Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-08-09
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.


they will kill the curculio; if turned at
the roots of geraniums, roses, &c, they
will enhance their beauty tenfold.
COPYING FERNs.-The most perfect
and beautiful copies imaginable of ferns,
etc. may be made by thoroughly sat
urating them in common porter, and
then laying them fiat between white
sheets of paper without more pressure
than the leaves of an ordinary book bear
to each other, and let them dry out.
MoLAssEs CAKE.-One cup of good
New Orleans molasses, two-thirds cup of
good, rich sour cream, fill it with butter
milk, an even tablespoonful ofsoda, and
a teaspoonful of ginger dissolved in
water. Do not make it very thick with
flour, or it will be tough.
To WASH FLANNELs.- Flannels should
be washed IN soft water, soap and much
blue. The water should be as hot as
the hands will bear; wiring them as dry
as possible, shake them and hang them
out; but do not rinse them after the
lather.
WEEDs-Weeds need constantly to
be looked after and taken by the fore
top. Remembering that every weed
that Is allowed to go to seed this year,
will be replaced by hundreds and thous-
ands next year. Zone years seeding "
of weeds is said to produce fifteen
years of wedding" and it is not far from
the truth.
SHRINKAGE OF GRAss.-Very green, or
over-ripe grass, will shrink more than
that which is just in the blooming. 1t
Is very easy matter to cut sample
of grass, and after weighing it, dry by
fire heat, and then reweigh This will
determine the shrinkage for that speci-
men. A few hours only are required to
dry grass over cook stove The shrink
age will be found to range from seventy
to eighty per cent.
CANKER WORNls-It is claimed that a
slight shock given to an apple tree Will
send canker worms spinning to the
ground, and further that if once off, these
crawling pests could make no Roadway
over dry, loose soil, providing their
course was up hill. A complete barrier
to their return is formed by heaping UP
dry ashes about the apple trees. Farm
ers that are suffering from the havoc OF
I
experiment and report the result.
/ AN ECONOMICAL HINT.-Black cloths
may be cleansed so as to look almost as
good as new. With pint of water mix
a half teaspoOnful of spirits of ammo
MIA and a tablespoonful of alcohol. APP
ply with a sponge, and, when necessary,
use a nail-brush to cleanse thoroughly
the soiled places. Sponge off with clear
water and hang to dry This is good to
restore shiny and rusty goods and bring
back their neWness.
To CLEAN SILK.-Take a quarter of a
! pound of soft soap, a teaspoonful OF
brandy and a pint of gin; mix all well
together, and strain through a cloth.
With a sponge or flannel spread the
mixture on each side of the silk without
creasing it; wash it in two or three
waters, and iron on the wrong side. Ii
will look as good as new, and the pro-
cess will not injure silks, even of the
most delicate colors
BROWN BREAD.-In a gallon crock mix
one quart Graham flour and one quart
white flour. Make hole in the centre,
put in two tablespoonful of molasses
and two of brown sugar, pinch Of salt
and a cup of warm water. Stir thor
oughly, and add half a cup of good
yeast. Set this sponge at night; in the
morning add a little warm water, mix
stiff and raise again, mold into loaves,
and when, sufficiently light, bake two
hours in slow oven.
| A LARGE FUCHSIA-In a recent
number of the London Garden, the
| Knight of Kerry writes as follows from
| Valencia, Ireland, concerning fuchsia
which he has: g [ believe that at this
moment it is one Of the finest sights in
/ the shrubbey way that can be seen. 1t
measures just 14S feet 8 inches round
the extreme tips of its branches, and
would have been considerable larger
had it not been stopped at one side to
form it into an arch to cross over a
walk. The south side of it is one blaze
of most beautiful blossoms, a condition
in which it has been for some time. 1t
is now exactly twenty-five years since it
was planted, and during that time moth
ing whatever has been done, to further
its growth. 1t has simply been left to
itself"
CLovER.-No matter how misman-
aged,' clover is a benefit, and what
ever else he may do, the farmer who
grows clover is making his farm better
What, then, might not the result-be, if
the same care were taken of the clover
field as of other crops? 1t does not need
cultivating; the long, deept, reaching
roots mellow and pulverize the soil as
nothing else can. If the clover grows
thriftily the top acts as much, seeding
the ground and keeping it moist
A crop of two tons or more of clover
whether plowed under or cut for hay,
can hardly fail to leave the soil better
er's aim to grow the largest possible
crops of clover. A slight dressing of
gypsum-10O pounds per acre in early
spring-often produces wonderful re-
suits. But if farmer has little we'll
rotted manure, the scraping of barn
yards, fall is the time to apply it. Glow
eris often injured by freezing and thaw-
ing in winter and avery slight cover
ing of manure will afford a great deal Of
protection. Rich earth from corners
of fences is worth drawing a short dis
lance on young clover, provided the
ground is hard and firm. If the field
is not moved next season, coarser
manure can be used.-C0unatry Gentle
man.
MoULDY CoRN-A correspondent of
contemporary says: Some time last
spring my attention was attracted by
statement in newspaper, that muSty
mouldy corn was injurious to animals
carrying young, and would kill the off
spring. On May first had forty-fve
sOws with MO mostly to farrOW in that