Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-05-07
FARM AND PRESIDE.

IOr tne season, we advise, when practical
BILE. to include piece of fodder corn in
the crops to be raised. Hundreds and
thousands of farmers never yet raised
crop of fodder corn, and yet it is the most
profitable forage crop that can be produc-
ed, perhaps. If you have rough piece of
turf. that produces very little pasture,
where troublesome weeds, like quaek grass,
have taken possession, turn it over with
the pillow and put it in fodder corn. It
will produce crop that will make your
stock laugh when they see it, next winter,
and it will prepare the ground for wheat
as we'll as any other crop you could put it
in. Put the land IN good order, furrow
out three feet apart, drill corn in the fur
rows, thick, at least twenty kernels to the
foot, cover it with the plow, roll, harrow
the ground just before the corn comes up.
with . light harrow, cultivate once or
twice while the corn is small. It will soon
get ahead of the weeds and will completes
ly smother them out for the season. Plant
ed thus, the stalks will mature small ears,
and will produce twice as much solid nu-
triment to the acre, as the average hay
crop gives. The large growing varieties
OF sweet corn are regarded as the best for
this purpose. If the crop is put in by the
middle of May, it will furnish profitable
feed for cows during August, when pas
lures are usually scant. Cut before frost,
put into small shocks, and let them stand
till thoroughly dry, then haul into barn or
stack. Some drill the corn with wheat
drill, using two to two and a-half bushels
per acre. It grows more spindling when
put in thus, and produces no ears, but
gives large quantity of fodder to the
acre. It should be cut early, while there
is hot sun to cure it, and even with good
weather. it is hard to cure it so that it can
be stacked or housed with safety. The
better way is to drill 80 that it can be cul-
waited. and will produce ears, as first de-
scribed.-Practical Farmer.
HARD SoAP.-Slake three pounds of
lime in gallon of boiling water, and six
pounds of washing soda and three gallons
more Ut polling swater. Let these stand
until clear, then draw off the lye and re-
place it with two gallons of water. Boil
the lye in an iron kettle with six pounds
of clear grease, and stir it almost constant
ly. 1t must cook until it is of the consls-
tency Of honey. Try little in cup when
you think it is done and use the water
which is standing on the lime and soda. as
it may be needed to make the soap the
right thickness. Pour it off clear, and
put III only portion at a time. Finally,
stir in wet tub. You may, if you choose,
substitute a couple of pounds of crude
potash for an equal weight of soda. When
solid, cut The soap into bars and spread it
nut to dry. It should harden slowly; if
Tried too fast it will crack. Soap is better
for being kept some time. For economy's
sake it should never he used fresh.
FODDER FOR SoIL1NG.-To carry eight
head of cattle through the summer by
soiling there should have been two acres
of rye sown in the fall for the first cutting,
to last until clover is ready. If you have
pasture, it would be advisable to fence of
nalf of it and give this dressing of plas-
ter, and cut the grass and feed it in the
yard; the grass will grow twice as fast as
if pastured. Two acres should be sown
with oats, one-haf acre weekly to give a
succession. The rye ground should be
planted with fodder corn, and the oats
with Hungarian grass as each half acre is
cut. The Klnver yellow globe mangel,
and the large red mangel are the best roots
for cows. Sugar beets are better in every
respect but yield; they produce less than
half as much as the mangels, but they
contain large quantity of sugar. Six
pounds of seed per acre is usually sown in
rows 80 inches apart; the roots being thin
ned to IL inches apart in the rows.
A correspondent of Vick's ssMonthly''
thinks spoonful of coarse powdered salt
peter to pail of water an admirable rem
edy for potato and squash bugs, and other
insects. 1t invigorates all plants, and is
especially good for roses. For the mag
gots that work at the roots Of squash vines
pint of the liquid should be applied at
the root of each vine at the earliest ap-
pearance of the pests.
A CONNECTICUT dairyman, who has
been experimenting with turnips as food
for cows, thinks they are worth twenty
five cents a bushel. There is no saving in
the amount of hay consumed, but they in
creased the flow of milk. and were an aid
to the digestion of hay and other dry fod-
der. European expe1imenters have come
to the same conclusion.
VIRGINIA BIsCU1T.-One quart flour.
one-half teaspoonful salt, ona quarter
pound butter; mix the flour and butter to-
gether, with the hand, and molsten with
water: roll it out very thin three times,
and beat with the rolling-pin each time;
roll as thin as sheet of paper; cut with
saucer. and bake in sheets, they are par
ticularly nice for lunch.
To WASH BROWN LINEN.-Heat as
much water as is necessary, and press in
all the hay that it will cover. Boil until
the water is dark colored then strain out
the hay and scald the linen in the water.
Rinse well, stsfen in weak glue water and
dry in the shade.
BEEF having a tendency to be tough
can be made very palatable by stewing
gently for two hours with pepper and salt,
taking out about pint of the liquor when
half done. and letting the rest boil into
the meat. Brown the meat in the pot
After taking up, make gravy OF the pint
of LIQUOR saved.