Sharp County record., 1880-06-24
HOME, FARM AND GARDEN.

OAT STRAW, as a rule, is superior to
wheat straw as stock food, inasmuch
as 1t contains larger per cent. of fat
forming and heat-producing ingre-
dients.
To KEEP bugs off melon and squash
vines, plant tomato plant in each hill.
BY doing this the bugs did not bother
them for me; while across the fence,
where there were no tomatoes they
were all killed by the bugs.-COr. En-
change.
FEW realize the necessity of manur-
ing orchards. When once planted, the
trees are to remain in the same soil
thirty or forty years, at least. They in
a few years exhaust the food in the soil
that they are most fond of, and then
they will cease TO be productive and
thrifty unless properly fed.
No CHINESE farmer ever sowS a seed
of any kind Of grain before it has been
soaked in liquid manure diluted with
water, and has begun to germinate; and
experience has taught him that this
operation not only tends to promote
the growth and development of the
plant, but also to protect the seed from
the insects hidden in the ground.
FRAGRANCE AND COLOR-Plants@ith
white blossoms have a larger proportion
of fragrant species than any others;
next comes red, then yellow and blue,
and lastly orange and brown. The
flowers Of spring are white and highly
fragrant; those of summer are red and
yellow, and less fragrant; those of au-
tunn and winter are much darker, and
with less perfume.
SPONGE CAKE.-Take five fresh eggs,
their weight in pulverized sugar; the
weight of three in flour. Beat yelks
and sugar to creamy paste, whip
whites to a stiff froth, and add to yelks
and sugar. Sift in the flour gradually;
add teaspoonful of favoring extract,
and stir only just enough to mix well,
pour Immediately into pans lined with
buttered paper. Sprinkle over little
pulverized sugar, and bake in a quick
oven for twenty-five or thirty minutes.
GoOD WHEATEN BREAD.-Take six
gOod-sized potatoes, peel and boil in
two quarts of water; when done put
pint of -four into suitable vessel, and
pour the water off the potatoes on the
flour to scald it. Then rub the potatoes
through a colander and add to the flour.
Add cold water enough to wet what
bread you want to bake at one time;
when cool, add a pint of good yeast
and handful of salt; let it rise over
night. In the morning mix stiff in the
bread tray and let it rise again. When
light, put into tins and let it rise again.
Bake in a moderate oven one hour.
STRAWBERRY SHORT -CAKE.-Mak |
crust sufficient to cover the bottom of
two pie-disheS, rolled thin, of the in
gradients which would make raised bis
cults; bake both at once; have two boxes |
or two quarts OF strawberries thorough
ly cleansed, and we'll sweatened; as
soon as the paste is baked, while hot,
spread with good butter, cover with
half OF the berries, eprinhlins moro
sugar on top; cover with the other
baked biscuit, butter as before, add the
other half of the berries, with more
sugar, and wrap we'll with clean
towel, and cover with blanket, to re-
main to steam until cold.
A WRITER in the Fa1acte7S' Journal,
in speaking of ducks, pronounces the
AyleSbury and Pekin the best varieties,
the former being noted for its large
white eggs and delicatel ly-havored
flesh, and the latter for the richness of
its eggs, good constitution and rapid
fattening. The Rouen is pronounced |
only slightly inferior in flavor and in
quality of eggs to the above, natures
earlier and is harder. The Aylesbury |
and Pekin commence laying in Febru-
ary, and continue for five months, with |
two or three brief mtermissions. When
the duck wants to sit she should have
: from twelve to fifteen eggs, and should
sit in a separate division of the duck
house kept for this purpose. The door
should always be open during the day,
and she should have sufficient water
near by to battle in. The time of incu-
baton is twenty-eight days. After the
ducklingS are all Matched they should |
not be disturbed for twenty-four hours,
when they are ready for food, which
should consist of hard-boiled eggs well
mixed with oatmeal. When three or
four days old they may have oatmeal
mixed with milk and a little grain. The
ducklings should not have access to
water, except to drink, until they re-
ceive their feathers, when they can
swim without injury.