The National tribune., 1885-12-17
OUR RURE TOPICS.
Some Practical sHgsssti0ns for Our
Agricultural Readers.
REAur1FrINd HOMES.

buildings in which they cannot see profit in
dollars and cents The fact of identifying
their homes and surroundings merely for the
sake of making them attractive seems to them
ridiculous, and a waste Of labor and material.
A greater error could not be made, as few in
vestments would pay as we'll in the long run
as little money expended in making the home
beautiful Not only from a sentimental, but
also from a commercial standpoint, it is an
advantage to have ely-painted house, with
we'll kept-lawn in front, ornamented with
shade trees and surrounded by tastefully-
constructed fence. What pleasure it would
be to the weary farmer returning from his
labor in the hot fields to behold pleasant home
shaded with graceful trees and to find the air
redolent with the perfume of flowers! The
way in which he would be cheered up by such
a prospect would far more than repay any Ia
Dor he might have expended in the work of
adornment.
AS a rule farm houses are too unattractive.
There is a baroness and untidiness about them
and their surroundings which cannot fail to
repel dngy window frames, shutters tapping
about on one hinge in every breeze, broken
panes of glass patched up with newspapers or
more frequently plugged up with some cast-off
may have been grass there once, and here and
there may be found few sickly blades strug-
Cling with their more hardy neighbors, the
weeds, for an existence. But want of few
minutes labor once or twice week has caused
what is one of the most ornamental parts of o
country home to become positive eyesore.
The yard, too, is generally Uttered with old
cans, kegs, broken wneelbarrows, and almost
every species of cast-otf wear, including every
thing from shoes to old hats,
Another reason, and one which should ap-
peal to the heart of parents with more force
than either of those previously mentioned, is
that of making the home pleasant place to
the children. 1t is now only too frequently
merely looked upon as place in which to eat
and sleep, rarely as a place where recreation
and pleasure are to be found. If the home
were a more pleasant place, the boys would not
be so anxious to leave it for the city, and the
old people would not have to rely upon hired
help to run the farm when the hand of age
falls upon them.
HORNLEss CATTLE.
The horns of an animal can be destroyed in
embryo with very little pain in the following
manner: The small nubs from which the horns
will grow, which appear on acalfs head, are cut
off with a knife, SO that the embryo horns can
be cut away. This is done with great ease and
quite rapidly by the use of sharp knife. The
wound is then scared with white-hot iron,
which is not painful as the great heat deadens
the sensation, and it soon heals. The horn is
destroyed and it's growth prevented. Consider
ing the great danger of injury from the horns
Of cattle this operation is a necessary one, and
as it is less painful than that of docking lambs
tails, and far less painful than castratiOn, any
person who objects to it may be thought more
nice than wise. GsrHh
NoTELETs.
A farmer writing to an exchange says: Il
had mare some years ago that had large
wart on her side, where the harness rubbed and
kept it sore. In Summer, flies made it worse.
To prevent this put on a good daub of tar.
and in few weeks the wart was killSd and
disappeared. l have frequently tried it since
on cattle and horses and seldom had an occa-
sion to use second application. The remedy
is simple and efiectual." 80
- Don't forget that all fowls are without
teeth, and must be supplied with sand and
gravel in order to carry on the work of grind
ing the food.
Let neatness adorn all parts of the home
surroundings before Winter comes in.
of the 300.000000 eggs annually used in
Paris every one is inspected by being held be-
fore a candle. Rotten ones are thrown into a
vat which is empticd daily. Those spotted "
and unfit for food are sold to manufacturers,
who extract their albumen and other chemical
ingredients.
An English settler in Calcasieu Parish, La,
has given good example to others in the way
of profitably diversifying crops. From native
grasses on prairie lands he has made,and ship
ped to New Orleans prime quality OF baled
hay at profit.
1t is many years since we first published
the mode of attaching labels to bearing trees
without wires, and by which they would re-
tain their places as the trees grow, without
cutting into the bark and without any care on
the part of the owner-effected by simply coil
ing one end of a strip of sheet zinc around a
side limb, the zinc expanding as the branch
grows. The other end of the zinc is written
on with common black lead pencil, the name
remaining distinct for many years.-Const1y
Gentleman.
The importance of lime as plant food to
be supplied by its use as fertilizer, may be
perceived by the following figures: In 25 BUSH
els of oats there are 8 pounds of lime; in 80
bushels of barley, Is pounds; in two tons of
clover hay, 35 pounds; in % tons of turnips,
140 pounds; in $50 bushels of potatoes, 270
pounds. An occasional application of lime in
a caustic or soluble condition is extremely use
full, not only to soils that contain no lime, but
also In most cases, to those commonly called
limestone soils.-Ne,p York Times.
-Geraniums may be placed in paper bags
and kept hung up in the cellar. For this pur-
pose select the latest day before killing frost.
| Good, tough MANILA bags are best, though we
| have used common newspapers. Dig up the
| plants with little soil adhering to tho roots,
put them in bags. hang them to the rafters of
any place where frost will not penetrate and
which is not artfically heated While they
will live in higher temperature, they make
sickly growth during Winter, which weak
| ems the plants. Fuchsias may also be kept the
| same way. The older the stems are the better.
Prairie Farmer.
- The Seckel pear originated near Philadel-
| phia before the Revolution. A noted sports
man, known as Ouch Jacob" used to bring
home every Fall some small but delicious pears,
declining to tell anybody where he procured
them. About that period the London Land
| Company, which owned some land below the
| city, made sale, and " Dutch Jacob" purchased
| the lot upon which his peer tree stood. 1t af-
| terward became the property of Mr. Secke
| and as he permitted nurserymen to take CRAFTS
and buds from the tree, they gave the fruit his
| name.
- Board, plank, or stone walks between the
house, barn, well, and other prominent points
about the place will save great amount OF
vexation and work to, the women folks IN pre-
venting dirt being carried into the house
Look at such matters more from their point OF
| view.
By sowing bushel Of salt to the acre. q
| Fayette County Mo. farmer believes he has
| succeeded in keeping his average of 20 bushels
| of wheat to the acre maintained for years.
|
| Help to Good Digestion.
| In the British Medical Journal DR.. w. Roberts,
of England, discusses the effect of liquors, tea,