Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-08-29
FARM AND FIhEsIDE.

FARM AND FIhEsIDE.
OILING WAGON WHEELs.-A well
made wheel will endure constant wear
from ten to twenty-five years, if care is
taken to use the right kind and proper
amount of grease, but if this matter is not
attended to 1t will be used up in five or six
years. Lard should never be used On a
wagon, for it will penetrate the hub and
work its way out around the lemons of the
spokes and wheel. Tallow is the best
lubricator for wooden axle trees and cas-
tor oil for iron hubs, but many Of the pre-
sent axle greases are also excellent, and
have the merit of being cheaper and easier
to handle. just grease enough should be
applied to the spindle of wagon to give
it slight coating. This is better than
more, for the surplus put on will work
out at the ends and be forced by the
shoulder bands and nut washer into the
hub around the outside of the boxes. To
oil an iron axle tree, first wipe the spindle
clean with piece of cloth wet with spirits
of turpentine, and then apply few drops
of castor oil near the shoulder and end.
one teaspoonful is sufficient for the whole.
A BAD PRACTICE.-The time is coming
when the shepherd will 60 through the
old-time farce of washing his sheep in a
muddy pond or brook, with the alleged
purpose of cleaning the wool. I have
known farmers to spend day in the wa
ter up to their waists at this WORK, and
drive the wet sheep home mile or more
over dusty road, supposing the wool was
washed. The wool buyer knows when
wool is clean and when it is not, and does
not have wool drawn over his eyes. But,
as rule, the one-third deducted from the
the loss made in washing, so the advan-
tage is usually in favor of the unwashed
fleces. Then the labor and the colds and
the rheumatism which follow this barbar-
GUS practice are not even compensated by
one hard-earned cent per pound. If one
eoizl wash his wool. let him scour it or tub
wash it, and do it well. But the manu-
facturers would rather scour their OWE
wool.-Rurdl Neeo Yorker.
A USEFUL FRUrT.-The pomegranate
is delicious fruit, which is said to fur
nish tor the sick-room the finest acid
known-superior to that of the lemon. 1t
makes also wholesome summer beverage,
and the seeds, Invested of the filament
which separates their congeries, are not to
be despised if properly prepared for the
table. In urging the cultivation of this
fruit, a Georgia authority says that an
acre planted in pomegranates Is by 10,
would contain 315 trees, and this would
average in four years fifty to the tree,
making total to the acre of $3.50 pome-
granates, and these, at four cents piece,
would yield yearly income of $3.50 to the
acre of trees. These trees, attaining age,
will yield as the one named above.
IT IS TIME to begin to force the pigs a
little, if intended for early killing. There
will now be much refuse on the farm and
in the garden that may be given to them.
Small potatoes, apples, green corn, corn
stalks, cabbage leaves, weeds, any or all
will be greedily eaten, and with little
good grain, and not too much Stops while
they have the green food, will keep them
growing and thriving and fit them well
to take on the fat month or two later.
1t is usually the early killed pork, especi-
oil liz of rnin vuoll foft inhi
about 200 or $50 pounds, that commands
the highest price in markets.
A WORD ABOUT BEDs.-People in
health ought to sleep on not-too-soft
mattress. The feather bed is not by any
means healthy one, nor, unless it be put
under the mattress, is it one that is con-
ducive to sleep. The bed clothes should
never be heavy, but they ought to be warm.
An eider-down quilt is capital thing, but
it is too hot for the summer months. Pa
per quilts can now be had, and they are
very excellent in their way. The pillows
on bed should be particularly we'll ar
ranged for comfort. One ought to be
very large so as to quite support the
shoulders, and it should be elastic and not
too yielding; it is an uncomfortable feel
ing, that of sinking in pillow.
EARTH UPON THE CELERY.-ThiS
should be done as fast as it grows in order
to get it to blanch we'll. Above all things
allow no soil to get into the heart in earth
ing, as the crown is apt to rot from this.
THE eagerness with which cattle and
sheep seek shade from the midsummer
sun, should lead US to plant shade trees
and otherwise provide shelter for them in
the fields.
EXPERIMENTS have shown that potatoes
of the same seasons's maturity, cannot be
made to sprout and grown by being plan
ted later.
RAMSEY is named among the certain