The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1890-08-23
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.
HOUSEHOLD AND ACRICUL.
TURAL TOPICS DISCUSSED.
Budget of Useful Information Relating
tn the Farm, Orchard, Stable, Parlor and
Kitchen.
THE FARM.
Shrinkase OF Hay in the Now.

usually drawn from the field, suggested
to the chemist OF the Kansas Expert
ment Station the propriety of making
some observations on the subject. Ac-
cordingIy, says the Farmers ReUie,C,
as opportunity presented, thirteen
samples of hay We're secured for the
purpose.
The plan of the experiment was to fill
a bag Of very thin muslin with the hay
while il was being hauled from the field,
and TO bury it in a NOW of hay aad leave
it until the whole was certainly air dry,
when the bag was to be weighed and its
per cent. of loss or gain determined.
Accompanying this, and as IA necessary
part of the experiment. determination
was made Of the total amount of water
in the hay al the time it was hauled in
and the sample taken: and also that yet
contained in it at the conclusion Of the
experiment.
The thirteen samples were as follows:
No. /, blue grass: 5. orchard grass and
clover: 4, millct; ), ditto: Is, clover hay;
!. prairie hay: s. 9, 10. IL, II. and ID,
ditto. The samples were buried at dates
ranging from June to Aug. Q, and
eleven of them were taken out on the
18th day of December. The first samples,
therefore. were kept in the NOW for a
period of almost six months, while the
shortest time any was kept was four
months. The samples were weighed put
into the NOW and again when taken out,
and from the difference between these
two weights the gain or loss was calcu-
lated. Nos. /, >, 3. and showed loss
as follows: No. /, 5.1l per cent: No. ,
1906 per cent; No. 3, 9.o1 per cent: No.
4, 14.25 per cent: No. 6, Glover showed
a gain of 2.11 per cent. The samples of
prairie hay showed an average loss OF 3
per cent
Commenting on these results the re-
port says: ..EXcepting Nos. /, >. 3, and
l3, the loss is too tritling to be of mo-
mcnt. Even in these excepted cases the
Shrinkage is much less than many sup
pose. No. lost 10 per cent. This
means that ton of the hay as hauled iii
would weigh only 1.sOO pounds in the
winter, and that if a ton Of this hay
weighed in mid-winter is worth 81, the
ton weighed at the same time the sample
was buried would have been worth $3.50.
This is worth considering, but in most
eases the loss is much less than this
In two eases the sample weighed more
when taken out than when put in. II Is
nothing more than might be expected
that a very hot sun and brisk, dry wind
would 50 dry out the hay that it would
absorb moisture from the air, when
placed III a barn.
The conclusion to be drawn from
these rusults is, that if the hay is not
obviously green and ill-cured no great
shrinkagc need be feared, aud there is no
great loss in weight from drying. In
case the hay is coarse or has many large
stems. greater care and time are obviously
required in curing it.
Farm Notes
THE manure Of cows is better than
that of horses for general crop purposes.
TIE egg production of America is
equal iii money value to the entire pro-
IGction of iron.
THE price of good cattle has steadily
increased, and there is prospect Of profit
in cattle raising.
BREEDING ewes should not be allowed
to get poor in any season in ti0c<S where
mutton is the chief basis Of profit.
TuEPENrlNE added to tobacco decor-
tiom. in the proportion Of a tablespoonful
al
scab in sheep.
"EpucATIoN,' says the fndianu
Farmer, lis learning 10 observe and
think. That's the education every
farmers boy should get.
THERE are eighteen establishments in
the town Of IEammontown. y. j.. several
Of which are run by women) where the
raising of chickens for broilcrS is reduced
to science, and made profitable. The
chicks arr Matched artitieiaIly. and raised
under breeders. and finished off for mar
ket at the age of ten weeks.
BRITISH exchanges report that most
stringent law for the repression of frauds
in the manure trade has just gone into
operation in France. As long ago as
February. 1883. a law was passed by the
legislature cnacting that any one found
guilty of selling adultcratcd manurrs
should lie punished by imprisonment of
from six days To one month, together
with Il fine.
The time to be soIicitouS about the
growth of young farm animals is now.
and all the time until maturity The
idea that young stock can protitably be
kept on refuse fodder all winter. in a
bleak barnyard. OF on poor and scant
pasture in summer. is Silly-about as
silly as ii is to suppose that Congress and
State Legislatures will lcgislatc i'll the
interest of farmers when the latter vote
the regular" ticket at each election.
without question.
4 COLONY system has been introduced
into Southern California which attracts
favorable attention. Tracts of land are
laid ont in small holdings and appor-
toned among a body of immigrants. who.
upon arrival. find everything ready for
work. \ body Of coloniSts from Holland
who arrived not long ago at MERGED
found houses huilt and gardens and or
chards arranged. more than two thou
sand acres having been planted with
fruit trees and vines, and fifteen English
families were established a few weeks
ago ut Bakersfield. in Kern County, each
receiving a forty-acre holding similarly
GoLpEN-Rop honey. when free from
admNturc with any other kind of honey.
i OF peculiarly bright straw color
rather thin in texture. and has a flavor
when first gathered decidedly resembling
4 weak detection Of the plant. and il is
a little inclined to granuIate a. any
other honey with which am acquainted,
says a correspondent i'm the imcictta
Bee ioHfHnf. | have had il remain
liquid YEAR or more, but it is not often
that NJ. can gel ii free from mixture with
Other honey. because honcsct. wild
cCiandiue, Wild asfrrS. etc. all bloom
about the sam" time with goldcu-rod.
Honey from wild a>terS will granulatc
IN 4 very short time. whether i'm the