230 



Chapter of Recipes and Hints. 



Vol. IV. 



in favour of the latter, according to the com- 

 mon scale of prices, of $;25. If you merely 

 charge the interest on the outlay, this would 

 be $1 50, and would diminish the difierence 

 between the good and bad acre but this 

 amount, or would leave the crop on the rich 

 acre worth fi58 more than on the poor acre. 

 Estimate the farmer's corn crop at ten acres, 

 and you will perpeive that the cultivator of 

 the ten rich acres realizes a nett fc!580 more 

 than the cultivator of tlie ten poor acres. 

 Carry out this comparison to the products of 

 the whole farm, and we shall at once dis- 

 cover why the good farmer finds a profit in 

 an outlay every four years of $20 an acre iii 

 enriching his lands. But if we suppose — 

 what is, in fact, the truth, that the long ma- 

 nure which causes this great increase in corn 

 crop, is as good for the next crop as it would 

 have been, had it been summer yarded, as 

 was once, and is now often the case, the ab- 

 solute additional expense is nothing — the food 

 of the corn crop is absolutely saved to the 

 farm. I might carry these illustrations to 

 other crops, to farms and to districts of coun- 

 try. In my journeying in the states of New 

 York and New Jersey, I have seen many 

 farms, and some districts, where the intrinsic 

 value of lands has been enhanced a thousand 

 per cent., or in a ten fold degree, by the al- 

 most magic influence of improved husbandry, 

 based upon the principle of working no more 

 land than can be kept rich and worked well. 



These facts suggest to the farmer who 

 would keep the fertility and productiveness 

 of his soil, the necessity of 



1st, Consuming his crops, as far as practi- 

 cable, upon his farm, or returning to it an 

 equivalent in manure for what he carries of!! 



2d, Of carefully husbanding every animal 

 and vegetable substance which he can com- 

 mand, of preserving it from waste, and of 

 faithfully and judiciously applying to the soil 

 as food for his crops; and 



3d, Of studymg those laws of nature which 

 govern, to a greater or less extent, the whole 

 business of the farm, and which can never be 

 violated with impunity. 



Chapter of Recipes and Hints* 



Breeding of Cattle and Slieep* 



In an essay on this subject, read at a meet- 

 ing of the English Agricultural Society, Ear] 

 Spencer states it to be tlie result of his own 

 experience, " that in most cases the qualities 

 of the m*ale parent predominates in the off- 

 spring," and tliat therefore those who pay no 

 attention to the description of males to which 

 they put tlieir females, " consider as a matter 

 of indifference that on which the profitable or 

 unprofitable nature of their occupation main- 

 ly depends." 



Be always at leisure to do good. 



To soften water. — A few ounces of soda 

 will soften a hogshead of the hardest water. 

 It is greatly superior to either pot or pearl 

 ash, giving a delicate whiteness to the linen, 

 without the slightest injury, and it never, un- 

 less excess is used, in the least affects the 

 hands. 



Sore Throat. — Take a glass of olive or 

 sweet oil, and half a glass of spirits of tur- 

 pentine ; mix them well together, and rub 

 the throat externally, wearing flannel round 

 it at the same time. It proves most effec- 

 tual when applied eaily, in curing a sore 

 throat. 



To cure Chilblains. — Take an ounce of 

 white copperas, dissolved in a quart of water, 

 and occasionally apply it to the parts affected 

 with chilblains. This will ultimately re- 

 move the most obstinate chilblains. This ap- 

 plicalion must be used before they break, ! 

 otherwise it will do injury. 



A salve made of carrots grated fine, sim- ; 

 mered m kird till quite brown, and then sepa- 

 rated by a strainer, is considered excellent 

 tor chilblains. ' 



For a Fellon. — If a fellon or runround be 

 coming on your finger, you can do nothing 

 better than to soak it thoroughly in hot lye. 



Yankee Sweet-meats. — The Maine Tem- ' 

 perance Gazette says that it is nothing new 

 to convert pumpkins into sv.'ect-mcats — and 

 furnishes the following recipe for the same. 



" One pound of pumpkin and a lemon to 

 each pound of sugar; a little water to be add- 

 ed to the sugar; the fruit, properly sliced, 

 thrown into the syrup, and prepared like other 

 preserves. Improved by standing a few 

 weeks. Cucumber and water-melon rinds, 

 preserved in the same way, also resemble the 

 West India sweet-meats." 



Candle Wicks. — Those who make candles 

 will find it a great improvement to steep the 

 wicks in lime water and saltpetre, and dry 

 them. The flame is clearer, and the tallow 

 will not " run." 



Sick Head Ache. — The patient is recom- 

 mended to take a spoonfiil of ginger mixed 

 witli a lump of susjar, in a tumbler three parts 

 full of water, with the cliill otf; to sit tor a 

 qujirter of an hour, with his feet in water 

 agreeably warm, and to apply a napkin 

 wrung out with cold water to the temple or 

 forehead. 



Toprcvenl earthen ware from cracking. — 

 It is a good plan to put new eartlien ware in- 

 to cold water, and let it heat gradually until 

 it boils — tlien cool again. I3rowii earthen 



