The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-19
HOME, FARM AND RANCH.
miscellaneous Notes.


Grape mildew is said to be best |
treated by busting with sulphur.
Wire rope must not be coiled or I'M
coiled like hemp rope. When mounted
on a reel the latter should be turned
on a spindle to pay off the rope.
When forwarded in coil without
reel. roll it over the ground like
wheel and run off the rope in that
way. All untwisting must be
avoided.
To prevent the skin from discolor-
ing after a blow or fall, take little
dry starch or arrowroot, and merely
moisten it with cold water, and lay it
on the injured part. This must be
done Immediately, so as to prevent
the action of the air upon the skin.
However, it may be applied some
hours afterward with effect.
1t is practice among gardeners
when lepotting plants to pack the
earth very tightly about the roots.
The gardeners reason for this is the
fact that loose soil acts as sponge
to retain too much water, while a
very compact soil will hold little more
than the plant needs. This is "a wise
precaution to guard against over
watering.
Every one will acknowledge rat
to be nuisance about house or barn,
but few people realize how much a
colony of rats will devour or de-
Stroy in year, or how rapidly they in
crease when unmolested. 1t may be
well to know that if coal tar is daubed
about their holes, SO that they cannot
pass without getting it on their fur,
fhaNy xraru aeon Hacart tha rIapp
The more finely pulveriZed any
manure is made the more efficient it
will be. But if the pulverizing is
accomplished by fermentation care
must be taken to prevent the loss of
the valuable volatile elements. Gov
ering the compost heaps with sods
when the heap is rotted down the
earth will be as rich in nitrogen as
the manure.
Sheep often go long time without
drinking, especially If i'll "A good pas
ture, and the dews are heavy so that
they can fill up with wet GRASS iii the
morning, but when they do Want to
drink, water is as necessary for their
health and comfort as to that of any
other animals. Therefore, keep Il
supply of pure water in the sheep
pastures as much as in any other, and
If the sheep do not drink from it,
give them little salt once week.
They should have salt once week
under any circumstances.
The very best thing to make a belt
hold well is can OF good neats-foot
oil, applied often enough to make it
soft and pliable. This will never
glaze over, and the belt will work
alike every day and not give out.
This is what is called the natural and
proper treatment of belt. There
are great many that make it point
to keep a dish of rosin at hand, and
every little while use it to make the
belt do what it ought to do without
rosin. 1t makes things snap for a
while, but it soon glaZes over, and in
the end is worse than nothing.
When house plants become weak
and unhealthy they should generally
be repotted into clean pots, with fresh
provision for good drainage.
If planes are kept vigorous there is
little danger of their being attacked
by insects, svch as aphis and mealv
bug. A German florist has been ex-
perimenting in regard to using hot
water as means of restoring slckly
plants 1t is his theory that acids in
the soil cause the unhealthy condi-
ton, and that hot water will dissolve
and wash away the acids. He applied
water heated to 145 degrees with very
beneficial results. He first loosened
the earth little, and then poured on
the water until it ran through the
bottom freely This practice has been
followed by other growers with good
results.