Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-11-10
AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC.

A little milk added to the water
for washing dishes is said to be far
better than soap.
Onions, lettuce, cabbage-seed, etc.
AN exchange says, can be sown late in
the fall profitably.
To cleanse oil-cloths, add little
milk to the water in which Oil-cloths
are washed. but never use soap. 1t
removes the gloss as well as the dust.
To clean windows, wash first with
a sponge and good soap, suGS then rub
with a dry cloth, and lastly polish with
a newspaper-it is superior for the
purpose to channels skin. Mirrors may
be done in the same manner.
To make potato bread, either sweet
or white, take one-fourth of the
amount of -four used, and replace it
with that much boiled potatoes mashed
very fine. If white potatoes are used,
put piece of clean lime the size of a
hickory nut in the water If sweet
are used, put a piece of charcoal in the
water.
The incest ironing and polishing
we have ever had done, and it was not
to be surpassed, was done without
the addition of butter, lard, candle or
ANYTHING else to the starch, which
should be first moistuned with cold
water, then stirred while the boiling
water is added Boil few minutes,
and it is ready for use without any
seasoning of any kind, but willing
hand, well applied, with plenty of lu-
brication about the elbows. Use large
regular hat-irons for plain parts, but
small, round edged ones for smaller
parts and places, and the whole proc
ess is much facilitated. Cor. Detroit
Free Press.
To wash wooden blankets, put
into a good suds, made of common
brown soap, with few spoonfuls
of aqua ammonia added. Rub no soap
on the blankets, as it shrinks them,
but have the water as hot as the hands
can bear. When clean, pass through
the wringer by folding four times
lengthwise. Then put into another
hot suds, with the ammonia added.
Rinse in this, but not in clear water.
1t makes the wool much whittier and
softer than when clear water is used.
Shake the blankets well, stretch them
evenly, and hang smoothly in the sun
to dry.
H ops are considered valuable as a
fertilizer, but when used fresh from
the brewery they ferment quickly,
generating almost as much heat as
fresh horse manure. The gardeners
about New York use hops for their
hot-beds, also for banking them up on
the outside in cold weather, mulching
for small tender plants, and for com
posting with other less heating kinds
of fertilizers. But before hops can
be absorbed by plants as fertilizer
they must become soluble in water,
the same as any other kind Of manure.
Consequently, the more thoroughly de-
composed before applying, the sooner
will they be used by the growing
plants. Still. the hops mixed in the
soil may have a mechanical or chem
ical influence highly beneficial indie
pendeslt of their manurial value. -
N0ore's Rural.
"A mechanical defect in tool, We
hlcle, or machine, is often confirmed
by time and usage, instead of being
corrected. The common thimble-
skeins now in general use on wagons
are an illustration of this fact. They
are made so there is considerable
"play" or lateral motion of the wheels
upon the aXles, when it is certain
there should be as little as possible.
The lateral motion works off the
grease, adds to the wear and strain of
the wagon, and makes it more I'M
steady. With much play on the axle,
more attention to greaSing is required,
and greater wear of the bearing sur
face is certain. Another very dis
agreeable feature is the constant clack
-clack often so loud Us To be heard
half mile. This defect, however, is
very easily remedied by simply using
leather washers next the shoulder;
but single one should be used, as it
IS desirable that the wheel shall work
rs closely to it as it can. More may
be placed in front if needed. Prop
erly fixed in this way the noisy part is
avoided, aXles wear longer and require
less attention -TOrOUfO GIObe