The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-07-13
RURAL ECONOMY.
Practical Hints.

LIGHTNING-RoDs are perfect prOtec
ton to buildings when properly con
structed and carefully erected.
j A CONTRIBUTOR to Vick's Floral Maya
zine has a theory that last year his pota
toes were not touched by the bugs be-
cause wild petunias grew near the potato
patch; that the bugs will leave the po-
tatoes for petunias, the sweets OF which
are poisonous to them.
/ AT this season of the year many valua-
bic cows die from what IS Known as the
"cloFer bloat," and it may be well to
know some simple remedy. A physician
in Davenport, Iowa, says turpentine will
cure nearly every case. One-fourth of a
gill is an ordinary dose.
i WOODEN floors are objected to for
poultry houses for the reason that they
tend to cause the birds to become duck
footed, and what is OF more conse-
euence, absorb, and retain dampness
from the droppings, and SO prove a
source of cramp and other ailments.
! SURFACE strata rich in potash will
support heavy growth of elms, while
the beech, maple and chestnut flourish
on the conglomerate. The oak requires
calcareous ingredients, and often marks
with accuracy the limits OF Coal meas
ures, in which limerick abounds. Con-
ditions of that kind should serve as
indispensable guides, which may be
adopsd with profit in attempting the
cultivation Of trees.
SEE that the sink water is carried
away from the vicinity Of the well and
not allowed to soak into the gfottnd and
near the house. Neglect of this is the
fruitful cause of typhoid fever and diph-
liberia. Also clear out decayed vegeta
bles from the cellar, scattef chloride of
lime about, and throw open wide the
cellar windows The walls should be
thoroughly whitewashed.
The Westeri New York Ruralist says
of the apple moth, which is working in
the apple trees, that it does its work in
the night and lays an egg in the end OF
each apple, which soon becomes worm
eaten and falls. From this the worm
crawls and makes for the tree. In the
tree he proceeds to raise numerous other
worms, Which make havoc with the fruit
Bands of hay, paper Of cloth around the
tree furnish hiding places fof the build.
ing of cocoons, which should be destroyed
by the farmer.
BATS and mice will go into trap
much more readily if piece OF looking
glass is put in any part of the trap where
they can see themselves. They are so
cial little creatures, and where they can
see any of their tribe, there they will
so. Our informant says: [ am quite
sure of the effect the looking glass has,
as / properly bated my trap for whole
week without being able to coax ore of
the depredators in; but the first night
after putting in the glass caught two
one very large and one small rat; and
every night since the device has made
one or more prisoners.
SMALL. rails from quartered poles are
laid, with less than the ordinary crook
of a worm fence, to the height of four
rails. Halved poles are used for the two
upper rails; these are placed on the edge
to give greater height to the fence. Two
small stakes at each angle are let in the
ground few inches, spreading some at
the bottom to give strength to the fence,
and are held by wire, above the fifth
rail, Just far enough apart to admit the
half poles, the top rail being supported
by the wire, some inches above the fifth
rail, if desired.
PROF. NASH gives the following d.
rections for making chloride of lime, a
very useful disinfectant and fertilizer
"Take one barrel of lime and one bushel
of salt; dissolve the salt in as little
water as will dissolve the whole; slack
the lime with the water, putting on
more water than will slack it, so that it
will form very thick paste; this will
not take all the water put on, therefore,
little of the remainder daily until the
lime has taken the whole. The result
will be very powerful deodorizer
equally good, for all outdoor purposes
with the article bought under that name
at the apothecary's, and costing not one
twentieth part as much. This shOulo
be kept under shed or some out-build
ing; it should be kept moist, and it may
be applied, whenever offensive odOrs are
generated with the assurance that it vii
be effective to purify the air, and will
add to the value of the manure much
more than it costs. 1t would be well fo
every farmer to prepare quantity o.
this and have it always on hand"
A CORRESPONDENT of the Country
Gentleman says the presence of large
quantities of sorrel on land may be safely
attributed to the evidence of too much
acid in the soil. This undue sourness
arises from an excess of moisture in the
soil, from the frequent freezings anC
thawings which kill out other crops IL
winter, and probably from other causes
The remedies, if it arises from excessive
moisture, are, in the first place, to give ;
thorough drainage, and then the applica
ton of alkalies which will neutralizt
acid and make the soil sweet and pro
ductive of sweet heritage. Sixty year
ago much of the land, especially il
orchards in our vicinity, was scourget
with vile sour weed, known by farmer
as " yellow iohnswort." The acid princi
pie in it was so strong that animals feed
ing among it in rainy weather, or wheI
the dew was on, were sure to be afflicted
with sore noses in consequence of coming
in contact with it when wet Thorough
tillage with the application of plastic
and clover stocking, runs it out, and a
the present it is rare to see it in the mos
minute quantities.
A WRITER in the Southern Farmer say
that his cow gives all the milk that i
wanted in a family of eight, and thai
from it. after taking all that is required
for other purposes, two hundred ano
sixty pounds of butter were made Thu
year. This is in pa1t his treatment o
the cow. eff you desire to get large
yield of rich milk, give your cow every
, day water slightly warm and slightly
salted, in which bran has been stirred a
the rate of one quart to two gallons o