St. Landry democrat., 1879-03-15
FARM AND HOME.
FARM HINTS.

FARM HaSAH.
It may afford crumo OF comfcrs 10
American agriculturists who are dread"
ing the results of overproductien, to
know that English writer's like Mr.. Card
have forcibly summed'up the broad view
of the present state of matters, when
thew tell us that quite one half OF each
loaf consumed in England is Of foreign
origin: that one-fourth part of their
whole meat aud dairy produce comes to
them from across the sea, and that al
most the entire additions which may
hereafter be sought to fill the ever-mul-
tiplying mouths OF their dense popula-
4ion must be drawn from other lands.
A"handy thing" to have in the house
is jar or bottle OF lime~water. Pour
water over unslacked lime (the quantity
is not important, as only certain
amount will be slacked), and cork up for
use. A spoonful of clear liquid stirred
into milk, cream or bread sponge in dan.
ger of souring, will prevent that catas'
trophe. 1t also cleanses bottles, etc., that
have an unpleasant odor A person who
needs milk, but whose digestion is so
weak as not to manage it, will find no
inconvenience if into glass of the lac~
teal fluid is stirred wineglass of limeA
water. The difference in taste is not
perceptible.
1t is fact, we'll known by experienced
grape growers, that very rich and highly
MANFRED land rarely produces grape
that is rich in taste, or will yield high
quality OF wine. The grape that contains
the m )st saccharine matter will make
the best wine, and it is we'll known that
the different varieties differ widely in
the proportion of sugar. In Italy and
Sicily the very finest and sweetest grapes
grow on the rocky rubbish of volcanoes,
and those that grow in loose, rocky soils,
or along hillside covers, are often the
best. These facts ought to teach us not
to select the richest soils, nor to stuff
them with barn yard manure Tor the
grape. Grape vines seldom need any
manure, except ashes, lime and bsnes, II
the soil is thoroughly pulverized and
cultivated, and all weeds and grasses
near the vines kept out. One of the most
fruitful causes of milldew and rot is the
application of too much manure to the
growing vine.
Lime has an important effect aside
from it's action as plant-food. Freshly
burned lime (known as caustic lime
and "quicklime") has strong affinity
for carbonic acid, so that when it ane
organic matter (which always contains
large proportion of carbonic acid) arr
mixed together, the lime and carboni'
acid unite, promoting the decomposition
of the organic matter. Newly "slakee
lime"--wbich is lime united with watel
--has an effect similar to quicklime
though slower, and hence is better fol
farm use. Fresh, undecomposed organic
substances, especially dung, contain thu
most valuable ingredient OF plant"tood
nitrogen, in its simple form but it /
very soon changed into ammonia, whicl
in turn unites at once with carboni
acid. Then when lime is brought i
contract with the mass, it at once com
bines with the carbonic ac:d, and tn
valuable ammonia escapes and is los
When, however, the lime is apple
before the ammonia is formed, tn
nitrogen is exydizsd to nitric acid, whic
unites with the lime to produce nitrat
of lime, and the nitrogen is savet
Therefore, lime may be used in stable
and house privies, or in composing ca
cases of dead animals, to advantage
but if mixed with manure day or tV
old, the result is a loss of valuab
material. The above also shows VIII
when lime is put into compost, it b
such beneficial action in Fastening d
composition, and why it is necessary
use plenty of fresh earth to absorb t
escaping ammonia.-[ American Agrict
tnrist,