98 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



POISONED CHEESE. 



The roIiowin<T communication from Dr. Fansher 

 appeari? in the Hart.^ord Coiirant: — " I understand 

 that a large family in Simsbury have been poison- 

 ed by eating cheese which came from New Or- 

 leans, oC which every member ot'it perished ; and 

 having recently returned from a lour to the west, I 

 have thought it my duly to slate what 1 heard 

 relative to ihe milk sickness districts, viz : — that 

 the beef, butler and cheese, as well as the milk of 

 ihe cows which (tjed in the woods, were deadly poi- 

 sons to those who partook of them, and that persons 

 in that region dare not make use of either ; but 

 that they are in the habit of sending what they 

 dare not eat to New Orleans, where it is sold to 

 merchants, who are not aware of the criminal 

 fraud, and suspect not that they are dealing in a 

 deadly poison." 



CHEAP MANURING. 



From the Maine Cultivator. 



Many farmers in this state of late years have 

 adopted the practice of manuring their land lor 

 wheat the ensuing season, by turning in green 

 crops. For instance, take a field when the grass 

 upon it is about fully grown, say the first of .Fuly, 

 and turn it nicely over with the plough. Then 

 harrow and sow with buckwheat. In four or 

 five weeks, that is by the middle of August, this 

 crop will have attained its growth. Turn this under 

 Avilh the plough, as you did the grass before. 

 These two green crops thus ploughed under, bring 

 to the soil much manure from ihe green haum 

 actjuired from the atmosphere. 'J'hey create an 

 active lermentation, make the soil light and pliable, 

 and manure it more than if the same had been 

 cut in the tbrm of hay and fodder and given to 

 horses and cattle in the barn. It is on the whole 

 an excellent mode of enriching soils, which wdl 

 ordmarily produce good wheat the next season. 



TUB DOMESTIC COCOONERY. 



From the Journal of the American Silk Society. 



It is expected (hat during the season of 1840, 

 great numbers of persons will desire to try experi- 

 ments in feeding silk worms, and to enable ihem 

 to do so upon the most economical plan, we have 

 prepared the following directions for fining up and 

 conducting a domestic cocoonery. Entire confi- 

 dence may be placed in all the estimates and cal- 

 culations, as they are founded upon the results of 

 actual and judicious practice, both of European 

 and American culturisis. The editor of this 

 Journal has been able to establish a set of sim- 

 ple principles or elements, deduced from the prac- 

 tice above alluded to, of numerous individuals, 

 which will enable any person to make his calcu- 

 lations without difficulty, viz . 



1st. The averaore weight of leaves that each 

 moras muliicaulisW will aflord during its sea- 

 eon's growth on land of lair quality, and the trees 

 planted four feet by one apart, is one pound. 



2d. The average quantity of leaves consumed 

 by each worm during its life, is one ovnce. 



3d. The space of slielf occupied by the worms, 

 is as follows : 



During tlie 1st ngf, ],(K)0 worms occupy 1-3 of a square fool. 

 " 2(1 age, " " " y-4 " " 



" 3d age, " " " 2 square feet. 



" 4th age, " « " 6 " « 



" 5th age, " « " 18 " « 



4th. Three thousand worms will make one 

 bushel ofcocoons. 



5th. One bushel ofcocoons will make one pound 

 of raw silk, ready for market. 



6th. One pound of cocoons will produce one 

 ounce of eggs. 



Thus, 1,000 trees will feed 16,000 worms the 

 first year; these will require 288 square feet of 

 shelf, or 8 shelves, 12 leet long and 3 feet wide. 

 They will produce 5 J bushels of cocoons, or the 

 same number of pounds of merchantable raw silk. 



These simple elements, and all calculations 

 founded on them, it must be borne in mind, refer 

 exclusively to the natural system; that which 

 all persons will practise in a domestic cocoonery. 



Any common room may be used for the cocoon- 

 ery. It ought, however, to have one or more 

 windows on each side, and if it have a fire-place, 

 it will be all the better for it. The second story of 

 the house will be better for the worms than the 

 first, though it is not so convenient for the attend- 

 ants. If it be desired to fit it up temporarily for 

 the cocoonery, the following plan will answer 

 every purpose, without the least injury to the 

 walls, or any thing else ; and after the cocoons 

 are gathered, the shelves can be removed, and the 

 lumber used lor other purposes. 



Suppose the room to be 20 feet long, and 16 feet 

 wide. Make three trestles, such as carpenters 

 use, out of scanilip.g, 3 feet long, one foot high, 

 with four legs. Set one in the middle, and one 

 near each end of one side of the room, and lay 

 upon them 3 planks, 16 feet long and 1 foot wide ; 

 thus making a temporary table, 16 feet long and 3 

 teet wide. A tin-pan can be placed under each 

 foot of the trestles, to be kept flill of water to pre- 

 vent ants and other vermin from getting upon the 

 shelves. They can be obtained very cheaply at 

 every tin-shop, and are eflectual preventives of 

 such evils. A second shelf may be placed upon 

 the first, by fixing the trestles directly over those 

 below, and a third, fourth, fifth and sixth in the 

 same way. The trestles should be made to stand 

 firmly and level, with the legs expanded, that they 

 may act as braces to steady the range of shelves. 

 The plank need not be nailed down, if it be an 

 object not to injure them ; but the shelves would 

 be more steady and firm if this were done. In 

 setting up these shelves, a space ought to be left 

 between Ihem and the wall, to prevent anls, &c. 

 getting upon them from that quarter; a few 

 inches will be sufficient. In a room of the above 

 dimensions, then, we shall have three ranges of 

 shelves, 16 feel long, 3 feet wide, with an alley of 

 3 feet between each range, &c. and a space at 

 each end, to pass freely. 



If we put 6 shelves in each range, we shall have 

 18 shelves, 16 by 3 feet each, and these will con- 

 tain 48,000 worms. The plank shelves should be j 

 covered with old newspapers or anj' other waste 9 

 paper. 



