Connecticut western news., 1875-11-12
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD
Storing Potatoes,

SSteAVoDN
 Of late years,the potato has been one
 of the most profitable of farm crops in the East, says the Germantown Tels, graph, and this chiefly arises from the fact that 1t is somewhat difficult to keep any great quantity of them. Thus only so many are grown as can be preserved, and as the accommodations are limited there Is noglut in the market as there is With things that are grown and must be sent to market at once. Of course there are times when potatoes rule low. This IS apt to be the case with early ones grown especially for early purpose, and which follow tho same law that rules in transient vegetables. So also those who grow potatoes and have no convenience for storing them. These have to mar ket In the fall, and have to, take what ever price may rule for them. Those who have good cellers under their barns, or Tn any place safe from frost and yet cool and dry, can generally make potato growing pay; and these are usually the ones who do.
 In olden times large quantity of DO. tatoes were stored out of doors in the open ground. They were arranged in long ridges-not in great bulk, as even
 
 ed with earth sufficiently thick to keep out the frost 1; but since the incoming of the potato disease this plan is not much followed. The infected tubers will often rot, especially if the mass heats a little, and the diseased ones will often com munlcate the disease to the rest. In a cellar this can be seen and noted, but in mound out of doors no one knows of the trouble till spring, when great loss has been found. Besides this, it is so difficult to get at them in winter that those who have no way to preserve po- tatoes except this, as general thing prefer not to grow them at all rather than to be thus bothered.
 Stored in the cellars the potatoes is seldom troublesome if healthy. No mat ter in how great bulk, or whether put in wet or dry, they seldom heat to injury. But If the seeds of disease be there the little heat generated ny the heaping to- gather of so many roots is often enough to set the disease to work, and very great losses have been the consequence.
 Dampness undoubtedly favors the spread of the potato disease, and there fore when there is any chance at all of the disease existing in the roots, they onght to be stored as dry az possible. Those which are to be kept in this gener- al way should be dry and cool, but this should be especially seen to in the case of seed potatoes. Since the potato bee tie came among us it is clear that we are to have the best results from very early planting, and by the use of the earliest varieties. Now these early kinds are more easily affected by warmth than the late ones. They sprout easily, and coolness is therefore the more essen tial for them. Some people think it makes little difference whether seed po- tatoes sprout or not before planting. We have known people to tear off sprouts several inches long, and cut up the tu- bers in full faith that they will sprout out again and be none the worse for it. They do generally grow but there is little doubt they are constitutionally | weaker, and much more liable to disease | than those which do not sprout till ready | to go in the ground. s.a.
 Farm Hints.
 Vermont is big on sheep, but not | much on dogs. A dog known or sus- pected of killing, worrying, or even chasing sheep in Vermont is about as | safe as hen-hawk would be in a Massa- chusetts poultry yard when there was a boy with new gun which he wanted to try. The dog laws are very severe on " bad dogs, and the laws are backed up by strong public sentiment.
 Sheep on farm yield both wool and mutton. They multiply with great rapidity. They are the best of farm [" Cleaning a field'. as no other class of animals will. They give back to the farm more in proportion to what they take from it than any other animal, and distribute it better with a view to the future fertility of the soil.
 At the sales of short-horn cattle now going on at various points throughout the West, fancy COWS bring $2,O00, s, 900. $3, 800. and $4, 900, according to pedigree, and others, equally good but not fancy, bring from $125 to $15O each. ...- .a4
 Mir. Eli P. Winne, of, Brooklyn, Mich., writes to the Michigan Furn,er as follows have just thrashed out 775 bushels of No. wheat from twenty acres of now land that was we'll covered with stumps.
 A lady writes Some imagine a
 AphAAA4OA - WAAO IL00I AuOW lILblO D6- | sides how to perform their daily labor but if I were to picture country home for me would picture one where taste for the ornamental, as we'll as the useful, had been displayed, and where the days proved long enough for the farmef's wife to cultivate the mind as we'll as the garden. l really cannot imagine why farmer and farmers wife cannot have IS lofty aspirations, as noble minds, and IS much refinement and education as a city man and a city mans wife. firmly believe that moro happiness and more enjoyment can be found out in the country thanin the city. if sought for
 Good Soup. According to the London Aqrioultural Gazette, very good family soup is made from one and one-halt pounds of eau beef, two pounds of potatoes sliced thin, one large carrot, one large onion, } few shalotS, one turnip, one stick of celery, four quarts of water. Let it sim ner four hours, flavor with hot sauce to suit the taste, salt, pepper, etc. It is a great Improvement to fry all the ve9e- ;ables when cut in small pieces, together with the meat also cut in pieces convent ently small, taking care that there is fat enough added to prevent the raw vege- ables from burning. A dessertspoonful of coarse brown sugar may be thrown into the pan while the meat, vegetables, etc, are frying. After it has simmered tour hours, it should be set to cool for he fat to be taken from the top of the soup before being served up for use. The meat should be sent to table in the 'oup, not strained as is usually done.
 Hungarian Grass. The following is the testimony of Dr.