236 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



MEMOIR OF A NEW METHOD OF PAINTING 

 WITH MILK. BY A. A. CADET DE VAUX, 

 MEMBER OF THE ACADEMICAL SOCIETY OF 

 SCIENCE, 



From the Decade I'hilosopliique. 



" I published, in the ' Feuille dc Cuhivaleur,' 

 but at a time when the thoughts ofevery one were 

 absorbed by the pubhc mislbrtunes, a sinL'ular 

 economical process (or paintin<r, which the want 

 of materials induced me to substitute, instead of 

 painting in disieniper. 



Take skimmed milk, one quart — fresh slacked 

 lime, six ounces — oil of caraway, or linseed, or 

 nut, four ounces Spanish white, say whiting, five 

 pounds. Put the lime into a vessel of stone ware, 

 and pour upon it a sufficient quantity of milk, to 

 make a smooth mixture ; then add the oil by de- 

 grees, stirring the mixture with a small wooden 

 i^patula ; then add the remainder of the milk, and 

 finally the Spanish white. — Skinmicd milk, in 

 summer, is olten curdled, but this is of no conse- 

 quence, as its fluidity is soon restored by its con- 

 tact with the lime. It is, however, absolutely ne- 

 cessary that it should not be sour, lor in that case, 

 it would form with the lime a kind of calcareous 

 acetate, susceptible of attracting moisture. The 

 lime is slacked by plunging it into water, drawing 

 it out, and suffering it to fall to pieces in the air. 

 For painting while, the oil of caraway is to be pre- 

 lerred, as it is colorless; lijr painting with the 

 ochres, the commonest lamp oil may be used. 



The oil, when mixed wilh the milk and lime 

 disa|)pears, being entirely dissolved by the lime, 

 and lijrms, with it, a calcareous soap. The Span- 

 ish white must be crumbled, and gently spread on 

 the surface of the liquid, by which it is gradually 

 imbibed and at last sinks. It must then be stirred 

 with a stick. This paint is colored like distem- 

 per, vviih charcoal, levigated wilh waier, yellow 

 ochre, &c. One of the properties of my paint, 

 which we may term milk distemper paint, {Pein- 

 iureaulaii de irempe,) is lh;ii it will keep for 

 whole months, and requires neithrr lime nor fire. 

 In ten minutes we may prepare enough of it lo 

 paini a whole house; the above quaniiiy being 

 suflicient to paint the first layer of si.x loises. One 

 may sleep in a chamber the first night afier it. is 

 painted. New wood requires two coalinirs. 1 

 have since given a greater degree of solidity to 

 this method of palming, for it has been my aim, 

 not only lo substitute it in the place of jiainting 

 in distemper, but also of oil paint. 



Jiesinous milk painting. — For work out of 

 doors 1 add \o the above paint— slacked lime, 2 oz. 

 — oil, 2 oz.— white Burgundy f)itch, 2 oz. The 

 pilch is to be melted in oil, by a gentle heat, and 

 added to the milk and oil. in cold weather, the 

 mixture should be warmed, to prevent the pilch 

 li-om cooling, and to facilitate its union with the 

 milk and oil. This painting has some analogy 

 with that known by the name of encaustic." 



1 would merely observe that I have used the 

 above mixtures more or less extensively for several 

 years, and that 1 am perlectly satisfied, in my own 

 mind, that by proper atleniion in mi.xing and ap- 

 plying, it may be made, not only a cheap and 

 economical, but a durable subsiituie for ordinary 

 paints. Its appearance, when applied to the ex- 

 terior of buildings, is more beautiful than that of 

 the beet German lead— having a fine glossy sur- 



face, and when put on by a workman, equally as 

 impervious to water. Experimentalist. 



From the Farmers' Bloiillily Visitor- 

 IMPORTANT EXPERIMENT WITH POTATOES. 



Dear Sir : — Having taken notes of the result of 

 an experiment made by Mr. Newell Whitney of 

 this town, in the cullivaiion of the potaio, which 

 shows a very great saving of labor, as well as in- 

 crease of the crop, I have thought it important that 

 it be made known to the readers of your valuable 

 journal. 



Although the introduction of the Rohan potaio 

 is, I believe, destined to be of more value to this 

 country than the richest mines of gold and silver, 

 yet it will necessarily be several years before its 

 cultivation can become general ; uniil wliich time, 

 if one half or two thirds the labor of cultivaiing 

 the more common varieties can be saved, and at 

 the same time the crop largely increased, our farm- 

 ers should know it. 



Last spring Mr. Whitney broke up a piece of 

 greensward, harrowed it thoroughly, carted upon 

 it manure from the yard, at the rate of thirty-two 

 loads to the acre, cross |)loughed it, harrowed it 

 again, and planted it in the usual manner in hills, 

 Al the proper season, alter ploughing between the 

 rows, the piece was well hoed, which operation in 

 due season was repealed. In the fall he dug from 

 this piece, at the rate of three hundred bushels to 

 the acre, which lor this year, on account of ihe 

 rust, was considered a great yield. 



JLJy the side of this piece, on precisely the same 

 quality of soil, manure from the yard was carted 

 and spread, at the same rale of thiriy-two loads to 

 the acre; the sward was then carelidly turned 

 over, and the furrows were laid flat with the roller. 

 Between every other furrow, where they came to- 

 gether, (that is, between the first and second, and 

 between the third and fourth, and so on,) holes two 

 leel apart, were made wiih a sharpened stick, 

 about three inches deep, large enough to receive the 

 seed. Into each hole one piece of potatoe was put, 

 and the holes filled up with mellow soil, even with 

 the general surface of the field. There was no 

 furiher labor bestowed upon the crop till the dig- 

 ging, when the quantity produced was a little 

 over lour hundred bushels to the acre. 



Both pieces were planted with the same variety 

 of seed, mostly the common white, and also with- 

 in the same week. Tfie latter piece however came 

 forward earlier, grew more luxuriantly, and soon 

 completely covered the ground; and although ne- 

 ver hoed, not a weed was to be seen in it. Before 

 digging, the field had the appearance of having 

 been well hoed, the potatoes having raised up the 

 ground above them. 



The amount of labor bestowed upon the last 

 mentioned piece, including the digging and put- 

 ling into the cellar, was at the rate of fourteen days' 

 work to Ihe acre. In this estimate the work of the 

 teani is included, and considered equal to that of 

 a man. This fourteen days' work at the price for 

 labor and board of hands, at the season when ex- 

 pended, I shall estimate at ten dollars, to which 

 add two dollars, the value of eight bushels of 

 potatoes, the quantity per acre planted, aliwenly- 

 five cents per bushel, and we have twelve dollars 



