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F A R M E R S' R E (i I S T E R . 



91 



From two cows, I have had produced more milk 

 ami butter than some around nic from two dozen.. 

 It is true, at first, I had to use personal viirilance, 

 as well as example, to prevent ignorant hirelings 

 irom bringiniT to pass, by negligence, their own 

 prophrcUs of cows going dry, and calves starving, 

 under tiie new plam Had to supervise the milk- 

 ing process, and teach the calves by insertion of a 

 linger in their mouths, under the milk at firet, to 

 drink (their mother's milk li)r two or three weeks, 

 ilterwards corn meal grnel); but this done, even 

 jirejadiced ignorance itself had to confess my plan 

 the best. As lam for abridging labor in all lea- 

 sible cases (my vineyards afford an example, un- 

 der the '•American System," of pruning only in 

 summer, and after prevented being bushy vines 

 not curtailed in length, and no necessary work on 

 plantation by common quota of hands much in- 

 terrupted,) shall 1 suggest a method to save the 

 hard work of a hand, where the dairy establish- 

 ment is considerable; which saving may be con- 

 sidered especially important, where the three sorts 

 of business may be conducted in the same estab- 

 lishment. 



The method I would propose, is that of putting 

 the labor of churning upon dogs; and that, too, 

 without abridging the plantation usefulness of 

 these animals. Various expedients were once re- 

 sorted to in the Goshen district of butter celebrity, 

 as that of a rolling or log machine drawn by a 

 horse. But finally, they fixed upon a process that 

 combined simplicity and economy. A machine, 

 costing a mere trifle, consisting in part of boards 

 or planks, so put together that the surflice resem- 

 bled a large cart wheel, and this, in the position of 

 an inclined plain, was the receptacle for the dog; 

 so placed thereon that he must step and turn the 

 wheel, or choke; (the former alternalwe he always 

 chooses.) The turning of the wheel moved some 

 simple machinery above, connected with the churn 

 within doors. 



In fine, JMr. Editor, to bring this communication 

 to a close (now extended to a length unthouo-ht 

 of at first on my part,) I would most respectfully 

 suggest, that at this period, when premiums are 

 ottered by a wise munificence of some leirislative 

 bodies of our country, to encourage silk culture, as 

 well as other airriciiltural pur-uils, that a hand- 

 some reward be held out to individuals of capital, 

 as well as of spirit and enterprise, to exhibit prac- 

 tically the benign bearing or eifects of combining 

 the vine and silk culture, and dairy business, in 

 one large or considerable establishment. And 

 may I here be permitted to express a wish, that 

 the legislative bodies of the Old Dominion and 

 Carolinas would snatch the laurel from their sis- 

 ter states, in being first to call Ibrth this enterprise 

 by their timely munificence. 



Sidney Wellkr. 



A remark or two I wish to add, or wish to be 

 added, if deemed best, by way of notes or P. S. 



The entire Goshen system alluded to, of man- 

 aging cows and calves,' is to let the calves intended 

 for veal suck all the milk of their dams, for three or 

 lour weeks, and then butcher them. But those 

 intended for raising, as before stated, are immedi- 

 ately separated from the cows, and learned to 

 drink. 



One advantage, not to be overlooked, of com- 

 bining silk and vine culture, is the healthiness of 

 grape fruit; or that all emploj-ed in the blended 



establishmerits may have, in the most sickly sea- 

 son of the year, free access to a diet, that uot only 

 counteracts or aniic:|)ates disease, but excellent, if 

 from any cause disease occurs. Invalids, by ad- 

 vice of physicians in parts of Europe, with the 

 happiest effect, confine themselves for months to a 

 grape diet; making it answer for both meat and 

 drink. 



That a grape diet of the right kind (I mean 

 ripe berries of select varieties for American vine- 

 yards, not green ones, or those sna/c/ted from the 

 birds and opossums in the woods,) I know is ex- 

 cellent, from the experience of my own family and 

 neighborhood. We are in general never more 

 healthy than in grape culture; and none of my 

 household and handsj of late years, have been 

 stinted, but have partaken abundantly of grapes 

 about two months. 



I have known persons, in cases of severe and 

 contiimed sickness, to relish good grapes when 

 tliey could eat nothing else, and there was reason 

 to believe their lives were thereby saved. 



The Isabella grape is particularly recommended 

 in cases of bilious fever, and from trial, I believe 

 the Scuppernong, and my Halifiix, are not behind 

 it in point of healthiness. But it may be objected, 

 that grapes for common diet must be very cos//j/. 

 Not so. If vineyards have a proper selection and 

 management, there are few things else cultivated 

 will produce more human food from the same 

 space of groimd. 



Mr. Broddie's Scuppernong vineyard, (I have 

 noticed before.) of half an acre and fourteen vines, 

 yields 20 barrels of wine annually; and all his 

 neighbors partake abundantly, by visitations and 

 carrying away baskets of the fruit. 



Of the yield of my vines I intend to speak, in a se- 

 parate communication, to sustain the same position. 

 Suffice it to say here, that owing to the fatality of 

 the past season to grapes predisposed to rot, my 

 chief dependence for fruit and wine was on the 

 Scuppernong and Halifax. Avoiding particulars 

 here, I will say, that from a small space of ground, 

 canopied with these vines, after bushels being ta- 

 ken away by visitors (often 20 a day) and sold to 

 those sending from a distance, I made upwards of 

 100 gallons of wine. I have noticed, after a 

 visitation of 20 or more persons to a few vines of 

 the above-named sorts, no perceptible alteration of 

 appearance, but the same thick purple or dark 

 cloud of fruit remaining. I cannot forbear here 

 stating a particular or so in regard to the yield of 

 these vines. One Scuppernong, a square of ten 

 lljet of canopy being measured, produced at the 

 rate of 870 bushels per acre, (a bushel of Scupper- 

 nong grapes makes nearly four gallons of wine 

 when well pressed,) and that, too, after giving its 

 share of fruit to visitants. One Halifiix, at the 3rd 

 year's cultivation, yielded a half bushel of grapes; 

 another at the 5th year, a bushel; and another 

 grafted one at the 4th year's growth, one ami a 

 half bushels. (One bushel of Halifiix berries in 

 racemes, makes more than three gallons of wine; 

 if pulled from racemes, would make as much as 

 Scuppernonir, I presume.) And considering the 

 space occupied by the foregoing vines, I believe 

 the yield full as great for the ground, as that of 

 the Scuppernong above-named. 



By the tacts of warning against disappointment 

 of success in clover culture, in our southern sandy 

 soils, 1 would not be understood to discourage 



