The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-10-07
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
Lime as n Fertilizer,

SseoaoIe nhtter, says the New Yorl
0ln, then more lime may be used wit
advantage than where it contains bu
little, or if the soil is cold CLAW. an,
the lime is desired to cut il up and i'm
prove its mechanical condition as wei
as chemical, then quite q large amoun
-hfty to a hundred bushels NAV b
often applied with benefit. But O,
ngnt soils, that is, sand and sand
loans, ten to twenty bushels are suffi
clent for one application. For whea
apply just before sewing the wheat ant
broadcast, narrowing in with the grain
IL Is not best to mix grain with otbe,
fertilizers, especially those containinf
ammonia. There are no vegetables oi
plants which would be a sure indication
tnat the soil requires lime, but there are
some That thrive better on soils deficien
IN lime than on those containing a large
amount. A farmer should never use
lime with the idea that it is in itself a
Iertllzer, but only as a dissolvent OF
the plant food already in the soil.
A New swIndue OH Farmers.
The latest dodge to obtain money
from farmers is by what is known
smong sharpers as the patent churn
process, which is described as follows :
Ihe agent calls, wishes to introduce his
superior butter-making churn into the
nelghhorhood, details graphically what
1t can accomplish, and offers to test il ON
the spot. He knows its merits and he
thoroughly understands his business.
Tne farmers wife brings forward the
cream jar containing say sixteen quarts.
Now" says the agent, " we will stir
this cream up in order that it shall be
perfectly fair, and he proceeds to do the
stirring himself in such careful man
ner that the cream is hardly stirred at
all. He then takes off four quarts very
carefully measured, and puts them into
ms churn. The second four quarts 20
to the farmers churn, the third into
his, and the last into the farmers. The
point to settle is, which churn will
make the most butter out of the same
quantity of cream, and when all is ready
the churning is begun. Each churn
prlngs out the butter about the same
tlme, and is taken out and carefully
weighed, when to the astonishment of
the farmer and the 81 told you so'' of
the agent, the latter's churn is found to
nave produced by over a pound the
most butter. The farmer cheerfullv
gives certificate to that effect, puys a
new churn for 800, and the agent goes
on to work the same game on the next
ne!ghbor. The mystery is how was
TINS peculiar result obtainedP The ex-
p'anation is as follows: The agent had
the best cream, notwithstanding the lit
Tie stlrrlng. The best end richest cream
Is always at the top. The next best (the
second four quarts) the farmer obtained,
and the agent the next best and the
farmer the last, which is nearly all lon
pered milk. The farmer gets a new
churn, possibly,as good as his old one,
certainly no better, worth S5 or SO,
and he pays the extra $40 for his lesson
on churns. The way to beat the agent
is to take the first and third measure
ments OF the cream, for in so doing his
own scheme will be turned against him,
and the farmer can, with great prc-
priety, turn agent for the moment him
self, and attempt to dispose of his churn
World.
Feeding Horses New Hay and Oats.
The question whether horses are in
Jured By being fed on new hay and fresh
oats has been made subject of investi-
CATION bya French military commission,
VINO have been experimenting upon cav
airy regiments. The results of the
experiments prove that the health of the |
horses was not essentially injured by |
new hay if they received the regular
ordinary ration along with the other
fodder. Some animals were at first |
rather less active and more quiet, they |
sweated more freely, and the excrements |
were somewhat soiteDed, but in a short |
time this ceased. In general the horses |
ate the new hay more willingly than the
old. They retained the same strength |
and corr uence as before. The hair kept
bright, the health b perfect. OF $50 horses
from four to thirteen years old, with
WDleh the experiments were instituted,
thirty-seven gained in Iatness and eight
cen in strength and endurance. Only
eighteen lost flesh, and eight lost
strength, while seventy-nine rema ned
unchanged. A second experiment upon
$50 horses gave the same results. Cn
the other hand, another series of expert
ments was less successful, where seven
ty-tour horses, from four to thirteen
years old, were fed exclusively upon new
hay, the quantity being increased until
it equaled the regulation ration of old
hay. straw and oats together.
On this feed there was no real sick
ness, but general weakness, frequent
'weats, loss of appetite, digestion dis.
turbed, diarrhea, relaxation of the mus.
cles, weariness, etc. The decision OF the
was that new hay can re.
place the old hay In the regular rations
without injury, and perhaps with ad-
vantage, but that to feed them exclu-
'ively on new hay is injurious to the
horses. Experiments were also made
upon 800 horses by feeding them on
new oats, and were attended to with
favorable results, inasmuch as the ami
mails nearly all increased in bulk and
strength, from which the commission
that the new oats can be sub
'tituted for old ones with advantage,
md hence it is useless to wait two
months after the harvest before permit
ing the use of new oats. The expert
nents refute most positively the preju-
lice that still prevail in many places
against feeding new hay and oats to
lorses. On the other hand, it cannot be
ienied that horses to which new hay is
yiven are frequently exposed to collie.
The danger is only present, then, when
he horses receive no definite rations,
,ut have put before them as much as
hey can eat. In this case they not only
at much more new hay, but they also
at much more eagerly and greediIy,
which can be SO much more Injurious,
8 experience proves that those very
lorses which are inclined to the collie
at most greedily.
Household Hints.
A transparent mucilage of great te-
acity may be made by mixing rice flour
With cold water and letting it gently
INNER over the fire.
To remove grease from wall naner