Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-09-23
FARM AND GARDEN.

years ago WIS bbhINutlOu poor, ana
every dollar spent to bring it to its pres
emit state of fertility was first made on
the land. A useful hint or two regard
ing his successful methods may be
CLEANED from the appended statement,
which he makes to his home Farmer in
reference TO raising and marketing one
of his specialties, the potato crop: 81
had one field of potatoes last year of
nearly six acres that brought me $161
per acre. The cost of manure and labor
put on that lot would probably scare
Gallia, but the net cash left in my peck
ct was more than 800 per acre. Two
years ago l dug 300 bushels from a
measured acre, and my entire crop aver
aged more than $50 bushels. We are
now digging early potatoes that yield at
the rate OF 225 bushels per acre, al
though they are not more than three
fourths grown. They are sold to one
firm sold in less than one minute after
the first load got to market) to be deliv-
cred every day as fast as possible at 10
cents bushel above the market price.
| do not write this TO brag up my crops,
but TO stir up these average men q
little, and to show that it pays to apply
manure AID labor quite freely to the
potato crop on my farm at least, and 1
do not think lny farm is an exception
WEEDS. III weeds are not DESTROYED
in the seed. and are situated IN the
borders and corners of the fields or
along the road sides where they cannot
be attacked with the cultivator and hoe,
they should be attacked with the scythe
and prevented from going to seed.
Weeds are prolific of seeds much more
so than our food plants. Some single
foul plants will produce near million
OF seeds, enough, If permitted to ger
inmate, to poison whole farm. Then
go for them, year after year wage war
of determination. By clean cultivation
OF the farm and keeping the weeds down
to the waste places for few years, they
will to great extent disappear. But
to make the work effective, all must take
hold of it. 1t is little use for one to
destroy the weeds along the roads that
pass through MS own lands il his neigh
Dor permits them TO grow. There should
be concert of action, and if need be. law
to compel him to do it. The Canada
thistle, one of our worst pests, would
soon die out, if each farmer would cut
1t while III blossom on his own premises.
so with many and most of the noxious
weeds known to the farmer. Maine
Farmer.
TANNING SKINs.-The appended recipe
iot tanning skins with the wool or fur
on-for use in sIeighs or wagons, as
house rugs or other purposes-is given
by city and Country, and will interest
some inquirlng friends eff the hides
are not freshly taken off. soak them in
water with little salt until they are
soft rs when green. Then scrape the
flesh of with tieshlng knife, or with
butchers knife with smooth round
edge, and with sheepskins the wool
should be washed clean with soft soap and
water and the suds be thoroughly rinsed
out. For each skin take four ounces of
salt, four ounces of alum and one-haif
ounce of borax. Dissolve these in one
quart of hot water, and when cool
enough to bear the hand stir IN suffi-
Gent rye meal to make thick paste
with half an ounce Spanish whiting.
This paste is to be thoroughly spread
over every part of the flesh side of the
skin, which should be folded together
lenGthwise wool side out, and LETT for
two weeks in an airy place. Then re-
move the paste, wash and dry the skin,
when not quite dry it must be worked
and pulled and scraped with knife
made for the purpose, shaped like n
chopping knife or with piece of hard
wood made with a sharp edge. The
more the skin is worked and scraped, as
1t dries, the more pliable it will be-.
PROFIT OF SPRING CHICKENS. 1t has
been said that a spring chicken is the
only animal of which biologists could
not determine the age. know the age
of every brood of mine. OF two broods.
Matched May y and 10, / sold II
cockereis the past week; they weighed
81 pounds, and brought % cents
pound, live weight, making S11.SO OF
these two broods have left nine pullets.
which weigh about four pounds each:
at the same price they would bring
S72O, equal to $40 for the whole. am
feeding one quart f corn day for every
10 fowls, old and young together. The
chickens sold were about 100 days old.
and estimating that they have consumed
on the average pint day for 10. they
have cost to feed Just 81 so, (corn being
"OAeh W SCAto u DuSIltl. ne nclS
owe me nothing on account of these
chickens, for they laid several eggs il.
the coops before they were burned ont,
and have laid every second day since,
so that they do their share well. The
chicks have therefore paid me up to the
present SIG 80, or So cents each. In
regard to this uncertain arrival
(zoologicaily considered) then, l could
tell the scientific men that spring
chicken gains its highest development
IN the neighborhood of a summer board
ing-house, and that its age varies from
two months to five years. But, seriously,
now That the summer clearinghouse is
invading the distant rural districts and
has already spread far among the farms.
Is not the business of raising spring
chickens one we'll worth the attention
of farmer who is within driving dis
lance Of one of these bottomless quits
n the disposal of eggs and poultry E?
few years ago | sold more than 400
pair Of young chickens to boarding
house near where l then lived, ut so
cents each, large and small; many of
them were ravenously seized when they
weighed but little over a pound, and
before September ] had not chick left
TO dispose of. These were the surplus
from the flock of r little more than a
hundred hens. The fact is, farmers
wAt r