Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-07-01
ADVERTISING RATES
FARM AND FIRESIDE.

FARM AND PRESIDE.
| ROTATION OF CROPs.--A correspondent
asks us to explain the philosophy of the
rotation OF crops We comply, but do so
briefly, both because our space is small.
and further, even full explanation does
not demand many words. Some nine SUBJ
stances make up the ash of all plants
These are potash, soda, lime, magnesia.
oxide iron, oxide manganese sometimes,
silica, chlorine, sulphnric and phosphoric
acids. Plants obtain these substances ex-
clusively from the soil. But while all
plants Cake up these substances from the
soil, different plants take them up in very
different proportions. For instance, all
| the cereals, as wheat, rye, oats, take up as
much phosphoric acid as all the other
eight or nine substances put together:
While potatoes, turnips, &c., demand pot
ash and soda largely and but little phos-
| phoric acid The chief demand of the
grasses is for lime; of tobacco, for potash
and lime. Now, the Indication is that
those crops should succeed each, which
make demands upon the soil as unlike as
possible. Wheat succeeds tobacco well,
ana the grasses come well after wheat.
| Tobacco takes up chiefly lime and potash.
and but little phosphoric acid, which is
the special demand of wheat. Wheat re-
moves but little lime, which is the special
demand of the grasses.
The worst possible rotation, which one
may frequently see, however. in Virginia,
is wheat, corn, oats. Here the demand
all the time is for phosphoric acid, and the
strongest soils give way under this drastic
process. Tobacco, wheat, clover, and a
year of rest is an excellent rotation. Dur
ing the three years succeeding wheat, so
| small is the amount of phosphoric acid
| taken from the soil that it is supplied,
perhaps more than supplied, by the con-
slant disintegration of mineral masses in
! the soil, and of the underlying rock. A
similar explanation is obviously applicable
to other constituents. By a judicious sys-
tenn of rotation, and little rest and help,
the soil not only holds It's own, but i'm
| proves as. the years roll by.-ReliqSous
Herald.
HOME MADE CANDY.-All children are
fond of candy, and if pure, moderate
amount is not Injurious. In these days of
adulteration, that made at home is safest
to give them. It's simple matter to
make chocolate caramels; all that is need
ed is one cup of sweet milk, one cup Of
molasses, half cup of sugar, half cup
Of grated chocolate, piece of butter the
size OF walnut; stir constantly and let
it boil until it is thick, then turn it out on
to buttered plates; when it begins to stiff
fen, mark it in squares, so that it will
break readily when cold. Cocoanut cara
mels are made Of two cups of grated CO.
coanut, one cup Of sugar, two tablespoon
fuls of -four, the whites of the eggs beaten
stiff; bake on a buttered paper in a quick
oven. Nice white candy is easily made.
Take one quart of granulated sugar, one
pint of water; two tablespoonful of vine
gar; boil just as you do molasses candy,
but do not stir it; you can tell when it is
done by trying it in cold water. Pull it
as if it were molasses candy; have dish
near by with some vanilla in it, and work
in enough to flavor it as you pull; put in
cold room, and the next day you will have
delicious 'candys
BAKED HAM.-Lay the ham in large
pan. cover it with plenty of cold water
Let it soak over night. Rub it off next
morning and cut off all the hard, black,
serappy parts. Put it into large enough
boiler, cover it with plenty of cold water
and let it heat gradually. Keep it steadi
ly boiling once it begins. Remove the
coarse scum from the water. A good-siz-
ed ham should boil five hours slowly. Try
it with a knitting needle to see if it is
done. Remove it from the boiler, skin it
and put it back in the water to get cold.
It reabsorbs some of the juice from the
water, and all remains Of boiled meats and
poultry should be set aside for next day in
liquor they were cooked in, to prevent
their getting dry. Put your well-boiled
ham in the oven to brown. Let the outer
fat begin to crisp little; stick in few
cloves over it and then cover either with
fine bread crumbs or with thick layer of
brown sugar. This ought to make fine
glaze.
CRAMPs.-When the cramp is in the
calves of the leg, draw up the foot strongly
towards the shin bone and in few Sec
onds the cramp will disappear. When
they are in the thighs or arms tie towel,
cord or handkerchief around the limb, just
above the cramped part and then rub this
part with the naked hand alone or using
some stimulating liniment like spirits of
camphor, OF red peppered whiskey. The
preparation may also be rubbed upon the
neck when cramps attack this part.
Cramps in the stomach may be checked by
first strongly rubbing and kneading over
the stomach and then rubbing upon and
around the pit of the stomach; mixture
of equal parts of sweet oil or hnseed oil,
essence of peppermint, laudanum and
spirits of camphor.
CHECK REINs.-Never use check-rein
upon horse at work, as it is calculated
to worry and lDjure the animal more than
the work he is required to do. II man
has heavy load to draw, he lowers his
head by bending forward and throws the
whole weight of his body against it. So
does horse if he is permitted to so. But
if the mans head were so tied back that
he could not bend forward, he would lose
the ADVANTAGE of his weight. inst 80 with