The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-03-26

selling Il clip not so,good." The buyer,
however, never peeps 10 the grower
about the good quality of his wool. II
the owner knows what good wool is, he
can generally get IFS full value.
Some agricultural journals are advis-
ing the feeding of potatoes rs furnishing
bulk. The advice is fallacious. The
bulk they furnish is about fifteen parts
to 100 of water. Potatoes are nearly all
starch. II is cheaper to the western
farmer TO furnish this through Indian
corn. Raw potatoes are coating to the
system, but liable to produce flatulence.
A Pennsylvania f,a mer is reported to
have sold last year over $4,000 worth of
potatoes from twelve acres. He ferti-
lied with Il compost of hardwood ashes
and oyster-shell lime, plowed deep,
planted medium-sizcd, well-formed, un-
cut potatoes, three feet apart, gave level
cultivation and cultivated often. From
one hill he took thirty-One fine, large
tubers.
Prof. Lazenby has shown by expert
| ments that the average temperature on
bare ground is several degrees higher
than OH mulched soft, th@Igh lit must
not be inferred that liiulching straw
berries is an injudicious or even an un-
necessary practice. But in relation to
this it must be remembered that the
temperature of mulched ground is
equable. II is sudden changes of tenn
perature and alternate freezing and
thawing that injure plants.
Tobacco refuse, says the Gardeners
Monthly, like the stems, is powerful
and quick-acting fertilizer, particularly
| rich in mineral elements, and ut the
same time distasteful to insects. Used
literally as mulch for gooseberries and
currant-bushes, it generally protects them
from the attacks of the troublesome
worm. Applied in the same way around
squash and other vines in the garden,
it has tendency to keep the striped
bug and the squash-bOrer at bay.
Those who have the care of stock
should keep close watch of the habits
and appearance of every animal under
their charge, and the moment one is
found Indifferent TO its feed, place it at
One-fourth allowance at once. Ii the
appetite is not improved within TWEEN
ty-fOur hours. il is a pretty sure in
dication that it is case of sickness of
some form, and unless the herdsman is
well skilled in the treatment of diseases
some competent person Of experience
should be called in at once.
The London Gazette gives the follow
ing receipt for making cream cheese:
Take quart of cream. or If not desired
very rich, add thereto one pint of new
milk. Warm il in hot water till about
ninety-eight degrees, add tablespoon
full of rennet, let it stand till thick, then
break it slightly with spoon and place
it in frame in which you have previ-
ously put fine canvas cloth. press it
slightly with weight, let il stand few
hours, then put finer cloth in the
frame; little powdered salt may be
put over the cloth. Ii will be fit for use
in day or two.
Mr.. j. j. Thomas. the well-known
horticultural OF New York State, says:
1t is not necessary to wait long for fruit
trees to bear, if carly-bearing varieties
are selected and good cultivation is
given them. In single garden apple
trees of the fifth year from setting out
yielded a bushel each, peach trees the
third summer bore three pecks, and a
Bartlett pear tree gave peck of superb
fruit in two years from planting. In all
these, and other equally successful in
stances the treatment was not better
than that which every good farmer gave
to his carrots, and potatoes, and other
field crops.