The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-08-30
TOPICS FOR FARMERS.

How a Cow Eats a Potato.-One of
the most affecting sights that We are ever
called on to witness among dumb ami
mails, says the Belfast Journal, is that
of COW eating large potato. She
makes one or two Intellectual bites at it,
but it slips from her and rolls away.
At last she gets it fairly into her mouth,
and then begins the struggle. She
throws her head backward, extending
her nose in straight line. Her eyes
roll up and her ears droop. The saliva
drips from her mouth from all sides.
Apparently she is enjoying the most ex-
quisite pleasure, and her jaws work rap
idly with the regularity of a pendulum.
The potato slips round in her mouth
like doughnut in a kettle of fat, but
| she attends strictly to business; there is
no let up on her part. At last, by
| happy accident, she succeeds in crush
ing the potato between her jaws, when
smile steals over her face, her eyes
slightly close, and a tear of relief
trickles from the corner of each eye; her
head resumes its natural position, and
she runs out her tongue and "wipes off
her chin,' so to speak; the potato is
swallowed with gulp, and takes its
stomach, to await the time when it shall
be resurrected to be rechewed.
Exterminating PotatO-Bugs.-A man
in Lee, Massachusetts,, has succeeded in
effectually exterminating the bugs that
infested his potato patch. He first tried
Paris green, and for want of better
medium mixed it with meal, and thor
oughly sprinkling his vines with this
compound, retired to dream of insect
carnage and well filled potato bins. The
next morning he arose early and
hastened to his potato lot, but instead of
finding the ground covered with bugs he
discovered that the meal had been eaten
by the chickens, whose dead bodies at
tested the fatal virtues of this drug. EX-
asperated by his own stupidity, and
more thoroughly determined than be-
: fore to accomplish the destruction of the
pests, he put some arsenic in water and
carefully sprinkled the plants with the
solution; this time, however, with better
: success, as many of the bugs and neigh
boris pig became victims to the poison
Dissatisfied with liquids and powders
5 he next tried crushing them with his
? fingers, but at the first attempt the
: creatures head shot from its body, like
pea from blow-gun, and striking the
t unfortunate granger directly in the eye
e caused a severe inflammation of tha
organ and the abandonment of the hand
/ picking process. Nothing daunted HI
e provided himself with pan of kerosene
Y and stick and began knocking then
e into the oil, but half hour of this worl
convinced him that it would take till tn
| ,,,iIIIo Of 70 tho ir
| field in that manner. Finally happ,
d thought struck him, acting upon which
?. he saturated the plants thoroughly witt
:, the petroleum and applied match. TIL
d success was perfect-not bug or potat
l top remained to trouble the astonishe
gaze of the genius who originated tn
|, idea.
Preserving Lumber.-The COuRtT
d Gentleman says that the sleepers or tic
d of railroads are more exposed to deca
II than timber in any other position, bein
d fully open to the weather above and
st the earth beneath. Their durability
le greatly increased, however, by imbet
,r ding them in gravel with perfect drain
l. age. They will last from twice to thre
t, times as long thus protected by cleal
II dry, coarse gravel, as when laid in We
clay. This fact shows the impoftano
le of providing a drainage for fence post
ID the portion of which at the surface {
to the ground is nearly as much expose
to decay as railway sleepers.
i, 1t appears from observations made G
re railroad in Germany, that after twel'
OF years service with oak sleepers, it WI
1r found necessary to renew three-fourth
~ When treated with chloride of zinc, lie
ne than four per cent. needed renewal
w seven years; impregnated with cruz
creosote, only one in ten thousand hs
m decayed in six years. A corresponds
er of the London Garden has used this ere
r, sote on his gates and fences with gre
n. success; after six years all the treat,
as wood is perfectly sound and free fro
re moss or fungus; the untreated porto
n, have already begun to decay, and a
in covered with moss and lichens. He fin
as it important to season the wood tho
oughly before it is immersed in the tan
ul Scotch fir, at one time considered u;
lg, less for railway sleepers, is now exte
RS sively used for that purpose, when tn
lg. treated, on the Southwestern Railway.
y, There are many purposes for viii
or timber is used by farmers, where simil
l preservatives might be used to adva
ay tage, as posts, stakes, etc. We haveh
pc occasion to recommend impregnati
", timber for these purposes, first wi
Id crude petroleum, and then covering
| l with an impervious coating of coal ia
lip the latter being adapted only to wo
7as placed in the soil, or where subjected
7as shade and moisture; the former for wo
irs exposed to the weather. The vario
II processes for preserving wood from {
oil cay, with a view to securing cheapn
and efficiency, are well worthy of me
extended experiment.
lp.