The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-01-14
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
MARKING PROPERTY.

MARKING PROPERTY.
Almost every farmer has been loser to some
extent from being unfortunate enough to live
in the neighborhood of borrowers. Some peo-
pie are continually running to him for plow,
a shovel, spade, a singetree, a few grain sacks,
and almost every one of the numerous minor
implements and articles used about the farm
Most thrifty farmers generally have more Of
these things on hand than are required for use
at any one time, although seldom more than
may atany time become useful as a reserve force,
on account Of losses or putting to work larger
force, as an emergency may arise. A neigh
Dor comes to borrow something, and the parti-
cular article not being in use at that time, he
usually gets it, The lender may not feel the
need of the loaned implement for some time,
and then not infrequently it is difficult to
identify it, thus causing in many instances loss
and not seldom quarrels.
A very effective way of preventing this would
be for every farmer to have stencil plate with
his name and residence cut in it, so that he may
plainly mark all bags, blankets, robes and boxes
with it; also, brand with which he can burn
HiS udille lntO tHc VI HOeS SUOVSiS anu
TOOLS Then if he is blessed with a borrowing
neighbor the sight of the name may remind the
borrower to return the tool before he has worn
it out. At least there will be less danger of his
thinking he OWNS it because he has had it so
long that he has forgotten how he came by it,
A still more effective way, however, would
be to refuse to loan in the first instance, but
few men like to do this, although every pros
annually from neighbor who is always short
of something, and wants spade just for a
day or two; Will return 1t in perfect Order!"
DESTROYING GRAssHoPPERs.
One of the largest farmers in Nebraska who
has been a heavy loser from the ravages of
grisshoppers, claims to have fonnd the follow
ing an effective means of destroying these pests
The plan seems fairly plausible, but fraught, VIC
think, with some danger from the likelihood OF
the fire spreading. This could, however, be OBJ
waited toa great extent by choosing a damp day
on which to try the experiment. g After trying
many methods for driving away or killing the
grasshOppers / finally tried sulphur smoke and
it proved a decided success. The remedy is
simply this: Take hay, straw, or rubbish, and
dump it Oft in forkfuls about a rod apart over
the field on the windward side. Next sprinkle
from Ono-fourth to half pound of sulphur on
each pile and in the evening set the contents on
fire. About shutdown the air being sufficiently
heavy to keep the smoke down close to the
ground, the wind will roll it all over the field.
The smoke will scent everything growing upon
the field to such an extent that grasShOppers
viii never come there again during the season
that tho sulphur is applied. l tried this
method for three seasons in succession when
the graSshopperS Swarmed i'll myriadS from the
Rocky Mountains, and it always proved sue
ccssful The fourth time applied the sulphur
smoke the troublesome insects had been Matched
upon the field and had cut Oft the crop of wheat
clear to the roots but after being smoked they
disturbed nothing further. For about so acres
of land, from 40 to so pounds of sulphur are
required"
PURE WATER FOR HOGS.
The hog is the only animal kept on the farm
without some provision for a regular supply of
pure water. And when this is considered it
seems strange that there is not more disease
among swine than there is. A drink of clear
water has the effect to cleanse the system OF
many impurities and pass them off in the secre-
lions, and if hog is deprived of water en-
tirely, or limited to what he can extract from
the Stops, which are already saturated with
filth, and obliged to wallow in filth and sleep
in dust how can his system be healthy or his
flesh fit for food? The comfort of the animal
should not be overlooked, and no animal is
comfortable that is suffering with thirst and
sour milk and greasy dishwater and salt Stops
are not drink.
An exchange gives the following excellent
arrangement whereby plenty of clean water
may be kept at all times in the hog lot or pen :
STAND barrel of water in square box or pan
three inches deep. small hole bored in the
barrel near the bottom hoop will let the water
into the box only as fast as the hogs drink out
of the four corners Of the box. When hogs stop
the drinking the water stops running. The
hogs can't make the water unciean, and can't
waste it. or course, it is understood that both
barrel and box must be watertight. The appli-
cation of the principle can be enlarged for cattle
or reduced for the poultry yard"
THE MANURE HEAP.
One of the most senseless and yet common
practices on the farm is to throw the manure
from the stable through window, and there
leave it month after month to rot the building
and sicken the animals occupying it. The stable
refuse should either be Carted right ont to the
fields or else stacked some distance from the
building.
wAGoN-WHEELs.
Many farmers think that as soon as wagon
felloes begin to shrink they must go at once to
a blacksmith shop and get the tire set. Instead
of doing that, (Which is often a damage to the
wheels, causing them to dish,) if they will get
some linseed oil and heat it boiling hot and
give the felloes all the oil they can take it will
fill them up to their usual size and tighten to
Keep them from shrinking, anu also 10 keep out
the water.
NOTELETs
The breast collar differs from the usual
neck collar worn by working horses in bearing
less on the shoulder. 1t is more suitable for
light work and driving on the road in single
harness than for heavy loads. But it is often
handy to have a breast cellar with extra wide
breast piece to work horses in should their
shoulders begin to be CALLED with their usual
harness. If this is done, great care must be
exercised, as the new collar will bear on a
place that has probably not been toughened by
uSe
- Barley ground into meaD and potatoes
are recommended as u most excellent food for
making sweet and healthful pork; the potatoes
being first boiled, and the barley meal added to
the hot water with the potatoes, and all mashed
together, so as to make thick mush. To this
might be added as much buttermilk, or skinned
milk, as can be appropriated to this use, which
is one of the best aud most profitable ways of
| utilizing it. ia
A correspondent of the Westera Rural
claims to have discovered, by the aid of a pow
erful microscope, the carse Of the disease known
as potato scab. He finds the liquid portion of
a scabby potato swarming with living organ
isms microbes, but whether as cause or effect
he is as yet uncertain. He believes salt par
| tial preventive, and that rank green manures
invite the disease.
- This is how, it is said, the Germans get
rid of rats A mixture of two parts of we'll
hruiSad SQuills and threa rts nf