Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-11-11
Various Suggestions.
From the Country Gentleman.

| From the Country Gentleman.
There are number of good prac-
tices which farmers might be induced
to adopt if occasionally y reminded of
them. Among them we give the fol-
lowing:
Copper wire and copper straps are
often very convenient and of much
use in repairing tools, doors, CRATES
and parts of buildings. Copper wire
is about as easily handled as twine,
and is more unyielding and durable.
Its ilexibility gives it great advantage
over iron wire, and it does not rust.
Copper straps for mailing are better
than leather on one hand and hoop
iron on the other. Copper tacks are
good for mending old harness, rs they
are easily clinched.
Provide boxes or shelves with
apartments, and place in appropriate
divisions, distinctly marked, all re-
fuse screws, nails, bolts, rivets, sta
pies, tacks, &c, and replenish them
as needed by purchases at hardware
stores, procuring all the kinds and
sizes you ever want. Such things
always at hand, costing perhaps but
a few cents, may save you dollars in
time when repair is needed at a busy
time and laborers are waiting.
Teach every person in your employ,
as well as yourself, always to put
every tool back in its place as soon
as done with, no matter how great a
hurry he may be in. Better spare
half minute now in doing so, than
for you to hunt half an hour with
team or man waiting. We know
men who waste whole days in the
aggregate in hunting for misplaced
tools, and in asking eight or ten diff
ferent persons on the place where
they are.
Keep your cellar properly and
well drained; allow no decaying
matter in it; prohibit the throwing of
slops in puddles at the back door,
and never allow sink pipes To become
chokcd or 10 emit foul air. Much of
the sickness in the country is caused
by such bad air.
Keep all the hinges and latches
about the house oiled, to prevent
wear and squeaking. Go over them
once a week with oil and feather
make regular work of it. Keep gates
properly creased at latches and
hinges, and see that they do not sag.
The labor of dragging 4 sagging gate
is as hard as ii is useless. To prevent
saggng, see Vol. VI of Rural Affairs,
p. 2l9.
Use coal ashes or wood dust, or
both, in all your vaults daily. This
will prevent all bad odor, rendering
the cleaning as easy as shoveling
sand, and will prevent all danger of
wells becoming poisoned by the
drainage.
Give pure water TO animals. Cows
are sometimes watered from wells in
the manure yard containing impuri-
ties, and the milk is thus more or less
deiiled and poisoned, the butter taint-
ed, and the owner wonders why his
family suffers so much from sickness.
If you expect good healthy pigs and
wholesome pork, let them have pure
water, pure food and constantly clean
quarters. We have actually seen the
careless and dirty character of some
farmers photographed in their filthy
pig-pens.
Use petroleum as a preservative of
all exposed woodwork and tools. 1t
is very cheap, and penetrates the
pores. 1t is good for all wood build
ings, good for gates, farm wagons,
rakes and forks, and for all rustic
work exposed to weather. 1t will pay
its cost back again at least one
thousand per cent.
On rainy days, examine you now
ers and reapers, and all other machin.
cry of similar character clear off
all the grease on the axles which has
been hardeded with dust, and put all
in good running order. Kerosene
applied TO such parts will enable you
TO clean them easily.
When any tool, harness, wagon, or
anything else breaks do not wait till
you need it for use before repairing
it, but get it mended at once. IL a
horse loses a shoe, do not wsit till he
becomes lame, but have it set imme-
diately.
EConomizing Fodder.