How To Destroy Chinch-Bugs

Put old pieces of rag or carpet in the crotches of the trees attacked. When the worms spin, as they will, in the rags, throw the latter in scalding water. The bugs can thus be killed by wholesale.

How To Clean Cider Barrels

Pour in lime-water, and then insert a trace-chain through the bung-hole, remembering to fasten a strong cord on the chain so as to pull it out again. Shake the barrel until all the mould inside is rubbed off. Rinse with water, and finally pour in a little whisky.

How To Prepare Cider Casks

Cider should never be put into new casks without previously scalding them with water containing salt, or with water in which apple-pomace has been boiled. Beercasks should never be used for cider, nor cider-casks for beer. Wine and brandy casks will keep cider well, if the tartar adhering to their sides is first carefully scraped off and the casks be well scalded. Burning a little sulphur in a cask will effectually remove must.

Cider From Apple-Parings

The parings of a bushel of apples will yield 1 qt. of cider by the aid of the hand-press.

Hints For Cider-Making

1. No-good cider can be made from unripe fruit. The nearer to perfect ripeness the apples, the better the cider. 2. No rotten apples, nor bitter leaves, nor stems, nor filth of any kind should be ground for cider. 3. Two presses are really necessary for each mill, so that the pomace can be exposed to the air in the one, while it is being pressed in the other, and thus acquire a deeper color. 4. New oak barrels, or those in which whisky or alcohol has been kept, are the best. 5. If more color and richer body are desired, a quart or two of boiled cider to each barrel will impart them.

Purifying Cider

Cider may be purified by isinglass, about 1 oz. of the latter to the gallon. Dissolve in warm water, stir gently into the cider, let it settle, and draw off the liquor.

How To Preserve Sweet For Years Cider

Put it up in air-tight cans, after the manner of fruit. Rack it off the dregs, and can before fermentation sets in.

Coal-Ashes As A Fertilizer

Mix them with a small proportion of well-rotted horse-manure, sifting the ashes first, and you will have an excellent fertilizer.

Corn-Cobs Utilization Of

Save the corn-cobs for kindlings, especially if wood is not going to be plentiful next winter. To prepare them, melt together 60 parts resin and 40 parts tar. Dip in the cobs, and dry on sheet-metal heated to about the temperature of boiling water.

Bed For Dogs

The best is newly made deal shavings. They will clean the dog as well as water, and will drive away fleas.

A Cheap Fertilizer

This consists of sulphate of ammonia, 60 lbs.; nitrate of soda, 40 lbs.; ground bone, 250 lbs.; plaster, 250 lbs.; salt1/2 bushel; wood ashes, 3 bushels; stable manure, 20 bushels. Apply the above amount to six acres. Labor in preparing included, it costs about $15. It is said to give as good results as most of the commercial fertilizers costing $50 per ton.