The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-11-07
FARM TOPICS.

STORING GOTATOES.-EVery meLnOu
has been tried by farmers to store and
preserve their potatoes through the win
ter, until potatoes come again. 1t is
the most valuable of all vegetables,
though here and there we find person
or writer who undertakes to tell US of
its uDwholesomeness. 1t is universally
consumed in all civilized countries, as
where it can not be grown it is import
ed, which can be done long distances
without injury, when ventilation is at
tended to In storing potatoes several
methods are adopted, yet they are all
practically the same, the object being
to protect them against freezing. The
first consideration is to keep them in
perfect darkness; the next is, the bins
should not be so deep-not over three
feet-to produce warmth and cause
them to sprout. When stored in the
field, straight trenches are Dug, say 20
feet in length and four or five in width,
which are filled to the depth of three
feet with potatoes, then well covered
with straw, on top of which put Is or
twenty inches of earth. In pit of
about 20 feet long, there should be about
three gas escapes or ventilating open
ings, which should be plugged with
straw and covered with board, set at
an angle to turn the rain If in cellars,
barns or otherwise, the bins should be
covered with rugs, old carpetings or
straw. Those intended to be kept for
late spring sales should be frequently
examined and all sprouts removed; for
n, ooo,, ac a rotatO haUinc tO cnrout II
loses its solidity, dryness and quality.
CHAMPAGNE CIDER.-Any good,
mild favored apple can be converted
into an excellent beverage. To make
choice article the apples should be ripe
and sound, freed from stems and leaves;
and when ground the pomace should lie
in the vat from 18 to "a hours. This
gives good body, richness, color and
flavor to the cider that can not be OBJ
tanned when worked Immediately under
the press. AS it goes into the cask, do
not use straw in a wooden funnel to
strain or separate the sediment or
pomace from the juice, but strain the
sweet cider through flannel, which will
separate almost all the sediment, which
must be worked out at the bung or 9TH
erwise removed, for it is mainly this
sediment that sours the cider and makes
it " hard" That which man neglects
to do, nature strives to assist. After it
has been filtered, fill clean, well hoped
casks, and put them in q dark, cool eel
lar. Take out the bung and keep the
cask full; let it work half the usual
time, then bung tight and let it stand a
few days. Then draw off the cider from
the sediment which lies in the bottom
of the cask. If you desire drink of
extra fine, return the cider after
the cask has been well washed
out, let it remain few days,
then repeat the process, and after the
sediment has the second time all been
removed, fill up the barrel and cork up
tight. This cider in this condition will
keep one year. Or, to convert it into
sparkling drink, good champagne CT
der, or wine cider, bottle it up with
good corks in common bottles as soon
as the second draught is made, and eX-
pose it to the light and air as little as
possible if you wish to retain the gases
and life of the article. Add one good
raisin to each bottle and drink at your
leisure. This makes pleasant, exhila-
rating drink. One quart should he used
sparingly for several meals. 1t should
be used only at meal time, then l. IS
taken up and disseminated with the
food and is very healhful and strength
ening as beverage and antidote for
dyspepsia and jaundice. When cideri5
drawn from the cask, some leave vent /,
this lets out the gases aud destroys the
life of the cider; so does the mixing up
mustard seeds in the barrel; the cider
becomes so weak and insipid that twill
not change into vinegar. The life prin-
cIples are destroyed. Other nostrums
should be avoided, such as some use 10
keep the cider plain and sweet. Bot
| tied cider should lie on the earth in a
| dark cellar until wanted for use.
RAISING TURKEYS. - twenty-five
years ago, almost every large farmer
living not too near to neighbors was ia
the habit of keeping turkeys. They
were a great help in the way of destroy
ing grasshoppers, crickets, and Other
injurious insects which prey upon the