The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1880-09-01
Farm, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
Small Farms Rest.

Apropos of this subject, the Spring
field (Mass.) Union says: There has
been some lament over the tendency in
this country to mass great areas of real
estate under one management, and fears
have been expressed that, in the West,
at least, we shall some time experience
the evils of landlordism which have
cursed older parts of the world. But
such fears appear to be groundless. We
have no law of entail, and the prob
ability that these vast areas will remain
under a single management for more
than one or two generations is rather
small. The big farms of the West are
proving comparative failures. Dali
rymple, the Dakota farmer, and Glenn,
the California nabob, have not sue
ceeded well. The Sullivan farm in
Illinois has been cut up, and the work
of subdiv ision is more likely to go on
than that of accumulation. The To-
ronto Globe points out that great farms
require a vast amount OF machinery,
which, to be made profitable, must be
htDb Nv bllC "OAh JNdbA oibSl JOoLs
The most successful farmers of the West
are those who own comparatively small
ar ms, which they can keep entirely
under their own supervision and man
age with little help, and improve rather
than deteriorate, by proper rotation of
crops.
A still better example of the superior
ity of small farms over big ones, is
found nearer home, in the market gar
dens near the great cities. Some of the
finest of these we know of are in the
vicinity of Boston. For an example,
there is one of five or six acres within
the limits of that city which produces
its owner q clear annual income of from
So 900 to $1,000. Instead of spending
his money for machinery and labor, the
farmer devotes his capital largely to the
enrichment of his ground. The amolnt
of manure he applies to his few acres
seems almost wasteful, but the results
prove his wisdom. Within two or three
weeks he has marketed from a small
patch SITS worth of string beans. His
early potatoes are already dug and have
brought him something like 50, 600, and
the ground where they grew is already
at work producing q second crop of
vegetables. The amount of truck
which he manages to secure from his
few acres, which lie about his house
and barns, is really marvellous, but the
secret is high cultivation and scien-
tific method. The same method may be
applied anywhere in Massachusetts,. and
the dawdling away over hundreds of
acres, and getting only half crop, and
atthe same time impoverishing the soil,
is the sheerest folly.
Pasture for Hogs.
The subject Of good pastures fer hogs
in summer is becoming one of special
interest to farmers. So also the proVid-
ing of supply of roots for them during
the winter is beginning to receive de-
served attention from the more progress
sive and successful farmers. The con-
tinuous and excessive use Of corn has
long been deemed wrong both in theory
and in practice, although comparatively
few feeders ever seem to have considered
how it might be avoided. The light.
however, is breaking, and q radical
change in the management of hogs as
regards feeding seems fast going on. This
change, we doubt not, will result in
very marked decrease of disease among
swine. Of the grasses most suitable Tor
hog pastures may be mentioned timothy,
red clover, blue grass and orchard grass.
In timber pasture, where red clover
would not do so we'll on account of the
shade, white clover will be found valua-
BILE. The best pasture is one containing
several kinds; but it is no easy matter
to keep variety of grasses on the same
ground. The more hardy will sooner or
later crowd the others out. We are
sure more hogs are being grass fed this
year than ever before, and men~inter-
ested in pork production are closely
watching the results. We shall be Lad
to have readers of the RWraJtSt report
regarding any experiment in this way
they have made, and give their views on
the subject of grass for hogs in summer,
or the raising of roots for them in win
ter.-RuraIiSt.
Health Hints.
Lemon juice will allay the irritation
caused by bites of gnats and flies.
| A weak solution of carbolic acid II
rain water will cure pimples and simple
eruptions.
Ammonia, saleratus water, and othel
alkaline washes are the usual remedies
for bee stings. A fresh tomato lea
crushed and rubbed on the puncture Il
recommended as an easy and sovereign
) cure.
) A CORES pondent residing at Homo j
: Sandwich islands, says that goo'
7 health preservative is to sponge th
5 body in cold water. containing small
percentage of some alkali, such as am
) monia. The ammonia combines wit
the oil or grease thrown out by th
perspiration, forming a soap, which
easily removed from the skin, leavin
the pores open, thus promoting healt
and comfort.
MILK for Chickens.
i Sloppy food is unfit for chickens
J Their stomachs are formed to grin
i hard substances, and if given soft foo
the gizzard, portion of the stomach
: which is multiple in fowls as in cattle
o is weakened, and does not perform i
e partial digestive functions. Milk ma
be given with coarse cornmeal, bot
being scalded together until it is q ST
mass, or it may be curdled and separate
a from the whey, and given dry. But
'e must not be sour. Sour food is sure
" bring on intestinal disorders and pl
30 mare anch q weakened condition of {