The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-02-13
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
Pansy Culture.

SURF Inc seeu snOuIu % SOWn early IN
box in the house, and when danger of fross
is past the young plants can be transferred
to the open border, giving plenty Of water al
transplantiug. and shading for few days.
The production of flowers is always inter-
fered with by warm weather, but this can be-
modified for time, by selecting partially
shaded situation. The Summer rest will,
however, enable the plants to bloom well in
Autumn.
Beginners viii do well to buy mixed seed,
as the price is moderate. Persons with
larger experience will be likely to choose the
newer varieties. Although the cost is higher,
the cultivated taste will appreciate the finer
flowers
The soil in which the seed is sowed should
be as fine as possible, and the seeds-very
small seeds they are-must not be covered
too deeply quarter of an inch is sufficient,
and a thin layer of grass or something of the
kind, to retain moisture until the plants be-
gin to come up, will be beneficial. A light
of glass answers well in such cases, and il
should fit down on the soil and up close to
every side OF the box, so as to cover the en-
tire surface. Whatever is used should be re-
moved as soon as the seeds begin to sprout.
Mixing Glover and Timothy seed.
Almost all farmers seed with mixture Of
clover and timothy. But it is much better
10 SOW each of these seeds separately than to
mix before sowing Timothy is lighter and
bulker in proportion to its weight. It's seed
cannot be thrown as far with the seeder or
by hand as can the compact clover seed.
The latter with the seeder can reach 10& feet
on each side when clover seed issOwn. With
timothy seed not more than nine feet on each
side, and it is better not to rely on more than
seven and a half feet or 10 feet in all. When
the seed is mixed it leaves blank space Of
six feet where no timothy seed falls, or else
a strip of six feet wide where the clover seed
has had double seeding Either of these
makes the field look badly. An even growth,
both Of clover and grass, helps to keep the
weeds down, and it also makes the land
richer for future crops.
Raising Turkeys.
The turkey season is drawing to a close,
and the desire to realize as much cash as
possible is very strong. Do not, however,
let an extra dollar tempt you to sacrifice
birds which have proved themselves reliable.
Let your sales be rather from the young
stock, and only the culls. The old birds are
tried. You know the number of eggs you
may count on hen to produce and hatch,
and, also, her merits as a mother. These
points may or may lot be possessed by the
young stock, and they are essential to next
years success. Besides, the offspring of the
old birds are more vigorous than those of the
young, and the little turks are difficult to
rear under the most favorable conditions.
Breeding from sickly or immature stock is
always to be avoided
pafora he furL rnafa lob avar uoup
accounts and give the matter serious con-
sideration. Try to find out the mistakes
you made last year in the breeding, feeding,
care, and management of your flock, and try
to avoid them next year. Learn the kind
of turkeys demanded by your market, the
popular size and the best mode of dressing
them. Having mastered these points, alter
your ways accordingly. 1t is a nuisance, of
course, but it is necessary. Your neighbors
are doing it, quietly, perhaps, but none the
less surely. The cd way viii no longer an
swer. The spirit of progress is abroad, and
every one is more or less affected by it in
every department. of life. In the universal
restlessness which prevails we must either
push our way to the front or be left hope
lessly in the rear. The latter is pleasant
neither to your pride nor your pocketbook.
The remedy is in your own hands. The day
ones; select breed with yellow rather than
blue flesh; substitute plump, well-fattened
birds for the thin, framy ones go often mar
keted; follow carefully the instructions of
your commission-house as regards killing,
dressing, picking, and shipping. These are
the stepping-stones to success, and If you
propose to continue raising turkeys 1T will
pay you to give them due consideration.
Foad VaIua Of Yynuav
Probably most people consider honey as the
equal in value for food of any sweet sauce
no better. no worse. All should know that
it possesses one great superiority of di-
gestion. The nectar of flowers is almost
wholly cane sugar. The seeretions added
by the bees change this to grape sugar, and
so prepare it that it is almost ready for
assimilation without any effort on the part
of the stomach; in fact, Prof. A. j. Cook
once styled honey "digested nectar" 1t
will readily be seen that honey is q very
desirable food for those with weakened di-
gestive powers. If q person is very tired,
" too exhausted to eat,D it is astonishing
how a few tastes of honey will act almost
like magic. Almost no effort is required to
make it ready for assimilation. Persons
from some forms of kidney trouble
will fad that honey is much more bene-
fetal food for them than is cane sugar.
In eating comb honey, many strive to
reject every particle of wax, fearing that,
as wax is indigestible, nightmare and other
consequences might follow an
indulgence in warm biscuit and honey. It
is true that bread is more easy digested
than warm biscuit, as the latter is inclined
to pack in chewing; but it may surprise
some to know that comb honey is really an
aid to the digestion of hot bread or biscuit.
The philosophy of the matter is that the
fakes of wax prevent the packing" while
the honey readily dissolves out, leaving
for the gastric juice to enter the
mass of food. The flakes of wax are indi-
Zestible, that is true, but when warmed are
smooth and soft and will not iDiure
he most delicate membrane; in fact, they
let as gentle stimulant, and are beneficial
n some forms of slimentary difficulties.
The unpleasant symptoms from which
ONE suffer after eating honey may often be
emoved by drinking little milk.-C0untry
vermin in Corn Houses.
Mice often get into corn-houses, and, as
hey breed rapidly, they do great deal of
Ianage before they can be destroyed. They
re so small that they harbor in the corn,
Tipping around between the ears where the
at cannot follow them. Rats will kill off
he mice, but are themselves worse than the
'ermin they destroy. If good mOuSer is
tut in the courthouse she will catch q good
oanu and mOre vet can be taken in trans