The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-09-29
The bee does not deface your fields by

domest animals; it does not mar the
garden plants or levy taxes on your
grain. Bees differ from the whole in
sect world. No tree, shrub, plant or
flower is il. .ured by their presence.
Green smartweed rubbed briskly on
neck, sides, and other exposed parts of
cows or horses will keep flies from at
tacking them. To be effect lal the rub
bing should be given twice day, but it
will repay this trouble. Smartweed can
be found on most farms, and is valuable
enough for this purpose to claim the
room it occupies.
J. N. Peed, Of Jasper, Mo-, had 120
acres of corn adjoining a wheat field
which had been dcvasted by chinch
bugs. He p.owed a trench around the
corn field, and for fourteen days hauled
log through the trench, aid thus saved
the corn. The bugs thronged into the
trench by millions, but they never got
out. The log did the business.
Keeping down the weeds will not be
the only gain to come from thorough
hoeing. by having layer of finely pull.
verized soil at the surface, evaporation
of moisture will be prevented during the
day, while absorption will go on through
the night. After every heavy rain the
soil of the garden should be gone orel
with hoe or rake to prevent crusting.
The Scientific american is right when
it says: "Nothing will purify and keep
stable so free from odors as the free
use of dry earth, and every one keeping
horses or cattle will find that it pays te
keep it on hand, to be used daily. A
few shovelfuls of Garth scattered oTel
the floor after cleaning will render the
air of the apartment pure and whole
some."
1t is the greediest COWS, and these are
always the b;st, which are most apt to
choke with fallen fruit. Even they are
not liable to injury if not fed whep
ravepously hungry aud given plenty oi
time. 1t is ma My the haste with which
fruit surreptitiously obtained is swal.
lowed that induces danger. If cow is
choking distend her mouth with some
solid substance, and then with the hand
remove the obstruction.
The rakings of wheat, oats and rye
are not often worth threshing, at least
to mix with the good grain. As good
plan as any is to put these by themselves
and feed in the straw to fowls. Feed il
in a clean place, and the exercise Of
scratching among the straw for scatter.
ing grain will keep the fowls healthy. In
whole grain hens gorge themselves by
eating too rapidly. This may be good
way to fatten them, but is not the best
for egg production.
Small unripc potatoes and potato par
ings are often nuisance to the house
wife. They are often given to the cows,
but are poor feed for milk. In fact,
raw potato, and especially if unripe, is
poor food for anything. If cooked they
make very fair summer food for pigs, and
with the addition Of little meal will
fatten them rapidly. The potato parings
are much better than the small potatoes.
There is more of the nutriment of the
potato in and near the skin than in the
centre.
1t is impossible to give cucumber vines
too much water, provided it is warmed
and given at evening, so that it will soak
into the soil during the night. Early
next morning cover the surface as far as
wet with dry earth to retain evaporation.
The greatest point in keeping cucumber
vines productive is to keep the fruit
picked very closely, One over-grown
cucumber will exhaust the vine more than
a dozen pickle. Cut the fruit off ratte
than pull it off. This prevents breaking
the fruit around the stem, which will
inevitably cause rot.
1t is desirable in keeping pigs in Or
chards to have them in as many lots as
possible. This is especially true when
sows with litters of pigs constitute the
stock. Movable pig pens, made so as to
be taken apart and put together again,
not only accomplish this Object, but en-
able the owner to thoroughly fertilize
different parts After the pigs have been
kept under one tree week or so, remove
them and their pen to another. In this
way the thrift of both trees and pigs is
made CO. tain. Only the sows need be
confined. The small pig, may be given
free range to pick up fallen fruit until
they gradually wean themselves.
In hot weather the droppings of ami
mails confined in stables fermcnt very
quickly, and therefore absorbents are
ncc"ssa y, not only to save waste of
fertilizers, but for the comfort and health
of animals. Something is wanted, not
merely to hold liquid excrement from
waste, but to absorb its odors. Straw
makes good bedding, bit it is next to
worthless for this purpose. Dry earth
is the best absorbent, and it may b, got
anywhere on much-traveled roads, and
in the country from fields. When re-
turned d to the field, as it should be, the
dry earth will be found an ex x:ellent fer
tilizer A very thin covering Of earth is
enough, and the manure may be. scrapcd
in helps so as to leave smaller surface
to cover. Coal a,hcs will answer the
sam: purpose, but are not so good as dry
earth