644 



FAKAIERS' REGISTER 



The quantity oC food which can be afforded lo 

 the cows during winter, is ascertained at the begin- 

 ning of the season, when the harvest returns are 

 known; and in plentiful years the calculation is, 

 that each cow should be allowed 3 sacks of grain, 

 (generally oats of 140 lbs. each sack.) 3900 lbs. ol 

 Biraw, including bedding, and 1800 lbs. of good 

 hay ; whilst (or every hundred pounds ofhay less, 

 she must receive 25 lbs. ofgrain more, or vice versa. 



As during the winter months, vvhen the cows 

 are confined to dry Ibod, the butter loses its fine 

 yellow color, the defect is sought, to be remedied 

 by an admixture of coloring matter ; and indeed a 

 high color in butter so much regulates its price in 

 eome markets (as in Spain and Portuijal,) ihal the 

 export merchant insists on the desirable shade be- 

 ing imparted when it ceases to be natural. The 

 best ingredients (or this purpose are Ibund to be, a 

 mixture o( annotta and turmeric, in the |)roportlon 

 of 5 oz. of the latter to 1 lb. of the former. 



The average quantiiy of milk obtained here from 

 good stock, may be estimated at (rom 2000 to 3000 

 quarts per annum, according to the (bod and care 

 bestowed on them ; the produce of which has been 

 calculated in the (bllowing ratio ; every 100 lbs. ol 

 milk will give 3^ lbs. of butter, 6 lbs. fresh cheese, 

 14 lbs. butier-milk (exclusive of the water added 

 before and after churning,) and TG-I lbs. of whey ; 

 nnd, though the qualities of individual cows, the 

 nature of iheir pasture or other Ibod, and the 

 atmospheric changes, occasion an almost end- 

 less variety of result, still it may be considered as 

 a fair average that 15 quarts of milk are required 

 for a pound ol butter; (or although from some 

 cows a pound may be obtained from 12 quarts, yet 

 others and even the same cows, at diHerent peasons 

 end with diHerenl food, (such as beets or raw po- 

 tatoes,) will not produce a potmd of butter from 

 less than 17 or IS quarts. On the whole, it is 

 esteemed a (air return in these duchies when the 

 average produce of the dairy amounts to 100 lbs. 

 of butter and 150 lbs. of cheese per cow. When 

 calves are fattened (or the market, so much butler 

 and cheese cannot be expected — from the general- 

 !v received opinion that fine veal (and the veal of 

 Jhese countries is very fine,) can only be secured 

 by feeding the milk liesh from the cow; they are 

 usually fed lor 10 or 12 weeks, and attain the 

 Aveight of from 120 to 150 lbs. when slaughtered. 



PAI.LOON ADVENTURE AT KIGHT. 



From Blackwood's Magazine. 



Mr. Holland, a gentleman of scientific habits, 

 projected the enterprise which has sirikinyly sig- 

 nalized eerostation of our day. On Monday Nov. 

 7, 1836— at half past one in the alternoon, the 

 balloon rose from Vauxhall Gardens [London] 

 with « moderate breeze from the south-east. It 

 passed over Kent. The weather was singularly 

 /iiie. At five minutes past four they saw the sea. 

 Alter passing Canterbury, the course altered to- 

 wards the norih, which would have carried them 

 into the German ocean. The point was now to 

 change the course in the direction of Paris. Bal- 

 last was now thrown out, (he balloon rose in an 

 upper current, recovered her direction to the south- 

 east, and crossed the Straits of Dover in exactly 

 ^11 hour, about 3000 leet above the level of the sea. 



It was fifty minutes past five, consequently the 

 balloon rapidly plunged into the night. I'lie as- 

 pect of the world beneath now became curious in 

 the extreme. The whole plane o( the earth's 

 surface for leagues round, as liir and firther than 

 the eye could distinctly embrace, seemed abso- 

 lutely teeming with the scattered fires of the popu- 

 lation, and exhibited a starry spectacle below, that 

 almost rivalled the lustre of the firmament above. 

 Incessantly, during the early i)ortion of the night, 

 before the inhabitants had retired to rest, large 

 sources of light, exhibiting the presence of some 

 more exclusive ciunmunitj', would appear just 

 looming above tlio horizon in the direction in 

 which they were advancing, bearing at first no 

 laint resemblance ofsoiDe vast conflagration. By 

 degrees as ihey grew higher, this contused mass 

 of illumination would appear to increase in inten- 

 sity extending over a large portion of the view, 

 and assuming a more distinct appearance, until at 

 length as the balloon passed directly over the spot, 

 it suddenly resolved itself into streets and squares, 

 exhibiting the peilect model of a town, but dimi- 

 nished into curious minuteness by the height from 

 which it was seen. In this manner the seronauta 

 rapidly traversed a large space of the continent, 

 embracing a vast succession of towns and villagea 

 solely distinguished by their nightly illumination. 

 One of those views singularly captivated their 

 attention. They approached a district which 

 seemed actually to bl.ize with innumerable fires, 

 studding the whole horizon. As they swept 

 along, ihey saw a central city in the midst of this 

 circle of f^ame, with every line of its streets mark- 

 ed out by its particular range of illumination. 

 The theatres and other public buildings, the 

 squares, and all the more prominent leatures of 

 the cil}'', were indicated by the larger accumula- 

 tions of light. They could even hear the busy 

 murmur of the population — the whole forming an 

 earthly picture of the most striking contrast to the 

 darkness, the serenity, and the silence of the vast 

 region above in which ihcy were moving. This 

 was the city of Liege, whose surrounding iron 

 (bundries (brmed the horizon of flame. This 

 was the last spectacle of the kind which met their 

 eyes. Thencelbrih it was all midnight, every 

 sound was hushed, every light died, and all was 

 solemn and avvlul obscurity. Withdrawn from 

 the earth, which was buried in the prolbundest 

 stillness, Ihey looked to the heavens. There was 

 no moon, 'i'he hue of the sky was intensely 

 black, but the stars, redoubled in their lustre, 

 shone like sparks of the whitest silver. Occa- 

 sional flashes of lightning iu the north. 



In a situation, which it was never in the power 

 of man to describe before, the sketch of night 

 given by Mr. Mason, has all the interest of a new 

 source of ideas. "Nothincr," says this clever 

 describer, "could exceed the density of night, 

 which prevailed during this part of the voyage. 

 Not a single terrestrial object could any where be 

 distinguished. An unfathomable abyss of dark- 

 ness visible seemed to encompass us on every side. 

 And, as wo looked Ibrward into its black obscurity 

 in the direction in which we were proceeding, we 

 could scarcely resist the impression tliat we were 

 cleaving our way through an interminable masa 

 of black marble, in which we were imbedded, 

 and which, solid a (ew inches belbre us, seemed to 

 soften as we nppronched, in order to admit U3 



