Year: 1876

FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.

 Winter Work in the Orchard. Il About this seasonof the year.. in many places, the husbandnah gathe About him his hatchet and saw and pruning knife aud goesh forth to his orchard to maketh many of our friends to sudder. and sprtne not all, is heard from vari- ous quarters of our land. For our part we sympathize somewhat with those who would stay the farmers hand but then we do not by any means regard him as a "s tree butcher," or contemptously style the one a mere " carpenter" who, saw in hand, thinks he can do 8 little with it towards building up the prosperity of the tree. It may be that as the twig IS bent the trees inclined 1; but some7 how this foresight is not always ready to hand, and it grows as we would not have inclined it and often, when we know better, the tree runs on it's own willful way, simply for want of time or occasion to put in practice that which we know. Certainly, of whatever might have been, as an abstraction, looking on things as they are, we know of but very few orch ards that Q good pruning in winter will not benefit. In large number of cases, where the orchard is of some age, sprouts will come up from the trunk just under the ground, and form complete bundle all around it. This is the more likely to be the case with trees that have over bore, and have large number of half stunted branches and also in cases where the borer has been working in the tree near the ground. Whatever ob4 structs the passage of the sap up the trunk induces shoots to break out from below in this way. Of course we should try to help this by encouraging vigor in the head of the tree, so as to check this tendency to throw out collar-sprouts , but at any rate these sprouts must come away Many rest with cutting them back to the ground, which merely makes them push stronger the next year. The ground should be opened 8 little with the grubbing hoe, and with the same implement the sprouts rooted clean out! Throuehout the tree these sprouts are often common and should be cut away, unless the main branches show signs of being worn out by disease or overbear+ ing, in which case it is best to cut these large arms away down to the young wig. orous sprout, which should thus have s B chance to grow up and replace it.-Ger- n.a'atos0s Telegraph. ... Thoroughbred Hogs Pay. ~ i =- Nothing can be more penny wise than the practice of many of our farmers of breeding from scrub or grade boars. To the farmer who breeds ten or more sows, 8 thoroughbred boar is cheaper at $50 than grade for nothing, even if the a hogs are all to be fatten ed. A single dollar on each pig would make up the money, and am confident that in many cases have seen difference of five dollars each with the same care between thoroughbred hogs and those that have been bred hap-hazard. On hundreds of farms to-day can be found stock hogs a year old that will not weigh over eighty pounds each, and if offered for sale, would not bring over five and half cents per pound and they have probably con sumed as much grain as the breeds of hogsthat at the same age weigh two hundred pounds, and are worth seven cents per pound. (. -.s.- =--- -.--l-

 Certainly if farmers would look at it in the right light, they could not fail to understand its importance. We should look at our stock as so many machines used in condensing our grain. so that it may be more easily taken to market, and at the same time increasing it's value. If the miller should return us but thirty pounds of meal for bushel of corn de- ivered him to grind, the operation would not need to be repeated the second time to induce us to change for another, al- though we were obliged to go to great CT distance but farmers will go on year after year, breeding without any plan ol system, feeding bushel of corn to re- ceive in return what would buy half { bushel, and yet never suspecting that by so doing they are not only keeping themselves poor, but also showing great lack of wisdom.

 Reclaimed Marsh Land.

 The reclamation of swamp and over. flowed lands IS not, as many suppose, fancy, g problem to be solved by expert ment in the future it is fact beyond dispute-a fact that can be switnesse, daily. Though yet in its infancy, il most parts of this country the systen has been proved ages ago, by splendi and successful efforts in other parts o the world, which more than attest it practicability. The magnificent suga plantations of Louisina as also the ric plantations of South Carolina and Geol gia, point but to plainly toe the fact c what labor, skill and energy, with perse verance, may do in transforming, as wit the wand of the magician, malarious low, wet lands into dry, fertile, beaut ful homes, wherein life may be enjoye amid the bountious gifts of nature. I'D value of lands that can be cheaply az successfully irrigated and enriche by overflow has been appreciated fc centuries by all the nationsof the world G.E .s J ..g Washing Dishes. E-G

 It seems that all housekeepers al wrong in using soap to wash dishes. I'll right way to do IS to have your wate

 quite hot and add a very little milk to i

 This softens the water, gives the dishe

 fine gloss, and preserves the hands;

 removes tie grease e--even that fro

 beef, and yet no grease is ever foatin

 on the water, as when soap Is used. IT

 stone vessels should be set on the sto,

 with1a little water in them, when tl

 victuals are taken from them i; thus the are hot when one is ready to wash then

 and the grease is very easily removes

 Tinware keeps bright longer cleaned

 this way than by using soap or by scou

 ing. The habit so many of us have a

 quired of securing tins is a wastef

 policy the present style of tinware W

 not bear it. The tin is soon scrubb, sway, and a vessel that is fit for nothil

 is left on our hands.

 

 The Use of Fallen Leaves,