The national leader., 1888-12-22
FARM NOTES

REGULATING THE TEMPERATURE.
IF the milk Is too cold for the butter
to come, or the temperature is too high
(as sometimes happens in summer). 1t
may be brought to the desired tempera-
ture by the addition of cold or warm
water. as the requirements may be,
until the proper temperature Is OBJ.
tained. The use Of q thermometor
will greatly assist In the work of churn-
ing. Some prefer to raise the temper
ature by placing the churn in tub Of
warm water. ANY mode that will raise
the temperature will answer. Rectan-
gular churns, which dash the butter
from side to side, are now largely In
use, the buttermilk being drawn off as
soon as the butter assumes the granu-
lar stage. After the buttermilk is of,
il preferred, strong solution, made
by dissolving salt In water, may be
poured into the churn and the butter
washed by again revolving the churn.
This carries off the buttermilk and
partially salts the butter.
CAUSES OF BAD BUTTER.
The improper keeping of the cream,
and allowing it to become sour while
waiting for more, and the failure TO
keep the milk and cream In some place
Of even temperature, is the cause of
nearly all poor butter. The quality of
the cream should be uniform. and no
mixing of different ages can be done
safely, No amount of working the
butter can compensate for the injury
done before churning, and every por-
tion of the work should be done speed
lily and not be made dependent on some
thing that is to follow.
ALTHOUGH no definite rule can be
laid down to be followed IN covering
seeds, it is safe enough to say that the
larger the seed the deeper the covering
seeds to a depth equal to four times the
diameter OF the seed, will not answer
in all cases. The writer's experience
would lead him to advocate greater
depth of sowing as a general rule. A
depth equal to six times the diameter
of the seed would he more suitable for
the majority Of seeds. Potato seed cut
in the usual way will give pieces vary
ing in thickness from half an inch to
an inch in thickness. According to
our rule, this seed would call for COW
ering of four and One-half lnches-a
depth which has been practically de-
mOnstrated to be the most advantage
Gus on Well-drained soils.
The same rule may be applied to most
other seeds with equally satisfactory
results. but at the same time 1t is not
held up as an infallible guide under all
circumstances and conditions. Drain
age amount Of moisture, depth of soil,
and many other conditions must be
considered by the intelligent cultivator
in deciding this question for himself.
SIMPLE REMEDY FOR THUMBS IN
HoGs.-A correspondent in Southern
Live Stock Journal gives the following
as remedy for thumps in hogs: Give
one tablespoonful of vaseline,
petroleum j lily mot carbonlzed). Re-
peat every twenty-four hours as long
as necessary. The great advantage of
the remedy, aside from its efficacy, is
the ease with which 1t is given. 1t is
a Job to drench hog, but this vaseline
slips down so easily that there Is no
time for StrangulatiOn. In extreme
cases it is best to blister under neck
and between front legs with cantharidal
collodion.
In California the eucalyptus tree is
planted for fuel, being cut down three
years after planting. The amount
realized for each acre of trees is over
5000. The trees Will thrive on nearly
all kinds of soils, and it may, perhaps,
be well adapted for fuel purposes here,
though they would require more time
for growth.
WE do not produce potatoes or beans
enough for home consumption If the
fact that such products are imported
are taken into consideration. 1t for
eigners can ship their products 5000
miles to reach us we can, with our I'M
proved machinery, on our cheaper
lands, produce more than may be re-
quired in this country.
A NEAT and well-kept farm indica-
tes that the owner is thrifty. The
manure heap is the most important
thing now. If the heap is sheltered so
as to prevent loss, ard 80 managed that
everything that can be added to 1t can
be decomposed, 1t will effect saving
and prevent filth ir the barnyard.
DISEASE OF GRAPE VINES. Tho
vine growers of the Santa Anna and
San Gabriel valleys Of California think
that new disease has attacked their
vines. They call it ''sap sour" When
attacked the vines wither and die at
once. 1t is infectious and spreads rap
idly. The best remedy thus far known
is to pull up and burn the vines the
moment they show the blight.
WHEN grain and hay crops are sold
off the land they carry away the fertili-
ty Of the farm, but when such crops
are fed to stock not only is portion of
the crop left over as manure, but
higher price is received for such crops
In the shape or beef, pork, mutton or
milk which enables the farmer to res
tore any loss of fertility by the helncreased
receipts consequent upon the keeping
of stock.
ALL smutty corn or husks should be
1>,,rpt ia hottnr RI takQ prpna M ior,