THE FARMER AT HOME. gj 



the water is as clear as a looking-glass ; but such calms are almost 

 constant presages of an approaching storm. On the coasts about 

 Smyrna, a long calm is reputed a prognostic of an earthquake. 



CALORIC. This name is applied to fire, or the substance which 

 produces the sensation we call heat, but never to the sensation itself, 

 or the effect produced by fire. Animal heat is preserved chiefly by 

 the inspiration of atmospheric air. If the hand be put upon a hot 

 body, part of the caloric leaves the hot body, and enters the hand ; 

 this produces the sensation of heat. On the contrary, if the hand be 

 put upon a cold body, part of the caloric contained in the hand leaves 

 the hand to unite with the cold body ; this produces the sensation of 

 cold. Caloric comes to us from the sun, at the rate of two hundred 

 thousand miles in a second of time. Caloric may be procured by 

 combustion, percussion, friction, the mixture of different substances, 

 and by means of electricity and galvanism. In a latent state, caloric 

 exists in all substances with which we are acquainted ; but it com 

 bines with different substances in very different proportions. 



On agriculture, this agent acts with great effect, since the soil L 

 cold or hot according as it retains or parts with the caloric it receive 

 from the sun. Soils that are black or white receive the least benefiv 

 from heat ; the black mould, while it acquires heat with rapidity, 

 giving it off still more freely ; and the white soils, owing their color 

 principally to clay that retains moisture very strongly, scarcely feel 

 its influence, the heat being carried off in evaporating the water. 

 The experiments of Rumford and Leslie show, that a vessel covered 

 with lamp-black radiated heat at the rate of one hundred degrees, 

 while one made of bright tin plate, gave out only twelve degrees. 

 Soils in which mould or black earth is properly combined with silex 

 and alumine, will retain heat the longest, as the black gives it out to 

 the others instead or radiating it into space. A melon laid on a bed 

 of powdered charcoal, will ripen, when one on common earth will 

 remain green and immature. 



CALVES. The rearing of calves is an important branch of 

 rural economy. The value of the future ox or cow is greatly depend- 

 ing on the treatment the calf receives. The subject is of more conse- 

 quence to the farmer than generally supposed. Where circumstances 

 will permit, allowing the calf to run with the cow and draw its food 

 directly from her, is probably the best method, since it is that of na- 

 ture ; but as the milk for dairy purposes is valuable, breeders have 

 substituted many modes of feeding the calf, in which milk is partly 

 dispensed with, some other nutritive substance taking its place. As 

 a general rule, the calf should be allowed to suck the cow till the milk 

 is good. Some allow them to suck a week or fortnight, according to 

 their strength, but it has been found that where calves are to be taken 

 off, the earlier it is done, the better, both for cow and calf each mak- 

 ing less ado at the separation. After removed from the cow, the 



