Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1878-08-07
RURAL ECONOMY.

b ECONOMY.
ssasonAbls Notes.
APPLES and pears will keep and color
better and bring y higher price if picked
\ few days before they are quite ripe.
MANURE from a fattening COW is su-
perior to that of q milk cow. There is a
deficiency Of the phosphates in the milk
cows droppings.
IT is asserted that tomatoes a. food for
cows improve both the quantity and the
Of the milk, and give the cream
and butter a rich golden color.
Top-pREss1Na moving fields - o as
possible after the hay Is removed Is at
tended with excellent results. The
stubble and roots are protected from ex.
cessive drying by the hot sun, and the
grass is stimulated to a vigorous growth.
MILK PAINT for fences or barns is
made by mixing water lime with skim
milk to a proper consistency to apply
with q brush. It will adhere well to
wood whether smooth or rough, to brick,
mortar or stone, where oil has been pre-
vionsly used.
For some sorts of vegetables, as let
tuce, cress, radishes and others, the Chi
neAe system Of keeping the soil continu-
ously wet is the best that can be adopted.
1t produces a crispiness in the vegeta-
bles that is obtained only when there has
been no check in the growth.
FARMERS should be advised not to try
to economic by moving too close. An
old farmer of Ou acquaintance used to
say that he thought sit was better to
leave the lower Joint for the old brindle
COW than to save it for her." and We won-
der that all sensible farmers do not take
his advance.
FRUITS gathered in the afternoon are
less acrid than when gathered in the
morning, because fruits are ripened by
the conversion of the acid they contain
into sugar, an ! since this requires the
aid of light and heat, the intervening
hours between morning and afternoon
produce the difference in their ripeness.
COOP authority asserts that one pound
Of beans will support life in action as
long as four pounds of rice. Two pounds
of beans will help to do more muscular
work than three pounds of wheat. The
reason why beans require stronger pow
ers of digestion than wheat is that they
contain casein instead of gluten.
In oxen the stomach weighs 81 ounces
for every 100 pounds of live weight; in
sheep it weighs 90 ounces; in pigs IA
ounces, while in man only six unces.
These facts are important, as showing
the greater necessity for concentrated
food il some cases than in others. The
human race requires q mixed diet of
meat and vegetables.
To render timber fire proof: Saturate
it as far as may he with strong aqueous
solutions of sodium tungstate (crude)
s~iIicate, water glass, or sulphate; am
monium sulphate has also been used
Wood thus preserved is not ignited by
sparks or transient contract of fame
Unaltered woody fiber a not, however
be rendered, by these or other simple
means, incombustible.
THE Philadelphia Farm Journal goel
for q man who cuts firewood in harves,
time, but advises the good wife to sticl
to cobs, chips, old broom handles, pals
etc, until the last sheaf of corn is in ths
barn. Come west, young man, where
coal is mined from under a soil whose
surface, tickled with a hoe, laughs with
golden crops. If not, cut your fue
when the snow fies.-Er.
The washing of stems and large
branches of trees with a solution of car
bolic acid, soap dissolved in lnkewarn
water, and q portion of the -four of sui
phur mixed with it, is q good method
for destroying the insects. The best time
to do the washing is after the spring
opens. 1t will then stick to the trees
and when the insects come out the poison
kills them in their infant state; and by
that the foliage and fruits of the trees
may be saved.
The most efFectual way to get rid Of
rats is to poison them, for which pur
pose a preparation of PHOSPHORUS, spreae
on small cubes of bread, is very efiectual
though nothing can be gotten in thii
line which is not dangerous to othel
beings. Small bits of cork fried in lart
is also a " sure pop" while corn mea
and plaster, mixed dry and in equa
parts, will get very heavy on thei
stomachs, and, ere long, cause a cessation
of breathing. But all these things ar
alike destructive to dogs, cats or poultry
and you run a great risk if you have an.
young folks running around; you ma!
be sorry all your life that you ever use'
poison for rats. A trained ferret to driv
them from their leads, with good terrier
or shepherd dogs to catch them wheI
they run out, will soon clean them up
A few farmers Or fanciers could buy
own and use a trained ferret in partner
ship, and thus rid themselves of rat
acknowledgements Poultry journal.
NEVER use your pans for anything
but milk; wash we'll in two waters, seal
and wipe well with a clean towel; neve
allow your milk to stand over 48 hours
set it in cupboard or safe, with paper
pinned over the wires to prevent the al
from drying the cream, else there will b
white spots in the butter; when yo'
skim, loosen the cream from the pa
with the finger; turn q little of the to-
of the milk of with the cream; keel
your cream jar in as cool an atmospher
as the milk; never allow either to freeze
Churn a often as every fourth day
When your cream is ready, stand nea
the stove q short time, turning tn
churn, and churning to stir the cream
well while worming; place the butter il
cold water, rinse well, salt, cover vel
from the air, and set away; let it stan'
twenty-four hours, then work over
press the LStter while working, insteat
of smoothing, IS pulling the ladle over
makes the butter oily. If these direc
tions are observed with care, you will b
repaid by sweet yellow butter.-Michi
gan Former.
NAVY persons find much profit II
p~inching back the branches of the toma
toes; and it is . good practice when judi
ciously done. It may be overdone, how
ever, and injury result. In the frs
place, it is no use to attempt it after tn
flowers have fallen. The idea is to fore
the nourishment into the fruit at th,