The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-01-13
FARM. GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
Winter Work in the Orchard.

Winter Work in the Orchard.
About this season of the year, in many
places, the husbandman gathereth about
him his hatchet and saw and pruning
knife aud goeth forth to his orchard to
trim his fruit trees. The sight thereof
maketh many of our friends to sudder,
and "prune not all is heard from vari-
GUS quarters of our land. For our part
we sympathize somewhat with those who
would stay the farmers hand but then
we do not by any means regard him as
tree butcher" or contemptously style
the one a mere carpenter who, saw
in hand, thinks he can do little with it
towards building up the prosperity of
the tree. 1t may be that as the twig
is bent the trees inclined but some
how this foresight is not always ready to
hand, and it grows as we would not have
inclined it and often, when we know
better, the tree runs on its own willful
way, simply for want of time or occasion
TO put in practice that which we know.
Certainly, of whatever might have been,
as an abstraction, looking on things as
they are, we know of but very few orch
ards that good pruning in winter will
not benefit. In q large number of cases,
where the orchard is of some age, sprouts
will come up from the trunk just under
the ground, and form complete bundle
all around it. This is the more likely to
he the case with trees that have over
bore, and have large number of half
stunted branches and also in cases
where the borer has been working in the
tree near the ground. Whatever OBJ
Htructs the passage of the sap up the
trunk induces shoots to break ont from
below i'll this way. OF course we should
try to help this by encouraging vigor in
the head of the tree, so as to check this
tendency to throw out collar-sprouts !;
but at any rate these sprouts must come
away Many rest with cutting them
back to the ground, which merely makes
them push stronger the next year. The
ground should be opened little with
the grubbing hoe, and with the same
implement the sprouts rooted clean out.
Throughout the tree these sprouts are
often common and should be cut away,
unless the main branches show signs of
being worn out by disease or overbear
ing, in which case it is best to cut these
large arms away down to the young Wig
orols sprout, which should thus have a
chance to grow up and replace it.-Gor-
naontooon Telegraph.
Thoroughbred Hogs Paw.
Nothing can be more penny wise than
the practice of many of our farmers of
breeding from scrub or grade boars. To
the farmer who breeds ten or more sows,
thoroughbred boar is cheaper at $50
than grade for nothing, even if the
hogs are all to be fattea ed. A single
dollar on each pig would make up the
money, and l am confident that in many
cases [ have seen difference of five
dollars each with the same care between
thoroughbred hogs and those that have
been bred hap-hazard. On hundreds OF
farms to-day can be found stock hogs a
year old that will not weigh over eighty
pounds each, and if offered for sale, would
not bring over five and half cents pei
pound-and they have probably con.
sumed as much grain as the breeds OF
hogs that at the same age weigh two
hundred pounds, and are worth seven
cents per pound.
Certainly ii farmers would look at il
i'll the right light, they could not fail tc
understood its importance. We shoulo
look at our stock as SO many machines
used in condensing our grain. so that il
may be more easily taken to market
and at the same time increasing its value
If the miller should return us but thirty
pounds of meal for bushel of corn de
ivered him to grind, the operation woult
not need to be repeated the second tim,
to induce us to change for another, al
though we were obliged to go to great
er distance but farmers will go on yea
after year, breeding without any plan o.
system, feeding bushel of corn to re
ceive in return what would buy half ,
bushel, and yet never suspecting that b,
so doing they are Lot only keeping
themselves poor, but also showing
great lack of wisdom.
Reclaimed Marsh Land.
The reclamation of swamp and over
flowed lands is not, as many suppose,
fancy, problem to be solved by expert
ment in the future it is fact beyont
dispute-aS fact that can be witnesse,
daily. Though yet in its infancy, il
most parts of this country the system
has been proved ages ago, by splendi'
and successful efforts in other parts o
the world, which more than attest it
practicability. The magnificent suga
plantations of Louisina as also the ric
plantations of South Carolina and Geol
gia, sspoint but to plainly too the fact O
what labor, skill and energy, with peIse
verance, may do in transforming, as wit
the wand of the magician, malarious
low, wet lands into dry, fertile, beauti
ful homes, wherein life may be enioye
amid the bountious gifts of nature. Tb
value of lands that can be cheaply an,
successfully irrigated and enriche
by overflow has been appreciated fo
centuries by all the nations of the world
Washing Dishes.
1t seems that all housekeepers ar
wrong in using soap to wash dishes. TIL
right way to do is to have your waite
quite hot and add very little milk to il
This softens the water, gives the dishe
a fine gloss, and preserves the hands;
removes the grease--even that fror
beef, and yet no grease is ever fioatin
on the water, as when soap is used. Th
stone vessels should be set on the stov
with a little water in them, when tn
victuals are taken from them thus the
are hot when one is ready to wash then
and the grease is very easily removed
Tinware keeps bright longer cleaned i
this way than by using soap OF by seoul
ing. The habit so many of us have az
quired of securing tins is a wastefr
policy the present style of tinware wi
not bear il. The tin is soon scrubbe
away, and vessel that is fit for nothin
Is left on our hands