The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-02-04
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.

FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
WHITE AND RED WHEAT.-It is said |
that the hard wheats are all natives of
warm climates, such as Italy, Sicily and
Barbary. The soft wheats are from
northern climates, such rs England,
Russia, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden.
There is, however, one exception to this
general rule, as the celebrated Polish
wheat is hard, and for this reason it has
been contended that it was not q native
of Poland, but wasintroduced there from
some milder climate. The English eli
mate is so humid that it is impossible to
ripen wheat hard, but in many cases it
requires artificial heat to harden it be-
fore it can be ground into -four. Different
soils and climate materially change the
nature and variety of wheat. The differ
ence between red and white wheat is not
in variety, but is owing chiefly to the
variety of soil on which it is grown. A
generous dressing of wood ashes applied
to the growing wheat in the former part
of the growing season, will exert an ex-
ccllent influence in rendering wheat of a
lighter color than it would be without
potash. Lime is excellent, also, for the
same purpose.
THE CATAwBA GRAPE.-On rich bot
tom lands it is well-known that the grape
does not produce, the strength of the vine
going to wood instead of fruit. The
grapes are small, do not ripen, and suffer
from mildew. George Hood, of Sonoma,
has been experimenting for some years on
different varieties for the purpose of find
ing grape that would thrive and ripen
on bottom land. He has upon his place
vine of the Catawba variety, trellised
on framework. 1t is just seven years
from graft on native stalk. 1t covers
one thousand and four hundred square
feet of surface, and it bore this season
nearly ton of grapes. The frame gave
way with the weight. The punches are
large, and they ripen thoroughly. No
indications of mildew has ever been no
ticed. Those who have no land suited to
the grape culture will find that single
vine of this variety will supply all the
grapes required for the table use and it
may be that its growth would be profit
able for wine.
UTAH BEE KEEPERs.-At the semi
annual meeting of the Utah Bee Keep
ers' Association, the general expression
seemed to prevail that bees have done
well in the six counties represented.
Mr.. Charles Monk had averaged forty
pounds surplus honey from his three
Hundred and thirty-fve hives, valued at
thirty-fve cents per pound.
Mr.. George Bailey had met with con-
siderable loss during the past winter, but
his stocks had replenished themselves,
and the yield of honey had been salts
factory.
w. J. Berlow, owing to i'll health, had
not been able to give proper attention to
his bees, and yet he had taken five hun
dred pounds surplus honey from thirty
hives.
Mr.. d. Miller, had lost number of
hives last spring by cold East wind.
He does not, however, favorw intering in
doors, unless proper care were given, and
suitable dry cellar could be provided.
Other gentlemen gave their experience
in bee culture, and the general impress
sion seemed to prevail that on the whole,
the industry was in a very favorable
condition, the region represented.
The VALUE OF BRAINs.-The in
Vulnerable articles which appear continu-
ally on Chow to make the farm pay" is
enough to make horse sick. People
should know by this time that fortunes
do not grow, but are made. Once in a
while one may stumble over q fortune, as
lightning strikes tree, but these are prov
idental occurrences, and are not in
everyday hands of man. A man may
have the most fertile soil and raise the
biggest kind of crops, but if he had not
brains enough to know how to 60 about
selling what he has to the best advantage,
somebody else will reap the best profit,
not he. Or he may have the best knowl-
edge in the world as to where the best
market is, and the best knack of finding
out who will give the best prices; but if
he has no judgment as to what crops to
raise or how to grow them, he does not
get along. How to make the farm pay is
altogether a matter of brains. 1t is no
more of practical question than how to
make the mill pay, or how to make the
store pay. Not more than half the men
in the world have any brains to spare.
The other half have more than they
need. They spare little for those who
are short, but charge big interest for
the use thereof.
SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION IN HAY
The question of spontaneous combustion
is undoubtedly to be credited with many
of the burnings of barns, stacks, etc.
Many fires in cities are clearly traceable
to this cause, for any substance liable to
decay, especially vegetable fiber in state
of compression, and in connection with
moisture, will heat, and sometimes break
out into flame. In our dry climate where
hay may be thoroughly cured before
stacking, or moving, this combustion
is rare, but in England it is not uncom-
mon.
Able Moigno, in Les Mondcs, gives the FOL
lowing as the theory of the phenomenon :
Hay, when piled damp and in too large
masses, ferments and turn dark. In de-
composing, sufficient heat is developed
to be insupportable when the hand is
thrust into the mass, and vapros begin to
be emitted. When the water is almost
entirely evaporated, the decomposition
continues, and the hay becomes car
BOMBED, little by little; and then the
charred portion, like peat, peat cinders
mixed with charcoal, sulphurous pyrites
and Ignite, ETC., becomes a kind of
pyrophorus, by virtue of its great
porosity and of the large quantity of mat
ter exposed to high oxidation. Under
the influence of air in large amount, this
charcoal becomes concentrated on the
surface to such degree that the mass
reaches temperature which results in
bursting into flames
Household Helps.
To CURE WARTs.-Bind on freshly
powdered blood root, moistened with
vinegar; change frequently. Will some