Year: 1877

Hsusehsld Hiats.


!: To PREVENT PorAToEs FROM Rot
Dust over the floor OF the bin with lime
and put in about six or seven inches q
potatoes, then dust with lime as before
then more potatoes, using about on


bushel Of lime to forty bushels Of pota
toes. The lime improves the flavor q


the potatoes, and effectually kills tn


fungi which causes the rot.


To RENovArE BLACK CnoTH.-Cleai


the cloth from grease and dirt with tn


following mixture, thoroughly dissolved


Aqua ammonia, two ounces soft water


one quart saltpetre, ono teaspocnful


shaving soap in shavings, one ounce


Then, when dry, make strong decoc


ton of logwood by boiling the extract il


a gallon of soft water strain, and wher


cool add two ounces of pulverized gun


arabic ; apply evenly with sponge ovel


the surface. and hang it in the shade


when thoroughly dry, brush the nap Of


the cloth down smooth, and it will lool


as good as new. Keep the liquid tightly


corked in bottle.


SUGGESTIONS ABOUT House PLANTS. -


The Gala lily blooms at three years.


Take an ordinary earthen jar, without a


hole in the bottom, put the lily in, and


fill the jar three-quarters full Of rich


earth fill with warm water in which


you have put few drops of ammonia ;
keep in warm room give as much
light and sun as possible, and plenty of
water.


The English ivy, if put in bottle Of
water, will grow, and can be trained to
run where you like.


Hyacinth bulbs can be planted at any
time between this and December. For
house bloom, plant in pots, or place in
water in hyacinth glasses. Set in
dark, dry place for two or three weeks,
then give them plenty of light and warm
water, and they will soon bloom. Tulips,
narcissus and crocus can be treated in
the same way.


To WASH A FLANNEL SK1RT.-A fan
mel skirt, embroidered with blue Cor
other colors), to set the color, should be
soaked for ten minutes in a pail of cold
water containing teaspoonful OF sugar
of lead. Then wash it in tepid water
made soft with borax. Use very little
soap-it hardens the wool. Rinse well,
shake well, and hang where it will dry
quickly.


How to Tell the Age Of Horses.


The age of horses is usually deter
mined by the appearance of the teeth
but, as with most other rules, there are
the teeth which battle the most Knowing
expert. 1t also requires some study
and practice to enable man to read
the signs in the mouth of horse.
Some of our best authorities in these
matters tabulate the signs rs follows
There are two sets of teeth, the milk
teeth, which appear the first year, and
the permanent teeth, which appear soon
after the former fall out. The teeth
which are mainly depended upon for
the age of the animal are
the incisors, and those on the lower
jaw are usually referred to. OF these
nippers or incisors there are six, and the
furthest from the centre or outside are
called "corner teeth" The milk teeth
give place to the permanent teeth as
follows: The middle nippers at two
and half or three years the next pair
at three and half or four years ; the
corner teeth at four and half to i've
years. These periods are sometimes
hastened by pulling out the milk teeth.
At five years the corner teeth are up
even with the others, and the mark
seen in the young teeth is entirely worn
out of the middle nippers. At six years
the mark is almost gone from the second
pair, and at seven it is entirely obliter-
ated and the edges of the corner teeth
worn somewhat fiat. At eight years the
teeth in the lower jaw are worn entirely
fat, the mark having disappeared from
all of them. At nine years the middle
nippers are rounded on the inner side,
and the oval form of the others becomes
From this time forward the
change in the form Of the teeth is mere
ly a slight variation in the enamel, and
it is 80 light that few horsemen pretend
to be able to tell the age Of the animal
from them, whence the jockey phrase
that "no horse ever gets older than nine
years." Some, however, pretend to
read the signs Of age on the teeth up to
twenty years or over, and descriptions
Of the changes in form are given in
some of our manuals on the horse.