Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-05-15
FARM, GARDEN, AND HOUSEHOLD.


ht-soWn helds, or where the stand has
not become well tillered, will be found.
In great part, nearly drawn from the soil.
ana with their roots exposed. If thus
damage and destroys the weakened
plants, This may be avoided by an
| early narrowing of the ground with n
! light harrow, the teeth Of which should
! slope backward at nm angle Of forty.iiye
| degrees. These teeth not only stir up
/ the soil and press the roots into the
/ ground, but they draw the soil over the
/ plants and cover the exposed roots. The
| benefit Is two-fod. The damage and
| Threatened loss are prevented, and the
/ plants are stimulated To n quickened
/ growth. Afer several years experience
/ In the use Of such harrow in the spring
/ upon fall grain crops. we do not hesitate
! 10 recommend il a. a beneficial work
/ II j. q question If II would not be adyisa
/ bic 10 add a rolling to the narrowing.
/ which may be done without trouble by
/ attaching "A light roller 10 the harrow by
short chains. II would add but little TO
th" drhit. but much 81 the effectiveness
and usefulness of the work.
Another use for the harrow nj this
season If 10 loosen up the surface of
/ clover or grass fields. BY thus scarify-
/ ing the surface. the grass roots are in
duccd 20 spread and thus thickcn tho
/ heritage. This effect il greatly aided by
! spreading some fresh seed. some ne,y
/ variety, perhaps, and giving fair dress
! ing oi ilne manure or artificial fertilizers
I such ~ guano, nitrate Of soda. dissolved
/ bone. salt, plaster, wood ashes. or any
! other that may be chosen or found con-
I vrnicnt As a rule. our meadows and
pastures are neglected and consequently
| Poor; but by giving them attention in
/. ms way ri thiH s<sason their condition at
/ haying time may be found much more
satisfactory. Tie harrow is also useful
I III spreading manure which has been
/ carried into the etubble or plowed
/ ground through the winter The lumps
are broken, the long litter j. torn, the
heaps are spread and mixed with the
! sol very thoroughly. If the harrow
! gathers the litter into heaps these may
/ bc spread again. and again narrowed
/ until the whole il broken up and proper
/ is distributed.
/ The roller should follow the harrow in
4 all these operations. Even should the
meadows need no iooscnng up of the
surface, they will at least be- all the bet
. ter for "a thorough rolling. which will
/ sink All tufts, stones or other impedi-
mcnts "a the mower into the soil and
cave a smooth surface 10 work upon.
UousshoId Hints.
/ CLEANING CIsTERS- W ATFR. two
ounces powdered alum and two ounces
f. buraN to q twenty barrel cistorn of rain
{ water that j. blackened or oily. and in
! few hours the sediment will settle and
/ the water bc clarified and fl for washing.
and even for cooking purposes.
/ MEALY PoTAToEs.-Select the POTATOES
- that they will BE- nearly Of n size; DO
not put them into the pot until the water
T. boils. Wien done. pour off the water
and remove the cover until the steam il
| gone; then scatter in half tcaspoonfll
F. OF salt and cover the pot with "A towel
/ Wm"ry POTATOES will ilrIs come out
mraly.
! CLEANING DIsHEs.-Dinncr dishes and
plates which have had greasy food upon
them may be- ruhbed off with a little In
dian meal before putting into water.
They are thus prevented from making
ia" water unfit for continued use. while
the meal, saved by itself. is good for the
| pig or the chickens.
\ STRONG CEMENT cement par
ticularly adapted for attaching the brass
work Ia bottie-necks. lamps. etc. is made
/ by boiling three parts Of resin with one
of caustic soda and five Of water. The
composition is then mixed with half it's
/ weight Of plaster Of paris. I, sets firmly
in about tlreo-quaTterS of an hour. 1t j.
said TO bc Of great adhesive power. not
! pcrmcablc by petroleum. a low conductor
Of heat and but suPerfeially attacked by
hot water.
LET THE BEDS BE AEED.-It is n bad
f. plan 10 '' make up" the beds Immediately
4 after breakfast. The sleeping apartments
in the house should he aired every day.
Beds should be opened every morning 10
the sun and 10 the atmosphere; DO not
be in too much haste 10 get the cham
bcrs in order. Let the sheets and blankets
be spread over separate chairs. the mat
tresses lifted apart. and the pure morning
air be allowed to get into every nook and
Granny of the room before the beds are
made. Better to endure little delay in
getting the house in order than loss of
health.
seedInRsand FertiIizins inlspsts.
Mowings and pasturage. when seeded
and manured. are treated usually only
once for all. and as whole. We have
often wondered why it was that farmers
. allowed bare and sandy spots To 20 un-
attended 10 until the baroness, or the
wecdincss, extended So as To cover a
large proportion of the soil. This is. we
know. altogether needless We are ac-
quainted with at least one extensive
farmer and dairyman who, not content
with keeping his pastures free from all
sorts Of brush, never permits bare or
secdy spot In them. If from the settling
Of water. the effect of frost, or the paw-
ing Of animals, bare spot appears. Ii il
at once seeded, and in some eases even
soddcd. so that the turf Is maintained
unhroken. Similarly. whore the grass
gets thin and weeds begin to appear.
manure is applied 10 that spot. and the
cnfccblcd grass thus stimulated to re-
occupy the ground. In this way pas
ture of n hundred acres presents nj all
times n sod of pure. thick grasses. the
like Of which IL would be hard to find on
this side of the Atlantic. Yet there are
thousands Of farmers rs well situated
and rs well able to have such pastures,
IL they only would. and the same prin-
ciplcs are equally or more applicable to
! l..