Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-04-26
AGRICULTURE.

An EXPERIMENT IN SOAP MAKING. For
q barrel OF cold-msde soft-soap, take II
pounds Of potash, fourteen pounds OF grease
and thirty-two gallons of soft water. Fro
cure forty gallon cask, with soft wood
slaves and wooden hoops, and place In II
the potash, first broken into pieces the size
of an egg; add twenty gallons of water,
and stir with wooden plunger two or =
times day until the potash is dissolved;
then melt the grease In the remaining IL
gallons Cf boiling water, and pour into the
cask, and STIR two or three times daily. Ii
made IN midsummer, the conversion OF the
material into soap will be completed In a
week or ten days, but in cooler weather q
longer time VIII be necessary. and at the
freezing point the chemical action would
be nearly suspended. Soft soap made &C.
cording to these directions resembles In
consistence cold jelly more than anything
else; It's colcr on the smooth settled surface
beng that of finished bird's-eye maple,
with the ey es plsin to sight. Ii will not
taint in the hottest weather, or separate,
but remains q yed until consumed. II those
having grease accumulated, and are doubt
full about the strength of the lye resulting
from Gbe woodashes they have saved for
the occasson, will procure the true potash
of commerce, they will fad such q course
the cheapest and the best way. But wCrd
of caution-be sure il Is the true potash OF
commerce. That put up in tin or sheet
iron cases is not potash at all, and will not
do-the article referred 10 being that quo
ted in the commercial papers under the
head of pot and pearl ashes" Ii can be
had from dealers in drugs and chemicals
who understand their business.
CATTLE POINTS. A steady, frosty win-
ter is better than an open one for feeding
cattle An average two or three year old
steer will eat his own weight, Of d ferent
material IN two weeks. Two or three year
old cattle will eat oue-third of a pound
more per head per dav to their weight upon
the same materials unprepared. 1t is 30
per cent. more profitable 10 premature and
dispose OF fatIening cattle at two years old
than TO keep them up to three years
There is no loss in feeding q cattle beast
well upon variety of materials for the sake
of manure alone. Far-A yard manure from
well fed cattle three years old, is worth an
average of So 80 per ton. A three year
old cattle beast, well fed. will give at least
ton OF manure every north of winter
No cattle beast whatever will pay for the
Girect increase to It's weight from the con-
sumption of any kIpd or quality of food.
On an average it costs l3 cents for every
additional pound Of flesh added to the
weight of two or three year old fattening
steer. In this country the market value OF
store cattle can be increased 81 per cent
during six months of flashing by good
feeding. In order to secure safe pre- fit,
no cattle beast well done can be sold at less
than 4 cents per pound, live weight. In
the fatienIng of wethers, to faish at she.-
teripg, the Cotswod and Leicester grades
can be made up 10 $50 pounds, and the
Southdown grades 160 pounds each (lighi
weigLD. Apparently shout one-fith of
ground corn passes through the cattle beast
undigested.