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About Western news-Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1898-1900 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 17, 1898)
l'1'/ / Keeping Out the Cold. Hundreds of farm buildings that con- u shivering and unthrifty stock all lirough the winter months could , at al- est no expense whatever , be made Very warm and comfortable. Open foundations and absence of any closed { foundation whatever cause much of the jpolduess of farm buildings. Cheap hay and swamp grass abound in almost all Sections. If a large quantity of this is cut and put about the building and held there in the manner shown in the cut , the wind would very effectually be kept out. Two strips of boards , with laths nailed to them every fifteen Inches , will ( keep the hay very snug. When winter fls past the hay can be used for bedding KAIIN BANKED WITH HAY. fauring the spring mouths. American Agriculturist. Packing Fruit for Market. The degree of ripeness should deter- line the time of gathering the fruit. lost kinds of pears have a better flavor lif picked as soon as their growth is [ completed and permitted to ripen off itho tree. All the fruits should be han- fdled carefully to prevent bruising , and fvesy particular care should be taken jwirh the tender fruits. The sorting should be carefully done , according to [ size and color , the wrapping to follow , jbul all the fruit should be permitted to , cool before either is undertaken. Throughout this work , the less han dling that is given the longer its condi tion will remain good. A. The packing should be done in such . to hold the fruit ja way as protected jfrom jostling and bruising while in { transit to market , but yet it should not jbo packed so closely as to prevent the fciir from circulating through it freely. -Only such fruits should be packed as sin * thoroughly sound , free from blem- flsh. of good shape and of reasonably jgood size. Tender and soft fruits especially jshould bo cooled as soon after being jpteked as practicable. The wrappers phould not be close enough in texture no confine within tUem the moisture 'tha- comes from the fruit by evapora tion , or the fruit will be apt to mildew. This is often seen on oranges wrapped 5n a paper of close texture. The changes going on in ripe fruit generate Jiear. and this should be counteracted as far as practicable. It is said that ipven in a well-refrigerated car the heat liberated from the fruit Avill often snore than counterbalance the cooling effect of the ice. Hence , it is important rte have rapid transportation to market Wroro the heat generated by ripening process causes decaj * . Texas Stock find Farm .Journal. Koo ts for Chickens. As the chickens obtain size , they may be taught to go to roost in some room that is not occupied. Here they will ! > o nlways under cover and safe at niufht from their enemies. Make the roost of broad strips of board , to pre- SWINGING JJOOSTS. ivont crooked breast bones , and to re- jduce the risk of vermin use the plan of hanging the roosts shown in the cut. 'iMuj strips rest on horizontal wires , to { which Lh'\v are stapled beneath , and ijjre held firmly up by wires from the Veiling. Exchange. Stone Hankins : for Barns. In hanking up against the Avails of Ibasement barns , and especially in building up a passageway to the en- jtranco , there is always strong tempta- \\\M\ \ \ to use stones piled in loosely as a basis , whore stones are over plentiful jou the farm. Yet this usually proves | ji m takc. Hats will invariably effect In lodgement among such stones , and 'they ' will in time work through into /the. / barn basement. Besides , rains will I wash dirt among the stones , and it will Uvquire constant attention every year | to keep the passage way so that loaded : 'wagons ' can be driven over it. Secdinir Peaches. In the peach orchard , and wherever { this fruit is eaten , the seed , or as it is /usually / called , the "pit , " will common- Jfiy be thrown upon the ground , where j 7 frosts will crack it and enable the germ to come forth. Even if not covered at all , the root naturally strikes into the soil , so that It is ready to supply moisture whenever the growing shoots demand it. These seedling peach trees are quite common in out-of-the-way places. Sometimes a valuable new vari ety Is thus produced , though our experi ence of natural peach trees grown from the seed is that most of them are poor. It is a safe proceeding to bud the young tree when It has grown from spring until July or August. In that way you may know in advance what class of fruit you may expect to pick. Ameri can Cultivator. PittingPotatoes. ; . Potatoes keep better in a pit than anywhere else , but they must be well protected to prevent zero weather from catching them. They should nev er be covered deeply enough to allow them to become at all heated or they will start to grow The first covering should be not moro than six inches deep , and this should not be increased until the ground has frozen enough to bear up a man. Then put on a cover ing of straw , over the soil already on , and put on more soil , patting it clown to make it shed rain. Leave the pit until actual winter has come and the ground is well frozen , and then over all put a foot of fresh manure from the stables. Don't be afraid of driving the frost in , for this will not happen. Keep the manure on until the potatoes are need ed in the spring , for the covered pit will not thaw out nor will the manure allow it to freeze any more , and the potatoes will not sprout until time for planting in the spring if left in the pit. Potatoes that are to be used for s * should be placed in a pit by themselves so as to leave them undisturbed until taken out to plant. Farmer's Voice. Farm Profits. When does the farmer make a profits There are hundreds of farmers who have become wealthy , yet they have handled very lit-Me money and have had difficulty in meeting their obligations. There is one bank account which they do not draw upon , and the deposits ac cumulate for j cars , and that is the soil. A fanner takes a poor farm , works it , adds manure , and receives but little over expenses , but every year his farm has become more fertile and also in creased in value , lii ten or more years the farm may be worth five times the original cost , and it represents just as much profit as though the farmer had received money. All farms are. to a certain extent , banks of deposit , where the profits of the farm slowly accumu late. Valuable linsrlish Bull. An English newspaper says that the celebrated bull Merry Hampton has MEURY HAMPTON. recently been purchased by Mr. Dus- tin. of Illinois , for the handsome price of 300 guineas. Merry Ilamptou is from the herd of Mr. Peterkiu , of Dunglass. one of the group of Iloss- shire breeders , who are so Avell known at the great English shows. Sun Baths for Fowls It is not alone the cold weather in winter , but even more the lack of sun light during its short days , that re stricts ogir production at this seasor Plenty of sunlight is as essential as warmth to make the hens lively and healthful. But the single glass narrow windows , often only a single pane , and that covered with dust and cobwebs at all seasons , and with ice in winter , do little good. What are needed in all henhouses are large windows with an extra frame and glass with a space of enclosed air large enough to fill most of the south side of the building. Keep the place Avhere the sunlight falls free from manure and fill this with sand or coal ashes. Fowls will dust themselves here , and basking in the sunlight they will soon begin to lay. Dipped Texas Cattle. A significant resolution was passeo by the Interstate Sanitary Convention at Omaha as follows : Whereas. The experiments recently conducted have demonstrated that South ern cattle dippcil in dynamo oil saturated with .sulphur will effectually destroy the Southern tick , and thai such may be mixed with Northern native cattle with out danger of communicating Texas or Southern fever thereto. Uesolved. That the quarantine regula- tous may be amended wth safety so a * to permit the passage of dipped Southern cattle , on the certificate of a designated inspector of the State or of the United States Department of Agriculture , tt. Northern States during ay : portion of the yea r. The imperial family of Austria is de scended from Rudolph Von Hapsburg. a German count , born in 1218 , who was elected king of Germany in 1273. The male line died out in 1740 with Emperor Karl VI. , whose only daughter , Maria i Theresa , gave her hand to Duke Franz of Lorraine and Tuscany , afterward Kaiser Franz I. of Germany. He there by because the founder of the new house of Ilapsburg-Lorraine. NAVAL MYSTERIES. ( Vnr Vessels of the United States that ! Have Disappeared. Curious disappearances and accidents to our warships characterized the early history of our navy , and , in spite of all the efforts of the Navy Department to explain the cause of the disasters , many of them are as absolute mysteiies to-day as when they happened. When the government built ten new gunboats to prosecute the war against Tripoli , in 1805 , they were sent out as soon as they were finished and before they were named. Each one was given a number , and dispatched to the seat of the war. No. 7 sailed from New York July 20 , 1805 , under the command of Lieut. Ogelvie , and after she cleared Sandy Hook light she was never heard from again. She went down with allen on board before she had even been named. A most extraordinary accident was that which happened to the corvette Monongahela at Santa Cruz , in 1SG7. While at anchor in the harbor a tre mendous tidal wave lifted her upon its crest and carried her clean over the town of Frederichstadt and back again without injuring the town or the boat to any extent. The receding wave landed her on the beach instead of in the deep waters of the harbor , and it cost our government $100,000 to float her again. Fully as strange was the fate of the sloop of Avar Watcree. Slit- was anchored in the harbor of Africa , Peru , in 1SGS , when a huge tidal wave swept inland and flooded the whole city. The wave carried the sloop sev eral miles inland and finally landed her in the midst of a tropical forest. It was impossible to release her from such a peculiar position , and the government sold her for a nominal sum. The pur chasers turned the vessel into a hotel , and the remains of that once formid able war vessel loom up in the tropical forest to-day as a monument to the power of tidal waves. Among other cases of disaster , which are attributed to the violence of the Avaves or weather , there is none more interesting than that of the strange f at6 of the Saratoga. When she sailed from Philadelphia in October , 1780 , under the command of Capt. James Young , there was no finer nor handsomer war vessel afloat. That she was as formid able as she was attractive was soon demonstrated in a practical way. After cruising around a short time she cap tured three' British vessels in succes sion , and then with her prizes she start ed to return to Philadelphia. But off the Delaware capes she encountered a British ship of line. As the Saratoga carried only eighteen guns and the In trepid was a seveuty-four-gun ship , Capt. Young considered it safer to run away. The enemy did not chase her far , but returned to protect and recap ture the British prizes. The Saratoga sailed away in the very teeth of a storm , and she was never heard from again. Did she founder at sea in the gale or was she blown up by her own magazines ? Leslie's AVcekly. The "World's Commerce. One of the leading statisticians of France , M. Jules Roche , has recently compiled some interesting figures bear ing upon the growth and expansion of the world's commerce during the past fifty years. The object of the statisti cian in devoting himself to this task was to expose the contrast existing be tween France and Germany in the mat ter of their foreign trade relations. In the following table the statistician shows to what extent the combined ex ports of the ten leading powers of the globe have grown in valuation since 1830 : 1S30 $1,618,000,000 I860 2,419,000,000 18G9 8,583,000,000 1880 5,000,000,000 1890 0,200,000,000 1S9G G,4G5,000,000 From the figures set forth in the above table it appears that the com bined exports of the leading powers liave quadrupled in value during the period of time under consideration. At the beginning of this period Great Britaiin headed the list with $440,000.- 000 exports ; France came next with $232,000,000 exports ; the "United States next with $143,000,000 exports , and Germany next with $129,000,000 ex ports. The figures for 1S9G are as fol- liws : Great Britain , $1,473.000,000 ; Ger many , $978,000,000 ; the United States , $834,000,000 : France , $ G40,000,000. Good Reason to Hurry. The trials of a musical accompanist are many , if we may credit all the stories told of them. A young profes sional recently played accompaniments for the performers at a private enter tainment for a fashionable charity , lasting for nearly two hours. "Here , you see. I liave no chance tc take a breath for ten bars , " said the amateur flute-player , indicating to the accompanist a passage in his opening solo. ' 'There are a number of such places in my solos , and if you'll hurry the time whenever you come to them , dt will be a relief to my wife , for all my family are subject to apoplexy , and I've already had one slight attack.1 Youth's" Companion. A Religious Assault. An extension of the definition of as sault has been devised by some London - don low churchmen. They attended an "asperges" service in a ritualistic church , and later asked for a summons for assault against the vicar , who hat ] sprinkled holy water on them. "Where She Is Queen. Household servant girls throughout i Montana receive in 'the ' humblest of j families about $0 a week , besides board , and the "washing , " including that of the servant herself , must always - , ways be sent out to the laundries. The great trouble with milk of human ' kindness is that it's skimmed too of teu. AGEICULTURAL NEWS THINGS PERTAINING TO THE FARM AND HOME. floney May Be Kept for an Indefinite Time How Farminir Can Ke Made to Pay Value of Clover as a Fertil iser Poultry Notes. Ilonoy that is well ripened may be kept for an indefinite time , if it is prop erly cared for. It should always be kept in a dry , warm place , as damp ness injures the fine flavor of it , and in the end may ruin it altogether. Conrb honey that has been sealed keeps per fectly , but unless very good care Is taken of it the combs become some what discolored and not as attractive : s when first taken from the hive. If honey is to be kept a considerable time it is best to extract it and put it away 10 ripen and improve in flavor. Honey ' that'is extracted before being ripened -ometimes ferments unless care is aken to keep it in a favorable place. Honey that is extracted soon granu- atos , but this does not injure the qusli- y in any way , as it still improves the onger 5Us kept. Those who buy honey it the stores should always insist on getting an article that has granulated , as this is almost positive proof of puri ty , the rank imitation , made largely of glucose , never granulating , no matter low long kept. Comb honey will often granulate , but it remains liquid much longer than that which has .been ex tracted. Extracted honey which has granulated will become liquid in a very few minutes if set on the back of the > tovo where there is just enough heat to warm it very gently. As an article of diet , honey is nutritious as well as an aid to digestion. How Farming V.'ill Pay. It is a common complaint among farmers that farming does not pay. They are in competition with farmers in all countries in most agricultural products , and as these foreign farmers are content to work at almost nominal wages , unless the American farmer can produce a larger yield per acre , and thus make his crop cost less per bushel , or by the pound , he can not expect to make good profits. The farmer who succeeds best is usually one who is not afraid to tackle the most difficult and puttering work. To the farmer used * D grovring potatoes the growing of straw berries seems very small business. Yet many strawberry growers have made more bushels of strawberries per acre than most potato growers get of pota toes ; and cheap as strawberries often are , they are even then much higher than are potatoes , and will yield more profit per acre. Clover a3 tx Fertiliser. Every farmer who has cut clover early must have noticed how quickly the new growth springs ; up after the first has been removed. It N at this time that the nodules begin to form on clover roots , which decompose air in the soil , making its nitrogen available as plant food. This process is undoubt edly hastened by the wastage of clover leaves in drying the clover for hay. which is always considerable , no mut ter how carefully the clover may be handled. These clover leaves soon t * y Into a fine powder , and are washed by rains among the clover roots , which they supply with just the material re quired to make vigorous growth.- American Cultivator. Fat Glolmlcs iu Miik. It has been estimated that a drop of milk contains about 130,000,000 far globules , and that they number about 2,000,000,000 in a quart of the liquid. It is a matter of common knowledge that the size of fat globules in cows' milk varies with the different cows and dif ferent breeds , and it has been estimat ed that the diameter of the largest globules is six and a quarter times greater than the smallest globule , the difference in volume being as 214 is to 1. These details are perhaps sufficient in connection with a matter which is of great practical interest , inasmuch as It takes a longer time to cream milk with small globules , as well as to churn the cream produced therefrom , and the liquid is also stated to cream less per fectly than milk with large globules. Farmers' Review. Old Cats T'eat for Horses. The amount of moisture in new oats makes them much dearer than old when used to feed horses. The differ- Bnce in price is almost always offset by the loss in weight when the oats are Kept till freezing weather dries them aut. But a still more serious loss from the feeding of new oats is their laxa tive effect on horses hard at work. They also often cause colic in horses not used to them. It is best always to buy some old oats to mix with them , and thus gradually accustom the ani mal to their use. If 110 old oats can be had , mix some wheat bran with them , feeding dry , of course , and give at first very few oats , gradually increasing the quantity as it is found that the horse is not injured. If this ration is too lax ative give some wheat fine middlings with the oats. These cause a costive condition of bowels , and should not be kept up after the diarrhea is once checked. Useful Alder Bushes. The common black alder produces a fluster of berries which ripen in Sep tember , and in olden times were main ly used to make a heavy wine that was often kept from year to year to be used only in cases of sickness. Noth ing in those times was thought of the fruit , as apples , plums , cherries and peaches , together with the field pump kin , were supposed to be all that was needed for pies. But there came at last years when all the fruit crop was cut off either by frost or insects. Not till then was it discovered that the de spised a.'iler berry made when cool.e i a "ery good berry pie , some liking it nearly as well as the blackberry or huckleberry. Yet on most farms where the black alder grows it is consideiod rather a nuisance , and its fruit is left free to whatever cares to gather it , c. i for the birds , which are always abund ant on alder bushes when their fruit i'/ ripe. Notes for Ueekcepers , Nothing is more irritating to bees than sudden jars. During a scarcity of honey the bees will not increase so rapidly. Plenty of storage room has much to do with controlling swarming. Arrange the apiary so that every thing can be kept clean and tidy. It is best to unite all weak colonies and get them as strong as possible. Hives should be arranged so that they can be opened without jarring. Twenty frames of honey is required for the production of one pound of wax. Generally after the 1st of September all empty combs and section boxes should be removed. So far as is possible every colony should be put in condition for winter ing in September. Every colony should be inspected now , and all qucenless colonies sup plied to prevent robbing. Tollen is gathered by bees for the purpose of feeding their brood. It is often mistaken for wax. It is necessary to breed while the weather is warm , as the honey should be scaled over thoroughly. Each colony should have at least twenty-five pounds of good honey to carry it through the winter. Wax is a natural secretion of the bees , and is not gathered , as is sup posed. It is produced from food. I/ive Geese Feathers. There are many people who object to picking geese alive on the score of cruelty. But if the picking is done only at the time the feathers loosen , there is no cruelty in it , though it is a dirty and disagreeable job. About one-quar ter of a pound of feathers is usually se cured from each goose picked alive. The feathers are loose , or , as they are technically called , "ripe" every six weeks. If not picked then the loose feathers gradually fall out and are scattered about the goose run. The first picking generally comes about the time the birds are making their nest and preparing to lay eggs. The price of feathers is now much lower than it used to be , as other material is now generally considered more healthful for bed making. Kestoriiic "Worn Out" Land. " \Vhother it Avill pay to restore fertil ity to land from which it has been ex hausted by cropping depends much on its original character. If it had at first a good proportion of potash and phosphate , it is probably rather heavy in texture , and much of this mineral plant food is locked up in clods , as cul tivation while the soil was wet will in evitably make. Subdue these clods by thorough cultivation through one year , and the next spring give a good seed ing with clover , and it will effect a great change , even if no manure is ap plied. But in all cases where land sup posed to be exhausted is to be seeded with clover some mineral fertilizer ii1 available form should also be applied Whole Farms in Grapes. The town of Portland on Lake Erie h six miles square , ami according tc Grape Belt , publilied at Dunkirk on Lake Eric , more grapes are grown in its northern part than in any equal area of laud in the world. Not merely vineyards are here to be seen , but en tire farms planted with vines , and load ed with their luscious fruit. The town last year shipped 1,900 cars of grapes A great many of the grapes grown are Concords , though where the AVorden , which is an earlier and better grape , is substituted , it is often sold as Con cord when it reaches its destination. The Spitzenhertr Apple. The fine flavor of the Spitzeuberg apple has not made it a popular variety fur growers. It is not a thrifty grower nor very prolific bearer. A worse fail ing "or eating i.s that it is usually hard r.r ' - almost ready to decay , when its sr ; raste is less noticeable. But for cfi > ; ' : ? and making into sauce or pies , : iu > ! ( ' is its superior. It cooks down to pn-tty nearly clear juice , with very little pulp , and makes a better apple pie than any other variety. Poultry Pickings. One dollar per head is the average cost of keeping a fowl a year , and the same amount is a fair estimate of the profits. For good results in egg production , the hen house during the Avinter should not be allowed to become colder than 40 degrees. The eggs of the White Leghorn , Black Minorca and Houdan are of about the same weight as those of the Light Brahma. It costs one cent each in the East to produce an egg ; out West , where grain is cheaper , their cost AA'ouId hardly ex ceed a half cent. In 100 parts of the yolk , 32 per cent , is Avater , 45 per cent , is oil and fat , and 1 per cent , each of albuminoids , color ing and mineral matter. A light Brahma hen's egg Avill Aveigh from two and a quarter to tAvo and a half ounces , or about one pound and twelve ounces per dozen. , ( Poultry manure contains 2.43 per | ' cent , of phosphoric acid. 2.20 per cent. I : potash , and 3.23 per cent , nitrogen , as ammonia and organic matter. In 100 parts of the white of an egg , about 84 per cent , is water , 121/ . per cent , albumen , 1 per cent , mineral mat ter , and 2'X : per cent , sugar , etc. In mating ducks , about seven are al lowed a drake in the beginning of season , more as the weather grows warmer , until a dozen is reached. Tomato Pickle , Pare , chop fine and drain for two hours a half peck of fine , ripe toma toes. Add one quart of vinegar and al low It to stand while the rest of th pickle is made ready. To two or three heads of chopped celery , add one cup of fine chopped onion , a small red pepper , one cup ol grated horse-radish , one cup of nastur tium seed , one cup of sugar , one oJ white mustard , two tablespoonfuls oi black pepper , one of cinnamon , one oi cloves , a teaspoonful of mace and one- half cupful of salt. Stir all togethei and put in glass cans or bottles , with out cooking. Care of Irons. Irons should never be put awaj when damp or sticky , and should nev er be left as many thoughtless maids are apt to do , on the reservoir at the back of the range , where the escaping steam soon rusts them. When the week ly ironing is finished , scrape the irons if at all sticky with a thin knife , and rub them on a rough cloth moistened with beeswax or kerosene. Wipe thor oughly on a clean , dry cloth , and set upon a shelf or in the ironing drawer. Many good housekeepers particular about their tools draw paper bags over the irons when not in use. Wheat Gems , . Whole wheat gems are always an ac ceptable addition to the autumnal breakfast. To make them , mix togeth er two cups of whole wheat flour , one- half teaspoouful of salt , and one tablespoonful - spoonful of sugar. Beat the yolks of two eggs until lemon-colored and thick , and the whites until stiff. Add one cup of milk to the beaten yolks , and then a cup of water. Stir this into the dry mixture. Add the whipped whites , stirring carefully , so as not tc break the mush , and bake in hissing hot gem pans thirty minutes. Kxcellerit Cough Syrup. An excellent cough syrup that needs 710 persuasion to get it taken is made this waj * : Steep three tablespoonfuls of flaxseed in enough water to make It a half cup of clear flaxseed tea when strained. Add to this a cup of loaf sugar and the juices of three lemons and cook until a clear jelly-like syrup is obtained. This is not only agreeable to the palate , but will be found most soothing to the irritated throat and lungs , Grape Catbiip. Wash six pounds of grapes , drain on a napkin , remove from stems , place in a preserve kettle and mash with a wooden masher , so it will not be neces sary to add any water for cooking. Boil soft and strain through a fine sieve. Return to preserve kettle , add one pint vinegar , three pounds of sugar , one tablespoonful each of mace and cloves. Boil slowly twenty minutes and seal hot. Scorched Liineii , To remove scorch from linen , use the juice of an onion. Bake a large onion and squeeze out the juice through a piece of earth , a little finely shredded soap and a wiueglassful of vinegar. Boil together till the soap has dissolv ed ; leave till cold , and then apply the preparation to the scorched linen. Let it dry and then wash in the usua ) way. Care of False Teeth. Any one who has been obliged to wear a "plate" will recognize the pe culiar tenderness which gradually af fects the sound teeth coming in con tact with it. This corrosion may bit prevented , say dental authorities , if the teeth are occasionally brushed with linking soda or baking powder , and then thoroughly rinsed. Fchno ! .Lunch. A spoonful of scrambled eggs or omelet left from breakfast and spread between slices of buttered broad or biscuit niak"s a school lunch sandwich that is usually found aceptable. A spoonful of creamed codfish is al&o not to bo de pKed as a savory "filler" for the omnivorous sandwich. Handy Grass Cutter. Grass can be quickly < -ut on lawns ! > y a Wisconsin man's device. , consist ing of a velocipede with a driA'ing gear , which runs a cutting knife as the operator rides along , the machine ul.so gathering up the grass in rows. Improved Milk Pail. An improved pail for milking cows has plates opposite sides of the rim , provided with teeth or projections to engage the clothing on the knees of the person using the pail to prevent it from slipping. 7lv on "Woodwork. When ink has been spilled on the floor or wood work , scour the spot ; with sand , water and ammonia. Then apply soda and water , and , if neces sary , retouch the paint. Iampness in < ellar. If the cellar has a damp smell , and is difficult of ventilation , a few pans of charcoal se * OH the shelves and in the corner ; , will inake the air sweet and imre. In Vienna a man is often admitted to court r-ocially because of his official po sition whose wife is never received. No matter how high he rises and how pow erful he becomes , his wire is barred. Even the late empress was snubbed be cause she Avas only the daughter of a duke. One hundred centenarians die in En gland yearly.