Year: 1877




PorAToEs. Es.-Early potatoes may be
kept lightly covered with the hoe or a
light one-horse plow. Watch the 1naneu-
vers OF the potato beetle, and when it
begins work, pick the insects from the
leaves into pan the pan described in
the american Agr5culturist, for July,
1876, will be found very handy for this
work. BY proper care, Paris green need
not be used until the larvae get to work,
when no time should be lost Every
beetle killed this month may prevent the
existence of over ], 900 Larvae.


CLEANING UP-This should no longer
be neglected. Warm, damp weather
causes active decomposition of all rub
bish, and the gases given off by this are
unwholesome. Clean out and white
wash the cellar; if the floor is of earth,
scrape it thoroughly and remove the top,
replacing it with clean sand then at the
first oppol tttnity cover it with cement of
hydraulic lime and gravel. Rake up the
yards, burn all the rubbish, and save the
ashes. Clean up the manure heaps, and
let off all surface water.


KICKING Cows-Take a common sur
cingle and tie a few knots in it; throw it
over bossy's back, just forward of the
hips. and tindet the belly just forward OF
the bag; buckle up very tight; take Jour
pail and stool and go to work. She
won't lift foot. Whoever tries it will
have dollars worth of satisfaction and
fun, as he will see the most astonished
bossy he ever looked at. Gradually
loosen up the surcingle, and in time she
will coiiseiit to be ttiilked by simply lay
ing the strap across her back.


POULTRY. With a grassy run for
fowls, the grain fed may be reduced
somewhat. Whatever grain is fed may
be given only in the morning and at
night, thus obliging the hens to forage
in the middle of the day for themselves.
Some stimulating condiment will improve
the health and prevent disease. Ducks
should be Eept shtit up iii the tiiotnihg
until they have laid, as they are very
careless about their eggs. Geese may
be set now, and should not be disturbed
OH their nests. The less frlssing there
is over sitting fowls the better. Keep
water and food near the nests. Young
fowls of whatever kind need little feed
Otter, but overfeeding is unwholesome.


How TO TREAT CUoUMBERs.-Youc can
cultivate the gr6ttt1d Of your cucumber
patch till the vines are in bearing and
after that, thus keeping out weeds and
favoring moisture. The b lis should be
wide enough part-broad, full hills-so
there is no intermixing till toward the
close of the season. When the vines
have spread so as to make the working OF
the soil difficult, gather the ends of one
side by hand and raise and lay back over
the other half of the hill Itcan be done
as though it were blanket. When the
ground is mellowed-the cultivator hoe
is the best for this-ttlrn back as before.
Not vine or leaf need be hurt. Treat
the othe1 half in the sati1e way. In this
way you can do perfect work, and do it
in a short time. IL some of the vines
should reach into the vines of other hills,
little care will disentangle them, or, to
expedite the work, they may be clipped
and no harm done.-C Correspondence
Country Gentleman.


The CARE OF Ducks. is an errone-
Gus idea that ducks cannot be kept with
out water. They cain be reared just as
easily as chickens, with only water suffi-
cient to drink. Il fact, young ducks
should never be allowed stream of
water. No one would think of plunging
newly-hatched chicken into basin
water of water to swim neither does a
young ducks first idea of the world lead
to a water-course. On the contrary,
they need to be kept dry and warm fo1
the first week, at least, and also free
from vermin. They are just as liable to
the gapes as chickens or turkeys, and
frequently die of it. To be profitable,
ducks require care as well as other poul-
try. The old birds should be kept from
running stream They will follow q
stream to great distances, and often for
get to return home. When allowed to
ramble at Will, they usually drop then
eggs in waste and marshy places
quently in the water-never making al
attempt at a nest; consequently the
eggs are lost, or their fertility is dam
aged by chilling exposure.


HARD SHELLS. intended fo1
sitting purposes should invariably be ol
the hard shell persuasion, especially
SO if, before going through the sitting
process, they are to travel greater OF
| less distance; as, ON such journey
| (even if packed III the most approved
style), there is danger that, through The
carelessness of freight agents, or concuc
SONS liable to be received in the cars
eggs with no great strength of shell vii
be cracked or broken. Hence it is
matter of vital importance that shell ma
tarial, of the proper kind and in abun
dance, should be supplied for the fowls
use. Oyster shells Tin absence of which
nse bones), fresh or baked, and crushed
are perhaps the best things that can b,
offered. as they are readily eaten, whil
crude lime would be rejected. Oyster
shells or bones heated to a red hea
throw off the organic matter and leav
only the inorganic or ashy parts. Raw
crushed shells are to be preferred. Oat
and wheat contain more lime than an,