FEED-W here and when hay and
raw are cheap and plentiful, and il is not so
reat an object to use feed economically, the
hitting of feed may be dispensed with. But
Though hay may be worth only $40 a ton,
nd straw but 81, yet, if by cutting it may be
hade to so twice as far as If fed long, II
fould seem TO be worth while TO get fod-
er cutter and use it. a fodder cutie. sutfi.
lent for 100 head of stock may be procured
BIZ s3J, and worked by two horse tread power,
hich every 100 acre farm ough, to be pro-
ided with 1t would cut the feed for one
ay in two hours. Then if the feed used for
fly head could be made to feed 100 head
here would be economy in cutting it. Cattle
i'll not eat corn-stalks clean. They will sim
|ly strip the leaves Oft, leaving a pile OF
talks to be trampled under foot. 1t is not
hat the stslks ace rendered more palatabl6
" cutting but they are crushed and reduced
b small fragments, and made easier oil mas
6fication The economy of cutting feed fol
tock has been demonstrated beyond doub
nd if one thing is certain in the business o
agriculture it is that at least twenty-five pc,
&ent. of the feed is saved by cutting.
INPoRTNNr To ALI OWNERS or SHORT
vtoRys.-The National Association of Short
kofn Breeders, which recently met at Spring
BeJS M, having entrusted Alex. Charles
yedsr Rapids, Iowa, with the work of pro
.uripr complete statistics of all shorthorn
how Living in the United States and Canada
ior publication in the report of their proceed
&ngs, we would urge upon oyery one OF gu
headers who are breeding shorthorns eithe
Upon a large or small scale, to send III pronf
bnd careful returns, and those who have nc
Received blanks for that purpose, will be iui
hished them free of charge, promptly, on al
Iplication to Mr.. Charles. ShJrt-horn me
Twill please give this their very earliest alter
Ition, for by so doing tke forthcoming rcpol
Iof the American Association OF Breeders WI
Be made the most valuable and interesiln
I,uhlicafiou cra- lsSued in This country.