The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-04-15
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD
Floors for HORSE stables.

Floors for Horse stables.
As long as we can remember, the
question as to the best floors for horse
stables has been discussed. We have
tried clay and ordinary dirt, but they
did not prove satisfactory. Holes would
be dug almost daily by the forefeet, the
urine would gather there, and unless
great care was taken to fill them up and
to smooth over the soil daily and wash
the horses feet, scratches would follow,
and probably what is commonly called
quarter-crack result, which is likely
permanently TO injure the animals.
Sand and even sawdust have been
recommended, but as they were clearly
not desirable, we never tried either.
We began with plank flooring, were
dissuaded from using it, but have re-
turned to it, and found it preferable to
the others. We prefer hemlock, q
double two-inch plank, with the front
part kept well covered with straw at all
times for the fore-feet and at nights to
be well-bedded with straight rye straw.
We have found no disadvantages from
the flooring; the feet have not suffered,
so far as we can discover. Some object
to the planks, first, because they
are hard, and Others that they be-
come slippery, and the horse is
w ldll anu Bblulu lluuStI
in getting up; but, il we re
memoer rightly, the plank roads were
not objected to on account of their hard
ness or sllpperyness; and as 10 slipping,
If the flooring is little inclined the
water is carried back, whence n sli ht
gutter. also inclining somewhat, either
removes it from the stable on the outside,
or it Is allowed to pass under the floor
through small holes in The gutter. But
where these arrangements have not
been made, a covering of sifted
coal ashes over the floor will pre-
vent the slipping. We have known
floors in stalls to be made OF boards or
planks turned up on an edge, which is
about as hard as anything can be; also,
OF hagstones, mortar, and even of as
phaltum, all which we should suppose
might prove injurious to the animal,
but we have never heard that they
were, Hemlock planks, laid as we have
mentioned, will prove, take all he cir
cumstances into consideration, about as
satisfactory as anything that can be
substitu' ed, and far n, ater and not more
expensive. Germantown Telegyuph.
Household Hints.
The best meat requires the simplest
preparation.
Never mix or place on the same dish,
meats OF vegetables that are unlike in
flavor.
: To boil meat, when the meat is to
be eaten, plunge it in boiling water, so
as to scar the outside and retain the
juices.
To make soup, when the object is to
extract all the Juices from the meat,
cut up in small pieces and put on in cold
water.
II TO roast meat properly, The air must
nave free .cesS to it. This is the rea-
son why meat roasted before an open
fire is more palatable than that roasted
(baked) in a close oven.
Cheap utensils, of whatever kind, get
out of order easily and usually cumber
the kitchen, and annoy everybody who
has anything to do with them. In all
things relating to cookery the best is the
cheapest.
In building or choosing a house to
live in, take care that the kitchen ia
roomy, and has plenty of sunlight. A
dark kitchen is ar abomination, and a
cramped kitchen increases the labor of
housekeeping one half. Let the kitchen
be supplied with all modern convent
ences, even if the parlor suffers in con-
sequence.
.Neatness is the first virtue in the
kitchen. The dishes of a careless cook
all have mike! flavor, as if cooked in
one pot. Tie general rule is to cook
long and slowly, with an even heat. ESQ so
as to reach every part. Frying ought
to be the last method for cooking
meats: Broil, boil, roast, stew or bake
in preference.
Dairy Notes.
In the manufacture of butter the GUS
tom has become general after churning
TO wash the butter with cold brine of
greater or less strength, not only to
wash iJ once, but twice, if the first
washing does not remove every trace
of buttermik.
An exchange says that white-oak
firkins soaked for two days in sour
milk, when washed out and soaked one
day in strong brine, and then rubbed
thoroughly with salt make the best yes
sels for packing butter.
The secretary OF the Royal Agricul-
tural society, of Eng land, advises to
size of pin-head, draw off the butter
mil and water, and repeat this water
bath until no buttermilk remains. In
this he differs from many dairymen.
who churn until the butter reaches the
size OF wheat grains.
Butter must be packed while perfectly
fresh. Immediately after the final
working it should be put away in the
packages.
Mr.. X A. Willard expresses the be-
lief that "ropy" milk is due to weeds,
bad water and bad treatment to cows.
and Professor Englehart uhce said he
knew it was weed. DR.. Leffmann has
known 1t to stop when cows were
changed FROM good to bad water, and
times.
A Canada correspondent recommends
when butter will not come y placing
small piece of fresh butter in the churn,
which will cause the globules t gather
IL that fails, the best way is to place
the cream in vessel and put that yes
sci in another containing hot water on
the top OF stove. Bring the cream to
temperature of about eighty degrees,
then churn.
Napoleon.