Connecticut western news., 1875-08-27
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD
Farm Notes and Hints,


 Farm Notes and Hints.
 Ruta bagas sliced and sprinkled with sweet corn meal will fatten horses or cat tie rapidly.
 Goal ashes, sifted very finely, thor oughly ground, and mixed with oil, make good cheap paint. Any coloring matter may be added.
 The Springfield Republican counts up some 2, 400 acres devoted to tobacco rals1ng this year in Massachusett towns ot the Connecticut valley,
 The apple-twig borer is doing some more of his noticeable work this year among the apple trees, as the dead twigs indicate. The branches should be cut off and burned.
 The Massachusetts Plouqhn,u,a thinks that barley is superior to any other grain for fattening horses. In Germany the grain in ground into flour, and cakes are made of it for horses. The English far mers boil it and feed at evening.
 The best early lambs for market are obtained by crossing Merino ewes with Southdown, Cotswold, or Leicester bucks. They may come in December or January. Good shelter and bountiful supply of good and succulent food are requisite to bring them forward.
 Potato bugs are playing sad havoc in Massachusetts fields, and college profes- sors who have been consulted say that only manipulating and planting in damp soil can save the growing crop of pota- toes. College professors who know no more than this should learn better from the farmers.
 The London Agric1lturul Gazette contains letters from several farmers who "have seen it done," averring that oats planted in the spring and cut from time to time to keep them from flower ing, will produce the following year, not oats, but wheat or barley. This seems to be something like the statement that wheat will turn into chess.
 A correspondent of the Field commu- nicates his knowedge of the movements of tame mole now in the possession of 8 gentleman in England. It is kept in 8 large propagating glass that holds about three pails of earth, and in this it works its subterraneous passages and throws up the hills. Its food consists of earth worms and wire worms, and from the careful observations made it consumes daily about one hundred worms, which are supplied every morning. It is quite at home, and feeds freely out of the hand of its master.
 Household Hints.
 or WRINKLED SMK.-To make silk which has been wrinkled appear like new sponge on the surface with weak solu tion of gum-arabic or white glue. an6 iron on the wrong side. WASHING SUMMER DRESSES. .-Commor washerwomen spoil everything with soda and nothing is more frequent than to sex the delicate tints of lawns and percale. turned into dark blotches and mud dy streaks by the ignorance of larm dress. It is worth while for ladies tt pay attention to this, and insist upor having their summer dresses washed ac cording to the directions which they should be prepared to give their laun dresses themselves. In the first place the water should be tepid, the soal should not be allowed to touch the fab ric 1t should be washed and rinseC quick, turned upon the wrong side, ant hung in the shade to dry, and whe1 starched-in thin boiled but not boiling starch-should be folded in sheets ol towels, and iron upon the wrong side as soon as possible.
 TESTS OF WE11-MADE BRRAD.-GooG bread will feel light in the hand whe1 lifted in it, which will not be the case with that which has been imperfectly kneaded. Cool bread when cut will re semble fine sponge of uniform texture and be equally free from the spaces caus ed by large air bubbles and from the darl streaks which show either. that it ha. IL IL that it has been inattentively prepared or too heavily knea led when it was mad, up for the oven. The loaves also O well-made and we'll baked bread will re tain their shape, and not spread abou like unsightly forms, as they will whel the dough has been rendered too moist They will also be equally browned, bu not dark-colored and hard. iLoave which have been carelessly baked ar, sometimes burnt in one part, while tn, doughls scarcely set in another.
 Fruit Garden.
 As soon as any signs of mildew appear apply sulphur to the grape vines. Iii up the new canes to the trellises witt soft cotton twine.
 All surplus fruit not needed for famil, use or market may be canned or driet for winter. It often happens that ther IS glut of some particular fruit, and will not pay to send it to market but i can be preserved by canning or drying
 Remove all deformed fruit iron dwarf trees, and if the trees are too full make final thinning, so that they ma, not over-bear.
 As soon as entrants and gooseberrie have done bearing, give good dress ing of manure, and keep the weeds dow by ycultivation.-Agriculturist.
 Curing Corn Fodder.
 A farmer in Ontario county, N. Y. sowed oats broadcast, in the usus amount, and then drilled in corn, usinI three bushels of corn to one of oats When the oats were ripe, the whole cro was cut like grass, and the dry oat straw absorbing the moisture of tn stalks, rendered the whole easily cured One of our correspondents, last year stated that he cured his fodder by plac ing 1t in the mow between alternat layers of dry straw, and that his cattl and horses devoured the straw with a much relish as the fodder. As corn fod der is difficult thing to cure when GU green, these suggestions should be acte upon, when fodder is put in the barn.
 -ss Suits for Girls,
 A suit which is being made up in tn furnishing hOI1seS for fall wear will sarv