South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1880-06-11
Farmer and House Keeper.

cockroaches, spiders, bedbugs aud all
crawling pests, take two pounds Of alum
and dissolve 1t in three or four quarts
or boiling water. Let it stand on the fire
until the alum disappears, then apply it
with brush when nearly boiling hot to
every joint and crevice in your closets,
bedsteads. pastry shelves and the like.
Brush the crevices in the floor of the
skirting or mop boards if you suspect
that they harbor verinin. Cockroaches
will flee from the paint which has been
washed in cool alum water. If, in wash
ing q ceiling, plenty of alum is added to
the lime, it will also serve to keep insects
at distance.
Silk pocket handkerchief and deep.
blue factory cotton will not fade If dip
ped in salt and water while new.
When ivory-handle knives turn vel.
low, rub them with nice sand paper or
emery it will take off all the spots and
restore their Wilderness.
A New York farmer kills the cabbage
worm by sprinkling the plants with
common black pepper from an ordinary
tin box--a pound TO $50 plants--some-
times previously spriDkling with soap
suds from the weeks washing.
A horse biscuit is being manufactured
In Russia to take the place of oats. 1t
Is made of crushed oats and the flour Of
gray peas, mixed with hempseed oil and
salt, and is four inches in diameter. A
days rations weighs about four pounds,
and is eqnal to ten pounds of oats. The
horses like the biscuits when soaked in
water. and if fed exclusively on them,
though they lose in flesh, arc still fit for
fatiguing work.
A WHOLESOME HARVEST DUNK
AS alcoholic drinks have happily long
been driven from the harvest fields.
there have been various drinks besides
water substituted, but scarcely any OF
them meeting fully the conditions sought
for in tue way Of wholesome, satisfy
ing beverage. Water, even in all its
purity, does not seem to quench the
thirst and stimulate the body. as it pro.
duces additional Precipitation and pass
es through the pores almost like passing
through colander, leaving the system
exhausted and weak besides, drink
OF cold water, when suffering under O
great degree OF heat. is dangerous, -ev.
en- Mt times producing sudden Death
Latterly in England and elsewhere a
drink is prepared by mixing oatmeal
with water, in the proportion of three
or four ounces TO gallon Of water
This is found not only to satisfy tie
thirst better than water, or molasses and
water, even when tempered with vine.
gar or other acid. but TO produce addi-
tional strength OF body. Oatmeal pos.
sesses q peculiar aroma and acts as
stimulaut 10 the surface OF tue skin as 70
cause tue complete digestion Of the liq-
uid. Men employed in an atmosphere
Of the intensest heat are much comfort
ed with it, and become very fond of IT,
Hence 1t is in a measure "viciual5 and
drink possessing only virtues and with.
out any drawbacks whatever.
Just now the time is here to give IL q
trial; and we shall DO glad if at the end
of the season those substituting the oat.
meal and water will make report as to
the results.--Ger. Telegraph.
Do not sweep carpets any oftener
than is absolutely necessary. After
dinner sweep the crumbs into dust pan
with your hearth brush and, if you
have been sewing. pick up the shrcis
by hand. A carpet can be kept very
Leat in this way and q broom wears it
very much.
A slow mixer makes n COW impatient,
which causes her TO hold mp her milk.
The strippings arc the richest part. and
II tho COW Is MIXED quietly as we'll as
quickly there will be moro as we'll as
richer milk.
II is-a good plan 10 put new earthen-
ware into cold water and let II heat
gradually until II boiIs then cool again.
Brown earthenwaro in particular may
be toughened in this way. A handful
Of rye or wheat bran thrown in while IL
Is boiling will preserve the glazing so
that 1t will not be destroyed by acid or
salt.
II spermaceti is dropped on any gar.
ment or furniture, frst carefully scrape
of all that can be removed without ia.
jury TO the material then lay brown
paper over the spot, or a piece Of blot
tingpaper, and put a warm iron on the
paper until the oil shows through. Con.
tinue 10 renew the paper and apply tho
warm iron until the paper shows no
more oil.
Grained wood should be washed with
cold tea.
Cut hot bread or cake with a hot
knife, and 1t will not be clommy.
! Cayenne pepper blown into the cracks
where ants congregate. will drive them
away. The same remedy is good also
for mice.
Ceilings that have been smoked by
Kerosene lamps should be washed OF
With soda water.