40 



@l)e laxmtx's illontl)lt} llisttor. 



thus held up tlie j,] eener parts when liirnpd over 

 and spread, iind iicrnjitted llie air to rirculate un- 

 der it: it also gave the ground lietwyen the 

 swaths time to dry, which was important in has- 

 tening the cnrintr. In tliis way he avoidetl the 

 hecessity of turning the hay after being spread, 

 which was one of the most tedious processes 

 throiigli which tin' iiay had to he passed, and of 

 course the most r\|iensive. He never permitted 

 his }iay to take a d«w when it had sun enonglj 

 to wilt it consirh'raldy, if he could help it. The 

 dew discolored it, and he had never heen able to 

 restore tiie fine Ircsh color afterward?. He pre- 

 ferred letting liis h.iy stanil over night in the 

 cocU. He could then better tell of its fitness to 

 be housed. It is very easy to break up the cocks 

 and give it more sun, if necessary ; and the slight 

 fermentation or sweating in the cock, which is 

 checked and driud off in carting, is a great pre- 

 ventative against heating in the mow. Hay heat- 

 ed in the mow is sure to he discolored. Some 

 people insist that it is not injured for feeding, es- 

 pecially to cattle. It may lie so. I know that 

 flour, corn or oalf, which have heen heated until 

 they are musty, are thought not so good. 1 do 

 not know why hay should he. 



On the approach of rain, I always put all the 

 hay that has had any sun of consequence, into 

 the cock. If the storm is a long one, it may 

 tiu'n yellow, so th;it it cannot be restored, but it 

 will retain most of its nutritive matter and weight, 

 whereas if left .spread out to take the rain, it loses 

 both, and is much worse discolored. 1 never 

 use salt ujion my hay, hut upon compulsion. 

 When the weather is good, I dry my hay suffici- 

 ently to keep, and as soon as I can, 1 house it; 

 but sooner tijan leave it out to take a storiri, even 

 in the cock, 1 would put it in a little short dried 

 and apply salt to save it, as 1 would sooner have 

 It salted than musty. 



The river counties make hay for the New- 

 York and southern markets. 



On bottom lands, which are occasionally over- 

 flowed by turbid water, and where the meadows 

 are not grazed, this is not l)ad husbandry, especi- 

 ally where the hay brings fair prices, but very 

 few of the upland farms will bear to have the 

 hay taken from them for any length of time with- 

 out impoverishment. For the last two or three 

 years, it has been bad husbandry to sell hay even 

 from the bottom lands. During the last season 

 tliere were hundreds of tons of hay, of fair quali- 

 ty, sold in New-York for from 30 to 35 cents per 

 hundred. On inost of it, the owner paid from 

 14 to 16s. Jier ton I'reighr, besides commission 

 and other charges. If he lured it pressed, and 

 hoojie and slats found, it cost hinj from 12s. to 

 148. per ton more. If he owned his press, and 

 found his own horse power, he [iressed it a trifle 

 under thesse rates, which left him for his hay in 

 the barn, and lor carting it to the vessel, fronj $2 

 to $2,75 per ton. With the present price of wool, 

 or when good fair Merino wool will fetch 3.s. per 

 lb., hay is worth, at the barn of any fiumer in 

 this state, from fJO to $8 dollars per ton to feed 

 to sheep, besides the value of the manure ; which 

 manure, to one who rightly values the improve- 

 ment of his fiuin, is worth $2 irrore. 



As a general rule, it is safe to calculate that 

 store slieep will fetch one dollar more in the 

 spring than in the fidl ; and a ton of hay well 

 feed to sheep that are well sheltered, will carry 

 eight through an ordinary winter. 



Dr. Lee thought timothy exhausted the ffoil 

 much more than clover. From scientific investi- 

 gations, it has been well ascertained that timothy 

 e.xhausted the soil three tiiries as much as clover. 

 He thought grasses should be cut before the seed 

 is filled. It was correct, as had liecn stated, that 

 the nutriment of the stems was exhausted in 

 forming seed. He thought some of the plans 

 which had been mentioned for making hay, re- 

 quired too much labor. Mr. Sotham, tor in- 

 stance, could hardly make his hay for twodol- 

 lars a ton. He thought it the liest way to mow 

 grass after the dew was off— spread it, dry it 

 as much as possible, and rake it into wiinow. 

 If it was dried enough, and it would frequent- 

 ly be so, lie would load it from the winrow, 

 and save the labor of cocking it up. Ho had 

 had some experience in irrigation, and thought 

 its advantages were considerable. As to to[)- 

 dressing for grass-lands, ho was much in favor 

 of ashes. Charcoal dust, or charcoal pulverized, 

 had proved very eAcellenl tor this purpose. The 



coal might be crushed iii a bark-mil 

 apply ashes or coal in the spring. 



He would 



Domestic Economy. 



Buckwheat Cakes, after standing to rise all 

 night, are much improved Ijy adding, just liefbre 

 bakiiig, sour cream and saleralus — say a tea-cup 

 full for two (piarts of the batter, 'i'liis treatment 

 improves the flavor, and makes them richer 

 and lighter. It was discovered this winter 

 by a notable house-keeper in the western part of 

 the State, where fine hut biiekivlieat cakes and 

 keen appetites, on frosty mornings, often go to- 

 gether. 



Corn Cake.— Two tea-cups of buttermilk, one 

 of sour cream previously sweetened with salera- 

 t!is, one tablc-spoonfull of molasses, and Indian 

 meal to make it nearly as stiff as inufflus. JJake 

 half an hour. Thoroughly tried by the above 

 mentioned house-keeper, and fbnud first rale ; 

 and also eaten with good iciisio by the writer. 



Apple Jellt. — Slice thirteen large apples verv 

 thin without paring them ; then cover lliem witii 

 water; boil and strain them,— and to the juice 

 add a pound and a half of loaf sugar, and as 

 much lemon-juice as your taste may direct. 

 Clarify it with eggs, and boil it to a jelly. It is 

 an exceedingly delicate, palatable, aiid lieainifiil 

 dish, fit to grace any wedding table, the writer 

 having partaken of it on such an occasion, the 

 house-keeper above named forming the centre of 

 attraction at the time. It is also very fine in sick- 

 ness. 



Domestic Yeast. — The following is copied 

 from the London Gardener's Chronicle, and must 

 be cheap and easy. Boil one pound of good 

 flour, quarter of a poimd of brown sugar, and a 

 little salt, [how much is that?] in two gallons of 

 water, for an hour. When milk warm, bottle it 

 and cork it closely, and it will be fit for use in 

 twenty-four hours. One pound of this yeast will 

 make eighteen pounds of tiread.— ^3^6. Cullivalor. 



Cheese mancfacture in Herkimer Co. — 

 The Address of Col. A. Petrie, before the Her- 

 kimer (N.Y.) County Ag. Society, is a sound, 

 common sense article, evincing the good judg- 

 ment and practical observation of its author. We 

 give an extiact in relation to the manufacture of 

 cheese, which from the facts it contains, is espec- 

 ially worthy of preservation. 



" Some farmers make less than 300 pounds of 

 cheese pei- cow in a season, while others exceed 

 600. Perhaps .some of this dift'eience may be 

 accounted for by the inequality of advantages; 

 hut I am assured by gentlemen whose skill in the 

 art we liave the highest confidence, that there is 

 a great ilifterence in the product per cow, when 

 all advantages are equal. One case 1 will men- 

 lion ; A geiitleiuan who has for years made more 

 than 600 pounds per cow in a season, from a 

 dairy of 2,5 cows, let out his dairy to a tenant, 

 whose reputation as a common cheese-maker, 

 was of the highest order. He observed that 

 the tenant's cheeses were smaller and lighter 

 than they should be, and sus|iecting the cause, 

 watched his mode of making them, and found 

 it to be like that of nearly all the cheese mak- 

 ers in the country, by guess. The milk was 

 tempered, and set, and the curd scalded with- 

 out a Ihcrmometep', and le.ss care was taken in 

 other [larts of the process than he' was accus- 

 tomed to. Ho attempted to teach the tenant, 

 who was rather |irejudiced against "hook fiirni- 

 ing" — reminded him of his reputation. The 

 landlord, however, made a lew cheeses himself, 

 and the tenant looked on. These were found to 

 be larger and heavier than the cheeses made by 

 the tenant. The tenant then adopted the im- 

 proved mode, and he could make as large a 

 cheese as his friend. Both gentlemen now agree, 

 that the improved mode increa.'ied the amount 

 about 10 per cent. Now the tenant was evidently 

 more than an ordinary chee.se-maker. lor/K- woiilil 

 have made over livi: hundred pounds per cow 

 during the season, hut by the improved mode he 

 made over six hundred." 



Col. P. i-emarks that the average rate of cheese 

 per cow ill HcMkimir county is supposed to l>e 

 less than Ii50 pounds per cow, and tliat as it is 

 nearly all made by g-i(c,?s, it is liiir to suppose that 

 a careful, scientific mode of making would in- 

 crease the timonnt at least 10 per cent; which 

 would amount to over sixiy-seveii llioumind iluUar.i 

 annually for that county. 



Kroni the Boston (.'ultivalor. 

 On Settiii:? Trees. 

 Mr. I^^ditor — Dear Sir : In some future num- 

 ber of your vahiahle pafier, if you will have the 

 goodness to answer the following inquiries, you 

 will confer a great favor on a subscriber. Should 

 I set out some trees in the spring, I fell lliat vour 

 advice on the following points would be "very 

 valuable to me. 



I wish to know if it wouhl not be better for 

 me, (in the long run,) to buy good apple trees, at 

 the regular nurseries, next spring for twenty-five, 

 thirty-tliree or filly cents each, than to wait to 

 grow a nursery myself} 1 can pmhably find trees 

 at Cumberland, R. 1., at twenty or tw(>ntvfive 

 cents each, and, perhaps, for less, but they are 

 mostly graiied on sprouts, and many of iheVonts 

 are filled with warts or knots. Will" those whose 

 roots are filled with knots make good trees ? I 

 had supposed that apple trees graiied on sprouts 

 might bear friiil sooner than if grafted on trees 

 which grew from the seed ; but feared that a 

 tree which was grafted on a s|irout might nut be 

 so hardy, nor have so long a life. Perhaps voii 

 can inform me, with regard to this. 1 shall jiroh- 

 alily have ojiporiunilies enough in ihe spring to 

 buy trees of pedlar.s who are strangers to me, 

 and iiiany auctions may perhaps be set up to sell 

 trees which were taken from nurseries .at a dis- 

 tance fiom here; hut, I have seen the effect of 

 buying trees of pedlars and at am-iion, to my 

 heart's content, A person cannot know but the 

 trees have been out of ground a week ; and I am 

 also fearful that it will he very uncertain whether 

 I sluill get the kinds that 1 e.tpect. It is desirable 

 to get trees as cheap as possible when a man gets 

 a large lot of them, as the interest of the money 

 before the trees will hear will be considerable on 

 four or live hundred trees ; and, if ^ratied sprouls 

 will answer as well as any thing, I cm probably 

 get them much cheaper than those trees at the 

 regular nurseries which are grafted on irees 

 which have been raised fi-om the seed. 



Your.s, iic. 

 Medway,FebA9, 1845. 



Ol?" Trees that are rai.sed from seeds are best. 

 When you go to a nursery take care and purchase 

 tlie best you can find. Don't take up w iih refuse 

 Irees lliat have been culled over. You run a risk 

 of getting old bottoms that are not half as good 

 as t\tfjirst pick in the nursery. 



Go early, as soon as the frost is out, take up 

 your trees and bury them in a cool and shady 

 spot till the leaf begins to start. Then, in a fair 

 day set your trees. You will now find the mould 

 so broken that you can fill up the cavities about 

 the roots and keep the air out. 



Don't set your trees deeper than they stood in 

 the nui'sery, and you need not lose vour " inter- 

 est " for a long term. Good tnx's, well set, will 

 often bear in four years. — Editor. 



Salt for Botter. — We cannot |iarticularly 

 answer the iiupiiiy of Mr. Barton, in regard t"i> 

 the means of ascerlainliig good fiom poor salt. 

 The best salt for butter, we believe to be that 

 which is generally sold under the name of rock 

 salt. It is sometimes ground for dairy purposes. 

 It may also he rendered fine by putting it in a 

 kettle or boiler, with water enough to cover it, 

 and heating it till the lumps are broken down, 

 stirring it whih,' the process of heating is gniii" 

 on. When it has become fine it m.iy be dipped 

 out and drained, and it is in a suitable state to 

 use. Any impurities which rise to the top of 

 the water while the salt is melting, should be 

 skimmeilotK The Liverpool blown, or bag-salt, 

 often contains impurities, :inil dues not answer 

 well for butler. The table salt, made at Saliiin, 

 in this state, it is said by those w ho have used it, 

 answers very well. filr. B. will find at page 

 318, of our last volume, ample directions for pu- 

 rifying salt fin- butter.— .'y//)OHj/ Cul. 



Kxperiments in Planting. — The advantages 

 of free admission of light, and free ciiculalioti of 

 air, to the growth of plant.'', are in a good degreo 

 obvious to prrsniis ofiiiiy I'Xpeiii'iice in agricul- 

 ture. Ho inipoilaul are these infhienceslo Jndi- 

 an corn, than an advantage is known to result 

 from giving the widest space to row^s runniiig 

 iiorlh and south. This more readily ailmits the 

 light and heat of ilie sun, than ru«s running in a 

 contrary direction. It has been suggested ihul 



