Year: 1874

Stocking Brooks with Trout.

 A farmer in Wisconsin sends to the Western Farmer the following state ment in regard to the ease with which those who have brooks running through their land may secure trout streams for themselves, supposing that there is @ reasonable immunity from the incur sions of trespassing fishermen A year ago, having more young trout than my pond would accommodate, put few thousand into barren stream near by. They were then about one inch long. A few days since thought I would see what they had done. took my rod and couple of my little boys and to the branch, and in less than an hour caught thirty-all we wanted-and might have caught hundreds, as we could see them in schools of fifty or hundred in place for mile up and down the brook. They were about seven inches long, or what would be called nice catch. As this same thing can be done by every brook of pure water, either hard or soft, in the State, I submit if it would not pay the owners of brooks to stock them, if in nothing else, in furnishing one more attraction for the farm. If not for themselves, for the boys for recreation is as neces- sary to them as meat and bread, and if they can't find it on the farm they will hunt it in the village. Many of us can recolIect how attractive the brook on our fathers or neighbor's farm was, and how it's willy denizens taxed and de- veloped our young skill and ingenuity in their capture.

 Neglected Cellars.

 It is not probable that the amount of sickness bred in cellars can ever be &C., curately estimated, but there is no doubt that many mysterious cases of typhoid and scarlet levers, rheumatism or ague, may be correctly traced to the malarious effluvia emanating from these neglected corners. Old boxes, bins, and barrels, which have contained veg etable matter, meat, fish, etc., need thorough everhauling, because when standing in dark corner, they look empty, and there may be enough poison left sticking on the sides and bottom to affect the health of the household. The work of cleansing is often left to the women and boys of the family. A man had much better leave his work a day, to make a thorough exam1nation and purifcation of the cellar, than to be unduly anxious about getting in his crops in extra season. After all garbage is carried out, let the ceilings and wall be faithfully brushed with an old broom; and if this is done once a month, the atmosphere will be all the sweeter. Use plenty of lime, and in dry weather keep the doors and win dows open part of every day. Old tin and wooden ware should not be allowed to stand year after upon the cellar shelves. If it is not fit to be used, throw it away.-Manufactwrer and Builder.

 -1+- Singing to Cows.

 Cows are sociable, and understand more than we suppose. The way I came in possession of this choice bit of knowledge, Tim and I used to sing to our COWS. They knew very quick when we changed from one tune to another. We have tried them repeatedly. When we sang sober church hymns, they'd lop their ears down, look serious, and chew their cud very slowly, reminding memo reverence meditated-of nice old ladies in church, listening to the words of the preacher, yet all the time munching gloves. Then we'd change to some quick air, '' Yankee Doodle" or the like, and they wonld shake their heads, open their eyes, blink at us, as much as to say, "Stop, don't you know we are the deacon's cows ?" But when we would stop entirely, every COW would turn her head, as if asking us to go on with our singing. If it was pleasant, we generally sang together through the entire milking. love the dear animals that add so much to our comfort. Boys, will you not then be kind to the cows?

 To Preserve Grapes.

 A lady correspondent sends the fol- lowing: First, pick off all unsound or unripe grapes. and lay the clusters in an empty room on papers until dry, for in all packages some will be crushed and dampen others. Then any empty crate will do to pack them in. First Q layer of grapes, then thickness of pa- per, so as to exclude the air and keep them separate, then grapes and then pa per, and so on until you have three or four layers-no more than four. If the box is to hold more, put in a partition to support the others that are to be packed. We packed hundreds of pounds thus last year, and they kept perfectly until the middle of March, and, had the supply not been exhaust ed, they could have been kept much longer. .aa-o

 sOftening Hard Water. z

 It is said that borax boiled in water will soften it. If the water is hard by reason of the subcarbonate of lime, boiling it will tender to soften the wa ter the lime passing off in the stream. If the water Is hard, by reason Of the presence of the sulphate of lime it can only be made soft by the use of potash or lime. Take pint of fresh slacked lime and add gallon of water, allow the sediment to settle and pour off the clear water and bottle tightly. Put half pint of this into each gallon of hard water and then strain. This makes the water quite soft, and is not "harsh for the hands,"