The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-12-09
out clothes intended for the wash; and sec
ond, daily changing the mir, the closets may
be kept comparatively pure.


From the American Agricultural
There il much practical wisdom among
the poultry men, that does not get into the
papers or books. A turkey raiser who prides
himself on sending to market the hand
soonest lot of turkeys in his town, for the
Christmas market, tells us how no dresses
his birds. The turkeys are fed as usual the
night before butchering, and in the morn
ing are driven in upon the barn floor, as
soon as they come from the roost, and are
made secure. Their crops are empty, and
they can be caught rs they are wanted.
Make u slip moose of strong cord for each
turkey, in an adjoining stable or shed, put
the turkeys legs into the moose, and with u
small pointed knife stick the bird as near
the head NJ possible As soon M the bird in
dead, strip off the feathers. pinfeathers and
all. Cut the neck off as near the head as
possible, remove the wings and draw the
entnils, before taking the bird down. The
turkey IL hung up alive, and taken down
ready for market. Lay the bird on his
breast ar side, upon II clean board tn cool.
Turkeys should be- carefully handled in
dressing, to avoid breaking the skin, for it
rubs off very easily when they are warm.
Remove all the pinfcathers and pack the
birds when sent to market, III clean straw
them. Handsome, clean dressing will add
cent pound, and often more, Ia the
market price of all kinds of poultry.
Cistcrns For Farm Btildines.
FIR nm the Germantown Telegraph.
In the cndeayor Ia have everything con-
ycnicnt us possible about farm houses nnd
farm buildings, there are few things more
worthy of being cared for than cisterns to
hold the rain water from the roof Even
where pumps are supplied ii is often an al
vantage to have cisterns in addition, ~ soft
water which pumps will not always supply
is of great value. At any rate il often hap
pens that though there he II pump convent
ent and all the water furnishedby it one can
desire, even the little labor that u pump re-
quires for u single horse or COW becomes u
great task when many are To be supplied
We know of one farm where 10 head of
cows, more or less, are on hand, and MI the
water they require has to be furnished
from pump and il is no small job to do
Yet on this very farm the land lies so con-
yenient that cistern could be built ON an
elevation little above the cattle yard. and
all the water from the roof could go into it,
and be drawn into the cattle yard by its own
natural flow, without pump or labor of any
kind. SO it often happens for household
supplies. A cisten can be built which
would cost but little, and yet save the wo-
men folks GENERALLY oyerworked) many an
hours labor, besides giving them quality
of water they all 80 much desire.
There is prevalent idea that they cost Il
great deal To make, but it is far less than il
generally imagined. If the land is solid
say either clay or rotten rock-T-the sides of
the natural ground may he shapedlike avail,
and lining of mortar, say half IN inch, put
on before the final cement coat is given.
But if there is any chance of settling, 80 as
To crack the mortar frame work, four inch
brick work may be built around the first.
Most ground is, however firm enough for
the purpose. The mortar as il il laid on
TO form the lining or framework of tho
tank, should be very well worked by the
trowel. The object is to work out all the
air. II is the air spaces i'll the walls that
makes it porous, and it is through the pores
that the water escapes. A working Of the
trowel backward and forward a few times
over the soft mortar expels the air and
closes the pores. This is especially impor-
tant TO be borne in mind when applying the
cement. This need not be put ON very
thick. The merest film, if properly worked
10 sufficient