The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-03-20
AGRICULTURAL.

PERIODS OF MILKING.-A COW that is
MIXED three times day will give more
cream than one that is MIXED at inter-
walls of twelve hours. When the udder
is filed process of absorption goes on
and part of the milk is secreted is thus
lost. 1t will pay to take the milk from
copious mixers at intervals of eight
hours as nearly as possible. A COW that
is MIXED at 5 in the morning, in the
afternoon and 5 at night, will yield from
ten to twenty per cent. more milk and
more cream than if MIXED twice day.
American Agriculturist.
RANCID BUTTER.-An authority in
dairy matters explains how rancid but
ter may be greatly improved and almost
restored to its original excellence by
kneading it well in fresh milk and then
washing thoroughly in cold water, with
the addition of little salt. In almost
every parcel of butter some small pro-
portion of casein is retained, and the de-
composition of this is accompanied by
the formation of butyric acid which
causes the unpleasant taste and smell
known as rancidity. This butyric acid
is really soluble in fresh milk, and hence
can easily be got rid of by the simple
method of treatment recommended.
EARLY POTATOEs.-Potatoe can be
grown in boxes for early use. Procure
boxes three feet long, one foot wide and
ten inches deep; bore half dozen
holes in the bottom of each, to give out
let to the surplus water. Put in about
six inches of rich garden loan, and
plant in each box five potatoes of some
early variety. The boxes should then
be put in a warm place and the soil
kept moist. As soon as the sprouts APP
pear above ground, they should have as
much light and air as possible and still
be kept warm. A hot-bed, with gen.
tie under-heat, will then be the best
place to set the boxes, as the sashes can
be removed on mild days. A green
house will do very well, but the plants
can hardly get there all the fresh air
they need. When the tops are about
six inches high put in two more inches
of soil, and, two weeks later, entirely
fill the boxes. BY this management
new potatoes can be had in the begin
ming of May. OF course, one who has
not the use of a hot-bed or green
house, can place the boxes under the
windows in warm sunny room, and on
mild days place them under wall on
the sunny side of a building: but this
would entail more labor, and the re-
suits would not be quite SO satisfactory.
Rural New Yorker.
ASPARAGUS ON THE FARM.-Every
man or woman who owns land and
house, should get ready about this time
to plant an asparagus patch. This is
not so formidable a job as old practices
and older books indicate. There viii
be some digging or forking, but forking,
hoeing, raking, and even trenching, or
better still, subsoiling, may be done
easily and quickly by careful man and
steady horse. have found a little
one-horse subsoil pillow one of the most
useful implements in the garden patch,
to run for young beets, carrots, onions,
or in fact any young stuff. The lighter
the soil, the better for asparagus. 1t
should be plowed thoroughly, and given
good dressing of manure, which
should be on the surface till vegetation
starts. My mode of planting is to throw
furrow out each way say eight inches
deep, or even trifle more. Clean out
the bottom as much as possible
with the pillow, and if not qnite even,
shove out little SO as to get tolerably
level bottom; then spread out the
plants in the bottom OF the
furrow, Is to "a inches apart,
the latter distance giving the best
results. If there's plenty of fine manure
on hand, little scattered directly on
the plants will give good start; other
wise little soil should be drawn on the
plants to keep them in place. Then
with the pillow throw a furrow from
each hill on the plants; and SO leave it
until the weed seeds have made start,
when it may be narrowed down. As
the plants begin to peep through, early
beans or other stuff may be planted
between the hills, three and a half to
four feet apart. OF course the weeds
should be checked, and the seed kept
from ripening. In the fall cut off the