The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-01-30
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.


well as the cheapest, to spread manure is in
the winter. 81. 1t saves labor in handling
but once. z. 1t does not cut up the soil
with wagon wheels, the ground being frozen.
3. The first rains or thaws carry the soluble
parts into the soil, and they become more
Thoroughly diffused than If the manure is
spread in the spring. As a general rule 1T
does best when applied to grass to be In-
verted for corn in spring or to remain in
sod. The rains do not carry off the soluble
and fertilIziDg parts, because as soon as 1T
rains the surface is thawed and the soil alb
serbs these parts"
WHITE CLovER--Every pasture should
contain some white clover. 1t will afford
more feed at certain times of the year than
any kind of grass or clover. 1t will not
flourish on damp soils or those that are very
poor. 1t will do very well in a partial shade,
as grove or orchard, but to make the high
est excellence it should be sown where it
will have the advantage OF full sunlight. 1t
is easy to secure patches of white clover in a
pasture by scattering seed in early spring on
bare places and brushing it in. One pound
of seed is sufficient to start white clover in
hundred places in pasture The DISPOSE
ton of this clover is to spread by means of
the branches that run along the surface of
the ground and take root. Having secured
a sod foot square, it will soon extend so as
TO cover first yard, then rod.
A CHEAP SMOKE HoUsE.-Dig narrow pit
from - to Is inches deep, throwing the
earth all out on one side. From near the
bottom of this pit dig trench of sufficient
length to hold one or two joints of stove
pipe, at such an angle as viii bring the end
away from the pit to the surface OF the
ground. Over the end of this pipe set
common flour barrel or large cask, as may
be needed, and, having removed both heads,
bank up around it with a little earth so that
no smoke can escape at the bottom. Hang
the hams. etc., in it, using some round sticks
to run through the strings Putting a cover
on the sticks will leave space enough for
draught to let the smoke pass freely. Build
a smoke fire of corn cobs, damp hard wood
or sawdust, in the pit and you will have
cheap, safe and efficient smoke house, with
very little trouble.
KEEPING BUTrER.-Miss Roselle Rice COM
municates to the Practical Farmer state
ment of her successful experience In keeping
butter: For the 80 pounds put down in rolls
wrapped in thin muslin she made a brine
so strong with salt that it will float an egg
Into this put one pound of brown sugar and
one fourth of pound of saltpetre; let it
come to boil. skim well, and when cold
pour it over the butter, which is kept in a
clean. well scalded oaken cask made for that
purpose. Miss Rice adds: "rhe last roll of
butter, which will be used in March, will be
as sweet and fresh as this is now. My neigh
Dor puts down her butter on a different plan
altogether. She packs hers in gallon crooks,
ana then puts on layer OF salt about two
inches thick. She boots at me, and thinks
my way is not half so nice hers. Now,
any woman will see the difference in the
appearance of the slice of butter on my
neighbOr's plate and mine. OF course her
way is good, but think my way is pre-
ferable. The slice on my plate will be
clean, and whole, and dewy; hers broken
and uneven. and bits of salt sticking to it,"
RooTs FOR FEED.-Farmers are slow to
learn the value of carrots for horses. They
are so nutritious that livery stable men feed
out large quantities to their horses. instead
of grain. Four quarts of oats and the same
of carrots are considered good for horse
as eight quarts of oats; and horses that are
not worked much will keep in good con-
dition on hay and carrots only. A few small
potatoes are also very good tor horse es-
pecially to give smooth, glossy coat. The
farmer who has no carrots beet5 or turnips
for his stock when winter approaches has
made a serious mistake. In England, where
land is dear, the farmer grows immense
crops of "mangolds' (beets) to feed out in
the winter; and if profitable there, why not
here? Probably the most easily raised, most
productive and most profitable root crop in
this country is some of the varieties of beets,
some of which grow Is to "A inches long. and
yield 5000 bushels to the acre, if the land be
highly MANFRED; but the best way to grow
them is to grow a crop of potatoes the previ-
Gus year on the land, with a heavy app,ica-
ton of manure. and with no manure the
year the beets are grown, and there will be
bat few weeds if the land was kept clean the
year before.
HIGH BRED ANIMALs-High bred animals
are rarely profitable for the farmer, except
for the propagation of improved grades by
crossing on natives or common stock; hence
a farmer who has at large expense procured
q herd or flock of pure bred stock, finds them
deteriOrating in condition and appearance,
and less productive than he expected. This
has been the almost universal experience of
farmers In selecting animals for purchase
those that have the most attractive appear
ance are generally chosen, with little regard
to anything else than to please the eye. The
largest and best proportiOned, or those of the
most fancied colOrs, are preferred, because
they are the most conspicuous points, and
they appeal to the sight rather than to an
expert judgment. The points which make a
pure bred animal valuable to a farmer as q
means of improving his herd are not these,
but such as lie deeper and require experience
and Judgment to detect The fine bone,
small oif4l. quality of flesh, vigorous consti-
tuition and hereditary excellence do not al
ways-in fact rarely-accompany excessive
size or attractive appearance; but the former
go to make up the true value of an animal
for the farmer who seeks to improve his
stock rather than the latter.
FALLow on WEED CROPS. "A writer in the
Country Gentleman has an article from
which we reproduce these extracts:
The old theory that the soil needs other
rest than that given by our long winters has
been pretty generally abandoned. II fields
are kept naked for months in preparation
for seeding, it is done to clean the land from
foul weeds rather than from any idea that
the naked fallow is itself in any way benefi
cial Undoubtedly there is a constant de-
com post on of the elements of plant food
latent in the soil. Flowing and cultivation
hasten this decomposition by admitting air