The bee., 1883-05-05
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD,

A valuable COW, owned Uy Benjamin
Kirk, the vii age blacksmith of Locust
Valley, L. J.. died suddenly. A post
mortem examination revealed the fact
that The animal had quantity of
horseshoe nails in her stomach. One
of the nails had forced its Eay to the
heart and imbeddcd the point about
halt an inch in that organ.
It will pay to screen ashes .rcn.~
done better with fine gravel screen,
and be done very rapidly, too Ifthere
is not large quantity, il can be done
by the usual hand sieve in barrel with
cover. Use the fine ashes as an alb
soIbent for liquid manure, to mix in
manure heaps to prevent heating, to put
around peach trees, 10 plow into light
lands TO change their texture, and other
uses. The coarse psrt or clinkers can
be used for road-making, for walks, to
fill holes, etc. The coal should be
picked out and burned.
A movement is on foot in Texas TO
accomplish what far-seeing men have
long urged as an agricultural necessity
of the futl re. 1t is to put an end to the
absorption Of small farms into large
ones. Smaller farms within the work
ing ability of the average farmer and
more of them is the reform desired.
The farmers Of Harrison county, Texas,
propose to divide their large planta-
tions into small farms, and to offer
them to actual settlers on the INSTALL
ment plan, believing such action will
soon convert idle lands into profitable
farms and fill up the country with
thrifty taxpayers.
Ii is well when one has to Suy seeds
TO order them early before the seedsmen
get busy, and especially so If they are to
come from a considerable distance.
Nearly all the seedsmen' publish cata-
logues which they are very willing to
sepd to such as will make good use of
them, and from these one may make
such selection as he needs for farm or
garden. 1t is better always to deal only
with reliable men, those VINO mean to
be honest and deal fairly. Mistakes will
often occur and disappointments come
with the best OF men, but they are re-
duced to minimum when only relisble
men are sought after. Try new things
rather sparingly. Hold fast the good
old ones. Every man who can, should
raise his own seeds and then he knows
what he has got and will be reasonably
sure of good crop.
It is said to be almost impossible for
persons who are not experts to detect
the difference between oleomargarine
and dairy butter. Oleomargarine j.
larder and frmer than butter usually,
will not melt in hot water with equal
readiness. 1t looks and tastes like but
fer, however, ard is undoubtedly eate n
as such by thousands of fastidious peo-
pie. That it is often vile In compost
tion we are assured by those who have
enjoyed opportunities of testing it. A
quantity was recently sent to the Office
OF the Western Rural, and the manager
of that journal had it subjected to mi
croscopic examination. 1t was discov.
cred to be filthy to the last degree and
swarming with living animalcul@. The
verdict rendered was that il was the
foulest mess ever set before human be-
ings for consumption.
Two facts concerning sorghum, which
were made known by Prof Silliman in
addressing a recent meeting of the So
ciety known as the ''New York Farm
ers," will surprise those readers who
are conversant only with the modern
American record of the plant. One is.
that its antiquity is greater than that of
almost any other plant, its history hav.
ing been traced farther back than that
of either wheat or barley. Prof. Silliman
also stated, on the authority OF the gov
crnor general of the presidency of Ben
gal, that sorghum is The staple food of
the inhabitants of India instead of rice,
which has been commonly supposed to
hold that place. 1t appears that whereas
only 100000 of Hiudoos along the
coast live ON rice, 300,000,000 in the
interior subsist mainly on sorghum. The
Increasing value of sorghum in this
country was shown by the fact that it
could be grown in every part of the
Union, and that the methods of extract.
ing the laice had been brought to such
perfection as to render them DO less
reliable than the processes for trea ing
sugar-cane. Among the errors In the
culture and handling of sorghum which
had been ascertained and corrected, the
professor mentioned that of harvesting
it before perfect maturity, and also the
practice of allowing it to lie for days OF
weeks after cutting before it was put
through the mill, whereas this should
be done within twelve hours after gath
ering. Commissioner Loring, on the
same occasion, said that last year there
was made from sorghum in this country
only $4,000 pounds of sugar aud 49,
100000 gallons of molasses, while from
sugar-cane the product was 273, 00G,0 600
pounds of sugar and Is, ,000,00 gallons
of molasses. 1t was his belief, however,
that the real value of the sorghum crop
was at last becoming known, although
much work still remained to be done in
promoting its cultivation.
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