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DETROIT, FEBRUARY 18, 1884.

5 ”iv? [THEE IHLQIUgli-QHGL'cheugmp~plemenm’to

 

 

THE .FAITIIFUL HO l’SEWIFE.

1 see her’in her home content,
The faithful housewife, day by day;
Her duties seem like pleasures sent,
And joy attends her on her way.
She cares not for the loud acclaim
That goes with rank and social strife,
Her wayside home is more than fame;
She is its queen—the faithful wife.
When summer days are soft and fair,
And bird-songs till the cottage trees,
She reaps a benison as rare,
As her own gentle ministries.
Peace shrines itself upon her face.
And happiness in every look;
Her voice is full of charm and grace,
Like music of the summer brook.
In winter when the days are cold,
And all the landscape dead and bare,
How well she keeps her little fold;
How shines the fire beside her chair!

The children go with pride to school,
The father‘s toil half turns to play,
So faithful is her frugal rule,
So tenderly she molds the day.

Let higher stations vaunt their claim,
Let others sing of rank and birth,
The faithful housewife’s honest fame
Is linked to the best joy on earth.

THE NEW HOUSEHOLD.

How do you like our new Household?
It is the purpose of the proprietors of the
FARMER to publish the Household here-
after in this form, giving it more room
than was possible before, and expecting
that it will become correspondingly more
useful and interesting to farmers’ wives
and daughters. It will be the aim of the
Household Editor, in the future as in the
past, to make the department as valuable
as possible. But she begs to remind its
readers that a newspaper Household is not
unlike its prototype of the home; the help
of all its members is needed in making it
useful and instructive, as in the family
all must aid toward the general happi-
ness, comfort and prosperity. Ours is
emphatically a farmers’

it are farmers’ wives and daughters, and
it is a credit to them that it is known
among newspaper readers as “ a sensible
Household Department.” The Household

Edit‘or most cordially invites the lady .
readers to aid in making it entertaining ’

and beneficial. Its columns are open for
the discussion of all subjects pertaining
to women, home and the family. The

Waste basket is diminutive; little House- i
hold manuscript ever finds its way there. i

We ask for your opinions and your ideas, ‘9 shirrings more popular. The fancy for

' those best thoughts that come like ‘inspi-
j rations sometimes, and which may cheer

Household; .

nearly all who have as yet contributed to ‘1

 

i

and strengthen some unknown and
tempted soul, proving indeed “ the word
fitly spoken.” Write up your pet econo
miss, your labor-saving cantrivances, .
your pretty fancy work; give the world '
the benefit of your best recipes, and prove ;

, thus by your deeds that you have a living,

vital interest in the well-doing of the
FARMER Household.

———-—o—.—~.——-——-—

LEAP-YEAR. PRIVILEGES.

The Household Editor is requested to
give her views as to the propriety of young
ladies availing themselves of the peculiar
privileges of leap-year. It really does not
seem as if a leap-year party could be con
sidercd one of the “seven deadly sins,”
nor even an indiscretion, since custom so
generally sanctions the privilege. If
young ladies choose to pay off some of
their social obligations to their customary
cavaliers, by usurping the masculine pre-
rogative of issuing the invitations and
paying the bills, there seems no very
serious objection. But it is advisable

‘ drapery.

 

that the company go together, or in i
quartettes, and niatronized by several g
married ladies, not too old to have for-
gotten they were ever young, but of sufv .
ficient dignity to restrain too abundant ’
spirits, and check romping or undue y
familiarity. There is considerable fun to
be had by thus turning the tables in this ,
fashion; and under proper restraints and

conditions, it seems harmless. But. the[
young lady who invites a male acquaint- I
ance to an entertainment of this nature,

should be careful that, as young meni
sometimes say of the girls’ they take out,
“he will do her credit,” and he should
feel himself complimented by the se-
lection, since it is to be supposed thegirls ;
will select the ones they most honor and
respect among their friends. And itisé
not best to assume too much of the caval- “
ier, for even a charming girl cannot. affect (
the manners of a man without the loss of f
somewhat of her feminine grace, and i
sometimes the manners they would im- 1
itate are not to be commended even in '

men. . In leap-year masquerading. be yet ‘,
feminine.

HOW TO TRIM DRESS SKIRTS.

The new styles of trimming dress skirts
for the spring. season differ somewhat -
from the winter modes. Pleatings are
rather less in vogue, and ruflles. puffs and f

' rufile an eighth of a yard wide.

' a yard, and fall below as aflounce.

draperies gives
room for more elaborate ornamentation
of the lower skirt, which is sometimes
covered with narrow ruflles quite to the
The foundation skirt is still
narrow and short, and to this is applied
the trimmings. A dress of grey camel’s
hair designed for early spring wear has a
side pleating three-eighths of a yard deep,
over which falls at very,decp flouncc. the

, bottom out into deep yzuniyke points
1 which fall over the pleating and are bor-

dered with velvet ribbon, and which is
shirrcd above to form a. puff which meets
the overskirt. The latter is a straight
width four yards long, gathered to the
skirt—band at the top, and looped to form
a round apron front and full back.
Another skirt to be worn with a polonaise
is entirely covered by three fiounees with
notched edges, laid in box-pleats, and the
fullness of each pleat shirred in a cluster
six inches above the notched edge. There
is a very narrow box pleating at the foot
of the skirt. For plain skirts that are
worn with lower drapery a pretty trim—
ming is a bias pufi an eighth of a. yard
deep when finished, Shirred to leave a
narrow standing ruflie at the top, and
falling upon a gathered or knife-pleated
Wider
pleatings are sometimes Shirred length—
wxse near the edge of each pleat to form
inch wide frills for a space of a fourth of
TWO
soft puffs are sometimes used, around the
foot, Without either pleatings or frills.
For young girls, a series of puffs falling
upon each other may form a short dra- _
pcry, while the lower skirt is formed
entirely of kilt pleating.

The new apron overskirts have three
straight breadths, not gored,and are ga‘th
ered in two rows across the top, and the
gathers sewed upon the lower skirt an
inch or so below the belt: or, if the figure
is slight, sewed into the belt with the
skirt. The lower edge of the apron is
gathered like. the top, turned under out,
of sight and sewed firmly to the skirt,
falling over like a puff. It is then tacked
at three or four places along the seIVedgt-
edge where the breadths are joined, and
made to droop in soft folds and puffsythe

. side fullness is laid in close pleats far
- back on the lowe,r skirt, the back drapery
. being long and full.
' which begins on each side of the front of

A panier pleating

the belt, falls below the hips, and is turn
ed back and upward upon itself to the
belt at the back, is also a stylish device;
the straight back breadths are gathered
very full and fall to the foot of the foun»
dation skirt.

 


 

. O
:2. , THE HO‘USEHOLD.

 

 

HEALTH AND MEDICINE.

Most of us smiled over A. H. J ."s de—
scription of the rough but honest advo-
cate of “taking something,” in a recent
FARMER, and many who have suffered
from an overplus of prescriptions during
a slight indisposition will recognize in
him a type of humanity to be found in
every community. And it is amusing to
see with what charming unanimity all the
world, when slightly ailing, believes in
“taking something,” and how implicit
the faith in the virtue of that “some-
thing.” Indeed, one cannot help believing
that the faith which accompanies the
dose is really more toward the healing
than the medicine itself. The princely
fortunes amassed by our patent medicine
men, and the fact that in ninety-nine out
of one hundred houses you can find some-
body’s patent remedy for all the ills the
flesh is heir to, attest the credulity of
mankind.

A well known physician of this city,
one who though yet hardly in the prime
of life has already won distinction in
medical circles, and has a brilliant future
before him, said to me once: “Two-
thirds the people to whom we give medi-
cine would be better ofi without it. Yet
we must prescribe, or people go away
angry, to some other physician. The best
we can do is to give some harmless potion
and insist on certain hygienic rules; the
hygiene cures, the medicine gets the
credit.” I have often thought of this
when I have seen humanity virtuously
taking its hitters. If a regular physician
could say this, of those who sought his
aid, what are we to think of the great
majority who prescribe for themselves,
and look to find the elixir of health in
compounds of nauseous drugs!

A very large share of the disorders for
which we are recommended to “ take
something ” take their rise in irregulari-
ties of the stomach, induced by improper
food, imperfect digestion, or over—eating,
the latter perhaps the most frequent
cause. Few seem to consider that the ap-
petite is to be controlled, rather than in-
dulged and over-stimulated. As a rule
we eat too much, more than is needful to
keep up the vital forces, and the over-
burdened stomach does its best to dispose
of the surplus till at last it rebels; and we
say we are “sick ” and immediately “take
something.” Nine times out of ten, if we
would simply omit a couple of meals alto-
gether, or at most eat very sparingly 'of
very simple and easily digested food, the
stomach, convinced we meant no further
imposition on its good natured and faith-
ful efforts to keep us healthy, would
resume its labors and our indisposition
right itself. But the pill or potion we
swallow to graciously assist nature, is far
more apt by its drastic character, or the
irritation induced by its powerful ingred-
ients on the delicate membrane involved,
to make a bad matter worse, and at last
we find ourselves in serious trouble.

I certainly believe that a good many
people who now seem to be living merely

to save funeral expenses,if they would but
abandon their pernicious habit of
“taking something ” from one to three

 

 

times a day, live more in the open air,
think less of themselves and their aches
and pains, and eat in moderation of
healthful and well-cooked food, might
regain health and strength. Something
to distract the mind from itself is the best
tonic to such. “De mornin’ glories ain’t
lubly to a man wid de backache,” says
the philosopher of the plantation, but if
the beauty of the dewy bells distract the
thoughts from the backache,who shall say
they have served an ignoble purpose?

The above restrictions are designed to
apply more particularly to that large class
who “ take something ” on general princi-
ples. There are cases constantly occurring
when to “ take something ” and that the
right thing, means life or death. In such
cases, while the swiftest messenger sum~
mons the physician, the anxious watchers
by the sick bed often cry, “ Oh, if we
could only do something! ” And here is
where a knowledge of the virtues of sim-
ple domestic remedies is most invaluable.
Many a death by accidental poisoning has
been averted by the prompt administra-
tion of ipecac, mustard water or whites of
eggs, according to the nature of the poi—
son; many a child has recovered from
croup by the use of hot poultices and lard-
and-sugar, or such simple remedy, who
would not have lived to see the doctor’s
face. Every house should be supplied
with the simple, common remedies, so
easy to use, often more efficient than the
powders we give so trustingly from the
physician’s hand. A lady whom I visited
last fall told me she had a medical work
in the house, which described the symp-
toms of disease, and told what medicines
to give; she had found it invaluable with
her family of little ones. And a work of
the same character, in use in a relative’s
family, I know to have saved many a “run
of sickness ” and many a doctor’s bill‘
within the past seven years. But it takes
time and study to gain a proficiency in
discerning symptoms and diagnosing dis-
ease, yet one cannot but feel that it is
time well spent.

There is, however, one thing which the
advocate of “taking something” can do
for the good of his fellow creatures, and
that is not parade his pill box in the face
of a long suffering public. Notwithstand-
ing the fact that it is a greater breach of
good manners to take medicine in public
than to clean one’s finger-nails, or pick
the teeth, there are people who seem to
take delight in disgusting every one
around by so doing. “ Once upon a time ”
I boarded where my vis-a-vis, a young
man whose moustache answered to the
definition of faith, being “the evidence
of things hoped for, the substance of
things not seen,” insisted upon prefacing
the soup with a pill, which he took with
great gusto before us all. The study of
my life for three weary months was to be
late or early enough at meals to avoid this
preliminary; when I did not succeed my
dinner tasted of pills too. I see his name
now occasionally as attending parties,
where the German is danced, and often
wonder if that pink pill-box 18 as promi-
nent as at our dining table. If one must

“take something,” it can be kept out of ,

 

sight and smell of others, though I some—
times think the position of invalid is very
pleasing to the average “ human," and
not a small part- of the benefit of the dose
derived from the sympathy of others.
BEATRIX.

.._..

EDUCATION AND GOOD BREAD.

 

 

Beatrix says “ she neither affirms nor
denies,” hence I rise to assert that any
woman of ordinary intelligence can learn
all there is to learn about housekeeping,
in less than six months, and do it well too.
far better than one who has rested on her
laurels since childhood. The latter strives
for no improvement. She thinks she can
keep house well enough, for the simple

reason she knows how to do nothing else. .

I know whereof I speak, for when I was
chosen as a farmer’s wife, the wise old
dames shook their heads and wondered
what we would live on; said I could
never cook if I did know how to demon
strate every proposition in geometry.
Their daughters should learn something
useful. They seemed to utterly ignore
the fact that in order to acquire this
“book learnihg,” at which they so loudly
cry “sour grapes,” an individual must
possess energy, judgment and common
sense, each one of which will prove good
stockin any business. Another mistaken
notion with them is because one does not
teach school or work at some remunera-
tive employment, their education is thrown
away. A second thought would assure
them that we cannot throw it away; we
can use it In all the ordinary affairs of
life, and never decrease the fund. Neither
can we contend about the division of this
rich legacy, after our dear parents are
gone. But when trials and afflictions
come, as come they will to most of us,
then indeed will it require all the dis-
cipline which the higher mathematics has
given us in order to meet them bravely.
In regard to my experience I will say.
that I attacked the work with all the
zeal of a novice, not forgetting to seize
the earliest opportunity to return the
friendly visits of the aforesaid acquain-
tances (who had so proudly boasted they
could not tell a square from a parallelo-
gram). The first casual glance convinc-
ed me that they were decidedly “slack, ”
as far as their house and personal appear-
ance were concerned; concluded they
must have used the most of their power
and energy in the preparatory department.
When they condescendingly gave us at
table, our choice between sour bread or
hot biscuits, I smiled maliciously, pat~
ted myself complacently and thought:
“Emmyline, you can do better than that,
don’t think there will many warm biscuits
rise up in judgment against you, if ‘ our
works do follow us.’ ” At one nice house
(ah! how I coveted the house,) I particu-
larly noticed the bread; it was so coarse
and brown, hard and dry that my hus-
band declared it possible to knoék down
a two-year-old steer with a loaf of it. He
immediately suggested that in the line of
bread—makingI should amplify my field of
missionary work, having already taught
multitudes in our vicinity. Perhaps I
can afford to comply with his request, as

it

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THE HOUSEHOLD. 8

 

he says I can make as good bread as his
mother; such praise ought to satisfy the
heart of any woman. ' Yet it remains an
unsolved problem how the majority of
housekeepers (not mentioning hired girls)
can make such poor bread; aside from
the consideration of health, it is certainly
wicked to waste so much good flour. Now
my friends, “lend me your ears ” and I
will disclose my pet recipe for the
delicious article; and I think most of you
will find it an entirely new departure,
consequently it is my duty to forewarn
you that the bread-box will be in a chronic
state of being empty.

Prepare what I call a fermentation, as
follows. Take two cups of flour, one cup
of sugar, one-half cup of salt; thoroughly
mix with one quart of water (luke-warm),
add two yeast cakes, previously soaked.
Set this in a warm place and it will rise
in a few hours; you can tell when it is
light, as the flour will rise and form a
sort of scum. Secondly, take two quarts
of hot mashed potatoes, pour over them
three quarts of clear cold water, which
will make them about luke-warm, strain
through a colander, now add the above
fermentation and raise again. This
makes between two and three gallons,
and can be set away in a cool place in the
stone jar in which it is made. I usually
sift the flour at night and set it in a warm
cupboard near the stove, but never sponge
the bread until morning;then it is quickly
and easily done by stirring into the flour
two or three quarts of the prepared liquid.
(Be sure and put no water in the bread.)
The sponge will rise in an hour; mix into
one large loaf and put back to rise, then
cut it into small loaves and raise again;
have the oven moderately hot and bake
forty-five minutes. The bread comes out
white and sweet, and good enough to set
before a king. If you should fail the
first time, just lay the blame on the poor,
innocent flour and try again, but I antic-
ipate no trouble with those who have a
fair education. E. s. B.

Bmen-ron, Feb. 5, ‘84.

w—

FANCY FIXINGS FOR THE GIRLS.

 

At a church social which I attended
recently I noticed such a pretty apron
worn by one of the young ladies who was
flying about in the role of “ pretty waiter

_ gir ," that I thought I would describe it

for the benefit of other girls. It was made
of one straight breadth of creamy white
cheese cloth, and was quite long, as it is
the fashion just now to have aprons reach
nearly to the bottom of the dress, instead
of being short and “hobby,” as so long the
mode. The bottom was raveled out to
form a fringe about three inches deep.
Two inches above this fringe threads
were drawn out for a space about an inch
wide, then another plain two inch space,
then another of drawn threads and so on
till there were four rows of drawn spaces.
The other end of the breadth was finished
the same way, only the fringe was deeper.
Narrow cardinal ribbons were then run
in and out among the drawn threads, and
the end of the apron folded over about
three—eighths of a yard,and fastened about

 

the waist under a ribbon belt tied in a
large double bow. It was a very coquet-
tish little afiair, quite “French.” Linen
bunting or almost any soft material in
which threads can readily be drawn
would answer as well as cheese cloth,
though the semi-transparency of the lat-
ter is an advantage.

I think ladies who use cheese cloth
draperies for their windows might trim
them very efiectively in this same way, at
the top and bottom, folding over half a
yard or so, at the top, to serve as a lam-
brequin and display the bands of color.
Plain Turkey red calico might be used
instead of ribbon, and drawn out when
the curtains were washed.

A friend showed me a stocking bag
which she received for a Christmas pres-
ent, and which I thought was a very
pretty and useful thing for a sleeping
room. It was made of pale blue silesia,
with crushed strawberry ribbons. Two
pieces of pasteboard seven inches by four-
and-a-half inches were rounded at one
end, and neatly covered with the silesia
and a little Kate Greenaway figure out-
lined in crushed strawberry silk on each
of them. A piece of silesia three-fourths
of a yard long was then sewed around
the edges of these covered pieces, except
across the straight top edge. At regular
intervals on the edge of this silesia (the
edge was hemmed and feather-stitched
with the silk) were sewed small brass
rings, six on one edge, five on the other.
Through these were run strawberry color-
ed ribbons, drawing the pasteboard pieces
together, xnd leaving the silesia between
them to hang out in pockets, just the
right size for a pair of stockings. A
couple of rings sewed to the straight edge
of the stiff piece served to hang it up by.
I hope I have made this plain enough so
that any one who desires to make one
will “catch the idea.” M. J. H.

DETROIT, Feb. 11th.

 

THE HOUSEKEEPING QUESTION.

 

I saw a piece by Beatrix in the FARMER
not very long ago, in which she asked
whether those who had not been brought
up to keep house, could not do it as well
as those who learned to work when they
were young. Perhaps some may, but I
think that those who grow up with some
good mother, who taught them her own
ways of doing things, and how to save
and take care of the little things, make
the best wives for farmers, anyway. A
woman who has had no experience can-
not be as economical and saving as one
who was brought up to it, and they
are awkward and hard to learn. And
a good many of them get such high
notions that they think housework
is beneath them, and will not do
any more than they can help. Some
girls I know who have always taught
school, made very poor housekeepers,
their houses always in confusion, the
meals late, and they sitting down to read
in the middle of the day, perhaps with
the beds not made, or the kitchen floor
dirty.

I think every girl ought to learn how !

 

to work, and not be let to keep her hands
white while her mother does the hard

work. It is a good deal more necessary
for a farmer’s wife to know how .to cook
than learn Latin, and though she can per-
haps learn afterward, she makes a more
useful woman if she is ' brought up to it
from the first.

This is my opinion on the subject,
which Beatrix seemed to want to get us
to give, and Ihave seen enough to justify
me in coming to this conclusion.

SLOWMUS.
WAYNE, Feb. 3th.

-_..... _........._..e..__...

Useful Recipes.

 

HARPER’S Bazar gives a recipe for apple
dumplings which it says will be found much
more delicate than those made in the old-
fashioned way:

APPLE—DUMPLINGs.—Make a paste, using
one pint of flour in which one and a half tea-
spoonfuls of baking powder have been mixed,
half a tablespoonful of butter, and a half apint
of milk. Pare and core six apples; if very
sour, fill each with sugar before covering.
Cover each apple with paste, and tie them
separately in cloths, leaving room to swell.
The cloths should be dipped into hot water,
and sprinkled on the inside with flour. Place
in a steamer over boiling water, and steam for
one hour. Instead of tying them up in cloths,
the dumplings may be rubbed over on the out-
side with a little melted butter, and put in a
dish, which is then put in the steamer; but
the dumplings are more likely to run together.
Serve with butter, sugar, and a small quantity
of the white of an egg beaten to a foam.

 

APPLE CAKE—This is a sort of second
cousin once removed to apple-dumpling, and
is made by mixing apples pared and cut into
small pieces into light, unsweetened bread
dough. The dough is then kneaded into a
round loaf, and baked as soon as it becomes
light.

 

APPLE AND TAPIOCA PUDDING.—-Soak half
a pint of tapioca in a quart of warm water for
an hour; prepare the apples by paring and
quartering; put them in a dish and pour the
tapioca over them. Bake until the apples are
tender, and serve with cream and sugar.

 

APPLE PUD1)ING.--Place a layer of stale cake
in the bottom of a dish. Spread over the cake
a thick layer of cooked apples, and over this a
thin layer of cake crumbs. To one pint of
water add the juice of one lemon, a little of the
grated rind and four tablespoonfuls of sugar.
As soon as the sugar is dissolved. pour over
the pudding; add more water if the cake is
not thoroughly moistened, but not enough to
make it watery. Bake until a dark brown;
then spread over the top a frosting made of
the whites of three eggs and three tablespoon-
fuls of powdered sugar, and return to the oven
to brown.

 

“ OUR LANDLADY ” kindly furnishes us with
a recipefor the genuine “Parker House rolls,”
as famous in their way as Boston baked beans.
They are excellent: ’

PARKER H0! .2}: Roms—Scam a little more
than a pint c 1 milk; let it stand till cold; take
two quarts of .‘lour; make a hole in the middle
of the flour, after rubbing into it a tablespoon-
ful of melted butter; then add a half teacup of
yeast, a little sugar, salt, and the milk, and
cover with the flour. Let it stand until morn-
ing, then work until smooth. When it is light
roll out and cut with a pint pail cover; rub

 


 

4 THE HOUSEHOLD.

 

 

with ittle butter and lap over like a turn.
over; hen let them rise and bake twenty
minutes.

 

APPLE AND RICE Puwrxc.—-Boil a cupful
of rice, draining it quite dry. Place a buttered
cloth in a dish, spread the rice over the bottom
and sides; place in the center apples sliced and
mixed with sugar and spice, and cover all with
rice, steam one hour. Turn out on a plate, top
downward, and serve with sweetened cream.

@122 gutting garb. '

A Poultry House.

 

 

 

 

Henry Stewart, a well-known agricul—
tural writer, describes a new poultry
house he has just built, and which he
considers the best he has constructed:

“For fifty fowls it is 24feet long, 10
feet wide, five feet high in the rear, and
eight feet in the front. The sills are four
by six inches; the studs two by four
inches, and the boards are novelty siding
which fit very closely and make a
wind-proof wall. The roof is of
matched boards, covered with tarred
roofing felt. The house is divided
into two parts by an enclosed passage-
way in the middle five feet wide. This is
used for setting hens. The partitions are
made of laths. The roosts are one
by two-inch strips, made into a
rack or frame hinged to the joists,
so that it can be raised back to the
wall out of the way when the floors
are cleaned. The floor is the earth, which
is dry and dusty, and is supplied with
fresh soil or coal ashes all over when it is
necessary to renew it. Each apartment
has a large sash of twelve lights, of 10 by
12-inch glass, put in loosely so that it can
be taken out in the summer and replaced
by a frame covered with wire netting of
two-inch mesh. This is necessary to keep
out vermin, and it affords perfect ventila-
tion. The entrance holes are under the
windows, and have each aslide for the
purpose of closing them at night. The
entrance door in the centre, and opens
into the central passage, which has a door
on each side opening into the roosting
places. Finding, last year, a need for a
separate place for young broods very
early in the spring, I put an annex, made
of sash, atithe east end, six feet wide, in
which the coops could be placed when it
is too cold to put them out doors. There
is a yard of less than a quarter of an acre
around the house, enclosed with Sedgwick
wire fence, in which are several plum
trees. Another yard of about the same
size is attached at one end for alternate
use, as I have already explained. Each
yard is plowed up when the other is used.
I have now fifty fowls in this house.”

IN building a new poultry house, Henry
Stewart, in the Country Gentleman, tells
what things he discarded, being convinced
of their bad effects: First I gave up
wooden floors and all sorts of fixed roosts
in the poultry house, and even all. sorts
of cleats and other things which I found
afiorded a harbor for vermin. Next I got ,

 

rid of high roosts; then I avoided fixed
roosts; next the large sashes in front
were found too hot in the summer and
too cold in the winter, and these were got
rid of.”

. W

A CORRESPONDENT of the Country Gen-
tlemen cautions against the dangers of
high feeding, saying that even though
the fowls may be comfortably housed and

‘cared for, yet they may be tdo crowded

and fed too high. Fowls require a change
often, and considerable coarse, bulky
food. There is a difference also in breed,
but all may be forced to an excessively
fat condition, which is always injurious,
especially with young fowls that should
be urged into laying at as early an age as
possible after completing growth. The
large, or Asiatic fowls in particular, after
fully grown and matured, should have
the rations Of corn stinted, and be fed
largely on coarse, bulky feed, such as
moistened bran, wheat screenings, corn
meal ground with the cob, &c., so that
they may not gorge themselves with rich
and fat-producing food, unless it is desir-
ed to fatten them for market. Plenty of
vegetable and animal food is necessary
to promote health, when the fowls will
generally produce eggs.

._ ..- ..._ +-._,. ._._. __

THE Massachusetts Ploughman advises:
“Chicks that hatch out in February or
March should be very carefully looked
after, especially during the first four
weeks after they are hatched; never let
them get chilled in the cold wind, or by
running on the snow, and yet they must
not be so closely confined indoors as not
to get the fresh air; few things will cause
chicks to stop growing quicker than to
shut them in a close warm room where
they cannot get fresh air. To have early
chicks do well they must be supplied
with some vegetables, and if they can

have the green leaves of cabbage it will,

improve them, but the young sprouts of
grass are better, and should always be
given when it is possible to get them.
The fine hay and hay seed from the bot—
tom of the hay mow is good to put in the
yard for the hen to scratch over; she will
busy herself all day hunting for seed for
the young chicks.”

. .- ...-.. . ._......-4 ”n...

C. B., in the Country Gentleman, says :
“ With fowls the origin of all disease may
be traced to the care or management.
Often by close breeding the birds may be
reduced in strength and vigor. The effect
of inbreeding often manifests itself in
the size of the fowls. They are frequently
over, but more often under size; Or some
of the females may prove to be good pro-
ducers; others may be barren. They are

:very liable to diseases, if indeed their

spent constitutions do not endanger
them. When thoroughly traced out, the
cause of disease among fowls Will be
found either in in-breeding, bad feed, or
negligence as to their wants and shelter.”

F. D. CURTIS says in the N. Y. Tribune,
“Mistakes often teach useful lessons.

..._.g——.—.- .. __._._

Some wheat into which a little coarse

salt was accidentally spilled was thrown
into the poultry-house, not thinking that
the hens might eat it. Within forty—eight
hours fifteen of the fowls were dead.”

ARM 8!. HAMMER BRAND
TO FARMERS:

It is important that the Soda or
Saleratus they use should be
white and pure, in common with
all similar substances used for
food.
. In mafiing breadbwiihhyeést
itiswe to use a on a a
& SALERATUSI teaspoonful of the " Arm and
Hammer” Brand Soda or Saleratus at the
same time, and thus make the bread rise better
and prevent it becoming sour by correcting the
natural acidity of the yeast.

DAIRYMEN and FARMERS

should use only the “Arm and Hamme "
brand for cleaning and keeping milk pans sweet
and clean.

To insure obtainin/ only the “ Arm and Ham-
mer " brand Soda or Salerat-us, buy it in room
on HALF—POUND PACKAGES w/nL h bear our name
and trade mark, as inferior goods- are sometimes
substituted for ’he " Arm and Hammer ”
brand when bought in bulk.

 

 

 

NEEDS and seed potatoes chea . Grown at Boys
Free School. For terms ad ress Wales Riggs
Farm, Francisco, Mich. jan29 18t

 

PRICE REDUCED

This cut repre-
sents a scale that
will weigh from
half an ounce to
2401bs., made by
tthhicago Scale
Co.,and warrant-
ed true. We wi 1
send one of these
scales and the
FARMEE for one
year to any ad-

 

 

 

 

 

JOHNSTONE die GIBBONS. Publishers.
“SINGER”

SEWING MACHINE

AND THE

Michigan Farmer
ONE YEAR

For Eighteen Dollars.

This cut is a fac simile of the Machine. Send
orders to J OHNSTONE & GIBBoxs. Detroit.

Michigan Central it. It.

Depot foot of Fourth street. Ticket oflces, 154
Jefferson ave., and Depot. All trains arrive and
depart on Central Standard time, which is 28 min-
utes slower than Detroit time.

 

 

 

Leave. Arrive.

Chicago Trains going west from west.
New York Limited Ex. . ......... §12.35 a m
Mail,via Main 8?. Air line *6.55 a m $.16 p In
Da Express .. . .. . #930 a m *6.25 p m
Ka . & Three Rivers Ac *4.00 p m *11.15 a in
Jackson Express ....... *5.50 p m *9.55 a m
Evening Express ....... +7.55 p m $.25 a m
Pacific Express ........ §9.45 p m 326.15 a m

GRAND RAPIDS TRAINS.

Fast Express... . . ........ $2.35 a in
Day Express ........... *9.30 a m :"(5.25 p E
Grand Rapids Express. *4.00 p m *11.45 p in
Night Express . . . . . . . .. §9.45 p m *8.25 am

SAGlNAW AND BAY crrx mums.

Bay City 35 Sag. Exp.. *4.55 D m *9

Marquette & Mackinaw *8.45 a m *11.” p m
5

 

 

Night Express ......... +1055 p m *5.5 a m
TOLEDO raarxs.

Cincinnati Express. *8.20 a m ”.25 pm

St.L. Cin, Clev. and Col {53.10 p m §12.05 p to

Cincinnati Express. . .. §6.50 p m *8.85 a in

Toledo Express. .... +9.30 p m §12.85 a m
i Canada Division.
. Leave. Arrive.
; Buffalo and 'l‘o- going east. from east.
; ronto Trains. —— ———-——-——
‘ Atlantic Express ....... §6.45 a m §8.50p m
. Mail and Accommodt’n *9.10 a m i‘8 50 p m
; Fast Day Express ...... §12.10 p In §2.55 p m
5 New York & Boston Ex *7.35 pm .. . ..
; Limited Ex ress. ..... §12.45 a m $.00 a m
i §Daily. * xcept Sundays. tExcept Ba .
3 xcept Mondays.

1
a CHAS. A. WAR EN, 0.W.RUGGLEB,
* City P. a» T. Agt.

Gen’l P. &. T. Aft"
, Dec. 9, 1883. Detroit, Mich. Chicago, Il .

«'57, spear-iistamm ‘ ‘

it.