The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-01-23
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD
T7mcty Hints.


CARE OF CELLARS. If they are too
cold, baukup the outside with some-
thing, or place double thickness of
newspapers over the windows. This
lets in some light, and prevents the es-
cape Of heat. A double floor, or q fire
in the room over the cellar, will help to
keep out the frost. A kerosene stove in
the cellar may be used in extreme cases.
Ventilate on suitable days, and clean
out decaying vegetables and fruits.
ENGAGE HELP.-Look about early in
the season, and get your pick of hands
in the market. Make written bargain
in detail, no matter if you are we'll ac-
quainted. This will prevent misunder-
standing. The man agrees to remain
certain number of months; to perform
certain chores Sunday or holidays; to
start about such an hour in the morning,
and close at such an hour in the even
ing. If, in case of an emergency, he
works longer, he may have certain priv
ileges to compensate for it. In case he
quits before his time is out, he only re.
oeives certain stipulated sum.
CALVES AND SHEEP. Lard and kero-
sene are good to keep lice from calves
sulphur mixed with sslt is good to drive
ticks from sheep. Calves, like all ami
mails, should be kept growing from birth
10 maturity. Here is one place where
the profit comes in. There is always q
loss of time and feed, and more, too, by
allowing young animals to "stand still !"
for six months or more of the year.
Sheep are we'll clothed, and need shelter
from snow and rain, and perhaps from
the very strongest winds, but cold agrees
with them. Feed them well; give them
plenty of water, in small fiocks; keep
them dry, and they may stay out in the
cold and thrive. A close, dark pen is q
poor place for sheep. Roral Ne,c
Yorker.
WOOD, Tools, IcE.-Cut a supply OF
wood, posts, rails, and logs for lumber,
ready to be moved easily on the advent
OF sleighing. No thrifty farmer will
leave these things to be done in the
buster seasons. Get wagons and bug.
gies repaired and painted, as we'll as
tools and implements for summer use.
Make stone-boats, cut handspikes and
stakes, and get ready everything which
can be got ready. Snow may be scraped
from the ice to keep it clear and allow it
to freeze thick. If you have never tried
1t, build a cheap icehouse, and enjoy a
cheap luxury next summer. The cakes
should be cut of even size, and set on
edge close together. There should be
perfect drainage at the bottom, but no
access of air. Around all, place layer
OF eighteen inches of sawdust.
LOOK BEHIND AND BEFORE. Many of
the hints for last month are equally ap-
pllcable for this. Now is the time to
make plans 10. the campaign Of 1879.
Take an inventory OF the faru-stock and
everything on hand, II this has never
been done ;natora, the proprietor will
doubtless be surprised - End how much
he owns. Sta shieu up the books and
the little debts, and collect those due
from neighbors. Small accounts should
not run long. Trust not to memory.
Arrange the books for the business OF
the year. Study over the plans consid.
erably in detail, and do not wait till the
ground is ready to plow before deciding
what to do. Look over the past, and
study the good hints and the failures
whether all was done to the best advan-
tage; whether there was too little or too
much help. This should lead to better
plans for the future. Nothing can bring
larger returns for the time than few
weeks spent in accordance with the above
suggestions.
Cows-Treat them generously and
kindly, but do not keep them fat, unless
they are to be turned off for beef. A
COW is machine, a laboratory for con-
verting raw materials into milk. II
little be given, little will be received
All animals should have exercise, espe.
cially those kept for breeding. Some OF
them are naturally lazy, but they will be
the better for STIRRING about in the open
air. 1t is cruel to keep animals tied up
or shut up for days at time. They
need light, too. Direct sunshine exerts
powerful influence for good on animals,
as we'll as on plants. Do not overlook q
good supply OF pure water two or three
times day, or good ventilation and
proper cleaning of stables. When the
ground is frozen and covered with snow,
it may be well enough, on pleasant days,
to scatter the fodder, and allow the
stock plenty Of room to pick it up; but
when it is muddy no one but a sloven
will fodder on the ground. Good racks
should be made for the sake of conven.
ience and economy.
Apples for Mich Cows.
A correspondent of the Ne,U ENGLAND
Farmer reports this instructive expert
ence in feeding apples to milch COWS:
He had one which gave only a small
quantity of milk, and with her he began
thinking there could be but small losl
should the experiment fail. He com
menced by giving two quarts at feed
and gradually increased to half bushel
The COW began to increase her milk til
she nearly or quite doubled in quantity
The milk and cream were tested at ever,
stage, and found to be equally as goo(
as when grass alone constituted the feed
To make assurance doubly sure, h,
stopped feeding the apples, and immedi
ately the COW fell off in her milk to he
former yield. After few days he be
gan feeding again, and the former re
suits were attained. 1t must be under
stood that the apples were mixture o
varieties, the majority being sour, ant
windfalls at that. Being pleased will
the result thus far, he began to fee6
them to his other COWS, with good re
suits, the gain in milk being about fit,
per cent, and the quantity and quality
ofbutter also increasing in somewhat like
ratio. The grazing was rowen of the
meadow. The only secret of success
was commencing to feed in small guam
tity and gradually increasing to tht
capacity OF the cows appetite. Now
should any of your readers try the ex
pertinent by turning his cows into the
orchard and allowing them to eat a
THAR will IN heoin and shou1d tho onu