Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-04-15
FARM. GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
Floors tor Horse Stables.

AS long as we can remem DER, tile
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 W ould
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, a
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
liable to fall and strain himself
in getting up; but, if we re-
member rightly, the plank roads were
not objected to on account of their hard
ness or slipperyncss; and as 10 slipping,
if the flooring is a little inclined the
water is carried back, whence a slieht
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
substituted, and far neater and not more
expensive Germantown Telegraph.
Household Hints.
The best me at 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.
To roast meat properly, the air must
have free access to it. This is the rea-
son why meat roasted before an open
fire is more palatable than that roasted
(baked) in 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.
Neatness is the first virtue in the
kitchen. The dishes Of a careless cook
all have mixed flavor, as if cooked in
one pot. The general rule is to cook
long and slowly, with an even heat. 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
10 wash the butter with cold brine Of
greater or less strength, not only to
wash it. once, but twice, if the first
washing does not remove every trace
of buttermilk.
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
seis for packing butter.
The secretary of the Royal Agricul-
tural society, of England, advises to
stop the churn when the butter is the
size of pin-head, draw off the butter
milk 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.
| MI. "a. -. w 1lls1LQ pIOecSc JllC OC-
| lief that "ropy "milk is due to weeds,
bad water and bad treatment to cows,
and Professor Englehart once said he
knew it was weed. DR.. Lehman has
known it to stop when cows were
changed from good to bad water, and
as for weeds the disease appears at all
times.
A Canada correspondent recommends
when butter will not g come placing a
small piece Of fresh butter in the churn,
W which will cause the globulest t. gather
If 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 a stove. Bring the cream to
temperature of about eighty degrees,
! then churn.
Lawyers Under Peter.
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