The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-04-04
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLl,,
Household Hints.

il tea be ground like coffee, hot water is
poured upon it, it will yield nearly
double the amount of its exhilarating
qualities.
MANAGEMENT OF BRooMs. brooms
are wet in boiling suds once a week they
will become very tough, will not cut the
carpet, last much longer, and always
sweep like a new broom.
RANCID BUTTER. that has be-
come rancid may be restored by washing
it thoroughly in good new milk, and
then working it over with cold spring
water. Butyric acid, which, when pres
ent, causes rancidity, is soluble in fresh
milk, and can be removed in the manner
stated.
CANNED CIDER.-Cider may be pre-
served for years, by putting it up in air.
tight cans, after the manner of preserv-
ing fruit. The cider should be first set
tied and racked off from the dregs, but
fermentation should not be allowed to
commence before canning.
To SASH HOLDERS. Window sashes
may be retained at any desired height,
by boring three or four holes in the side
of the sash, and inserting into them
common bottle corks, leaving them to
project about the sixteenth part of an
inch. These will press against the win
dow frame and hold the sash at any
height required.
CAMpHoR IcE.-Melt slowly together
white wax and spermaceti, each one
ounce camphor, two ounces, in sweet
almond oil, one pound. Next, triturate
until the mass becomes homogeneous.
Then allow one pound of rose water to
flow in slowly during the operation.
Then perfume with altar of rosemary,
one drachm.
Toads in the Garden.
Many persons have loathing of these
really interesting, if not handsome,
little animals of the genus Bufo (BuJo
pulgaris). The toad is perfectly harm
less, and is often useful i'll gardens by
feeding on noxious insects. One
writer gives it as his opinion that they
are worth more per head to the horti-
culturist than chickens, even allowing
that chickens did not scratch. DIR.
Harris tells very interesting story Of
these insect devourers, which we think
ought to put the reader in good humor
with them. He supposed the odor OF
the squash bug would protect it from
the toad, and to test the matter he offer,
ed one to a grave looking Bufo, under o
cabbage. He seized it eagerly, but
spit it out instantly, reared upon his
hind legs and put his front feet on top
| of his head for an instant as if in pain
and then disappeared across the garden
in series of the greatest leaps toat
ever made. Perhaps the bug bit tht
bitter. Not satisfied with this DR.
Harris hunted up another toad which
lived under the piazza, and always sun
ned himself in one place in the grass.
He offered him squash bug, which he
took and swallowed, winking in very
satisfied manner. Twenty other fine
bugs followed the first in a few min.
utes, with no difficulty or hesitation in
| taking or swallowing, though, from the
wriggling and contortions, it appeared
their corners did not fit we'll within.
Horse Stables.
Dark stables are an abomination and
should not be tolerated. There is nc
necessity to sacrifice comfort, either il
winter or summer, to secure enough
light. A horses eyes are enlarged-tht
pupil of the eye is-by being kept in {
dark stable. He has the harness put OF
him, and suddenly brought ont into the
bright, glaring sunlight, which contracts
the pupil so suddenly as to cause extrem,
pain. To see just how it is to face I
bright light after having been in tn,
dark, take walk some dark night for 6
short time, till the eye becomes accus
toned to the darkness, then drop sud
denly in some well-lighted room, ant
you will scarcely be able to see for few
moments in the sudden light. A darl
stable is invariably damp one, ant
such stables we are not yet willing tc
put either valuable or working horse
in. Give good ventilation, let the sun
shine and the air have chance to effec
an entrance, and your stables will be
purer and more healthy.
Fnt Horses.
There is tendency at this season t,
feed too much grain and get the horse
too fat. This is done at the expense O
muscle, because an animal kept con
stantly at work will not get "hog fat,
the food going to furnish tissue AM
muscle used up and destroyed. Not S,
with an animal kept in stall and giver
no exercise, except, perhaps, that oh
tanned while being led to water. Th
uIuOuub VI gram leu SlOulU DS TetiuCeu
and plentiful supply of hay kept il
the racks at all times. When possible
the horses should be given the free rul
of the yard every day. If only givel
their liberty occasionly, they are liabl
to run and jump to excess. Many valu
able animals have been lost by ruptur
or fall obtained through giving exer
else to exuberant animal spirits.
Western Stock Journal.
Feeding Fowls.
In a state of nature fowls run over
great extent of ground before they get
crop full. They pick up their foo
grain by grain, and with it small piece
of dirt, blades of grass and other thing
that all help digestion. Placed befor
the fowls in boxes filled with grain, tn
birds do in five minutes that whicl
should be the work of two hours; the
eat greedy fill, and, suffering unnat
ural repletion they have recourse t
drink the corn then swells in the crop
and the sufferers, instead of walkin
about cheerfully, hide in corners an
squat about, to the detriment of thei
health. This applies to the equal
bad practice of throwing down the foo
in heaps.
Between the bones of the ankle an
the wrist there are muscles. VIII N b
accident these are drawn out of thei
places, what we call a sprain is produced
When one is aware that he has suffere
this species of arrangement, the fri