The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-01-21
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
POSTAL CARD CORRESPONDENTS
KEEPING ONES HELP ON THE FARM.


believe that the one thing which farmers
should study above all others is that Of trying
to keep their help with them permanently.
try to employ married men, aud furnish them
with homes, and little patch Of ground for
garden. By treating them decently, they
make my interest their interest, and their care
of my stock and machinery more than repays
the first cost Of such help over that Of transient
laborers When extra work is necessary they
are ready to do ii, aud get compensation by of
days when work is not pressing would like
to hear from other farmers through THE Ma
TToNAL TRIBUNE "a TO their practices in deal
ing with the labor problem. T. ELLwooD,
Bodine, o.
ALL cRoP-RAIsISG II NOT FARMING.
Farmers mako n great mistake in trying 10
sell too much off their farms To sell of $50
worth Of fertiIiEing material and then replace
ii with $50 worth Of patent fertilizers, bought
at the store, is not business, any moro than il ia
to sell for 500 something that has cost $50 to
Of the same kind Of brains as il does to run
factory, store or railroad. The farmer must
consider his farm rs a manufacturer does his
machinery. Nature supplies him with raw
materials to work up, and he must constantly
| figure, and that very closely, to see that the
cost of production leaves him good margin
under the selling price.-L. d. LITTLEFIED,
Castro, Ne.
A THRIFTY MARYLANDER.
| I believe that can raise wheat on these old
: lands here in Maryland as proftably as my
brothers can who arc tilling the virgin lands
of South Dakota. Il is true that my lands cost
moro than theirs did pay higher taxes, and
fertilizers are no small expense. But try to
make an acre produce more than they can. I
am 500 miles nearer market, and so save some
thing in railroad rates and the commissions Of
middlemen and get good price for my straw,
when want to sell il, which is not always, as
find straw stacks very profitable things to
keep on farm. Every year manage to in
crease the product per acre. and am now firt-
ing around an average of 30 bushels per acre,
where some ofmy neghbOrs complain that they
cannot got above eight, except in very good
years.-M. G. GpoDALE, Frederick, Nd.
HOG RAISER.
take kindly to hog-rAising as a speciality,
and can report that make a good deal Of
4 vnoroy mt Of tEa b,,g;,,o.s 49, -. 81 49,
out. Idon't get discouraged when pork is low,
but keep right on, and when pork gets high, as
il is sure 70 do in the years Immediately fol-
lowing those when low prices have driven
many faint-hearted men out of tho business,
have plenty TO sail, and reap good returns For
bacon, prefer hog long and deep in body,
but not thick through. The Tamworth hog
suits me about we'll as any. 1 feed great
deal Of roots, clover, etc. with corn. WE'LL
grown hog will eat as much clover as year
ling calf aud make u great deal of bone and
muscle out Of it. Skim milk is also good.
feed very little grain until about two months
before killing.-W. Ii. LOWELL, Canton, Pa
wIsTER cHURsISG.
The churning Of cream in the Winter is often
attended with many di faculties Of cold rooms,
chilled cream and cream from cows long in
milk that make churniug difficult. The adj
ditiOn Of water TO the cream when the churn is
started is often recommended, and good reports
follow. Prof J. w. Robertson says that il pr
, per cent. Of water az 70' is added TO the cream
when taken off from the milk, instead of de-
laying until churning begins, the effect is much
: better. The water should be added before acid
begins 10 form in the cream in any event.
Where water at 100 is added 10 fresh cream.
the after ripenng is much moro thorough, and
prevents, TO a large extent, the different quail
ties Of cream often found in mixed cream. In
. churning the friction causes the substance that
surrounds tho glObnles TO break" and the
4 giubnles unite. The Professor thinks that
3 when the butter grains half large az
clover seeds, another 10 per cent. of water
! should be added 10 the chuTn, and the size oil
! the glObules increased by slow churnng TO the
size of wheat, when the buttermilk should be
a drawn off and its bulk replaced with water al
800. When the last wash water is removed
the butter should DO allowed TO drain for al
least half hour when 10 may be salted either
= with brine or dry salt 10 the extent demanded
by the consumer, but as a rule about three
: fOurths of an ounce Of salt to the pound
A Practical Farmer.
LIQUID GRAPHING WAX.
g Prof ]. l. Budd recommends the fOliowin,
Q recipe for liquid grating WAX, and states tina
il is tho same as used in German and Russian
= schools Of horticulture and forestry: On,
> pound of best Whits resin, aud one pound bee
: tallow melted very slowly so as not 20 harden
When melted take dish from stove and ad'
slowly, whilst stirring, one tablespoonful spirit
Of tuTpontine. Then slowly add alcohol, Will
stirring, until the mass has thin, mOas es
: like consistency. In this form it is useful 70
- painting over wounds of trees caused by prun
ing. breaking, or other injury; and it is ais
i. an excellent WAX for use in waxing cola
gratis Of the cherry, plum and pear. When tn
N alcohol has evapOrated too much from expOsur
ID to the air, place the dish in hot water and adj
alcohol ~ befHre. This wax may also be use
- with perfect success in outdoor grating Of tn
cherry and plum, by keeping the dish over
II lamp in a lantem-like tin box, and wrapping
white rag over tho wax while it is still soft {
D. prevent It's possible melting or cracking
:. Orange Judd Farmer.
SALT ron THE PEACH BoRER.
A subscriber at ClarksVille, Va, writes th
r. Rural World: j send you q remedy for th
70 peach borer: Make funnel shRped hole aroun
the tree and put double handful of salt I
10 10 each tree any time ofthe year, but Spring an
n. Fall are the best. A friend Of mine on th
Eastern Shore Of Virginia told me his tree
~ would not hold the fruit. / prescribed Oh
above. He was afraid ID would kill his tree
but tried il on one row of trees and got his 1rl