1835.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



369 



or muriatic acid gas which is disengaged during 

 the process. In the course of 12 hours th iff com- 

 motion ceases, and in the space of 7 to 14 days 

 (varying according to the diameter of the wood) 

 the change is complete, so that as the corrosive 

 sublimate is not an expensive article, the albumen 

 may be converted into an indecomposible substance 

 at a very moderate rate." 



After stating the result of various experiments, 

 Dr. Birkbeck concludes by observing that tins dis- 

 covery is yet in embryo, but that the public bene- 

 fit that will result from it is beyond calculation. 

 In an Appendix the various purposes to which I lie 

 process is applicable are detailed: such as pre- 

 venting dry rot, seasoning timber, protecting from 

 insects, applying the process to Canada and Brit- 

 ish timber, and preserving canvass, cordage, &c. 

 from mildew. 



"Canada timber is much more liable to decay 

 than that thrown in the northern parts of Europe, 

 and for this reason is never used in buildings of a 

 superior description. The principal of decay be- 

 ing destroyed, as above shown, this objection is no 

 longer in existence; and this kind of timber may 

 now be employed with as jireat security as that of 

 a superior quality and higher price. 



"The same observation applies with great force 

 to timber of British growth, particularly to that of 

 Scotland, much of which is at present considered 

 of very little, if any value for durable purposes, 

 on account of its extreme liability to decay, 

 whether in exposed situations or otherwise. The 

 present process will therefore render of considera- 

 ble value, plantations of larch, firs of all kinds, 

 birch, beech, elm, ash, poplar, &c, which are the 

 chief products of the great wooded estates, and 

 which, when prepared, may be advantageously 

 employed to most useful purposes." 



'• Purposes for which the prepared Umber fyc, 

 would be highly useful. — Houses, farm-houses, 

 out-houses. Large timbers, floors, roofs, gutters, 

 &c, furniture and all joiners work, preserved from 

 dry rot, and perfectly seasoned. Posts, rails, gates, 

 park pailing, fences, hop-poles, felloes, spokes, 

 shafts, &c. &c. For these purposes any kind of 

 timber may now be used, instead oi the more ex- 

 pensive kinds. It will also supersede, in many 

 cases, the employment of iron, from its acquired 

 durability and greater economy." 



The additional expense of preparing timber for 

 buildings, such as farm-houses, out-houses, &c. 

 in Mr. Kyan's manner is estimated at the very 

 moderate sum of 20s. per. load. 



From the London Mechanic's Magazine. 

 MODE OF PRESERVING MILK FOR LOXG VOY- 

 AGES. 



Provide a quantity of pint or quart, bottles, 

 (new ones are perhaps best;) they must be per- 

 fectly sweet and clean, and very dry, before they 

 are made use of. Instead of drawing the milk 

 from the cow into the pail, as usual, it is to be 

 milked into the bottles. As soon as any of them 

 are filled sufficiently, they should be immediately 

 well corked with the very best cork, in order to 

 keep out the external air, and fastened tight with 

 packthread, or wire, as the corks in bottles which 

 contain cider generally are. Then, on the bottom 

 of an iron or copper boiler, spread a little straw; 

 on that lay a row of the bottles filled with milk, 



Vol. HI— 17 



with some straw between each, to prevent them 

 from breaking, and so on alternately, until the 

 hoiler has a sufficient quantity; then fill it up with 

 cold water; heat the water gradually until it be- 

 gins to boil, and as soon as that is perceivable, 

 draw the fire. The bottles must remain undis- 

 turbed in the boiler, until they are quite cool; then 

 take them out, and afterwards pack them in hamp- 

 ers, either with straw or sawdust, and stow them 

 in the coolest part of the ship. Milk preserved in 

 this way has been taken to the West Indies and 

 back, and, at the end, of that time, was as sweet 

 as when first drawn from the cow. 



From Lorrain's Husbandry. 

 EXPERIMENTS IN TOPPING CORN. 



It was discovered early in August, 1810, that 

 proper o-rasscs for soiling my cattle would soon be 

 very deficient; and on the 20th of that month, one 

 row of corn in a field of thirteen acres, was top- 

 ped to ascertain how the plant would bear early 

 cutting. It was thought that it had received no 

 injury. On the 21st of the same month I com- 

 menced feeding the cattle with the tops cut daily 

 as wanred. These lasted them until the 18th of 

 September. After this, the blades were stripped, 

 commencing where the toppings began. They 

 fed the cattle until the 5th October. 



In the process of topping and blading, one row 

 was left entire, standing between the row which 

 had been topped on the 20th of August, and an- 

 other row which was topped on the 2d of Septem- 

 ber. These rows were cut off by the roots on the 

 2d of October, and hauled in, and set up separate- 

 ly under my own inspection. They were husked 

 and measured on the Sth November. 



Produce of the row that had not been topped 

 and stripped, nine bushels and five-eighths of corn 

 in the ear. 



One of the rows which had been topped and 

 stripped, measured seven bushels and six-eighths: 

 and the other topped and stripped row mea- 

 sured seven bushels and three-eighths of corn in 

 the ear. 



Thus it clearly appears that mutilating the corn 

 plant before its fruit is perfected, is a very injurious 

 practice. The injury done to my crop by this 

 mode of management was clearly seen some time 

 before the three experimental rows were cut on". 

 Throughout the whole field the husks were gen- 

 rally dry and open, except on the row which had 

 not been topped and stripped. On this they still 

 retained a o-rcenish hue and were close set to the 

 ear when the plants were cut off by the roots. 



1811, I selected three rows of maize in the mid- 

 dle of my field, as nearly alike as possible. The 

 plants were then about two feet high. I cut off 

 the tops of the middle row as low down as might 

 be readily done without injuring the tassels, which 

 were wrappid in their own leaves within the stalks. 

 I could not observe that the stalks in the row 

 which had been cut. grew any thicker, until new 

 leaves had been formed from the crown of the 

 plants. Before this happened, the stalks in the 

 rows on either side of it seemed to be as thick 

 again as those standing in it; and the ears grown 

 on the plants in this row, shot, filled, and ripened 

 about two weeks later than the rest of the field. 



As several writers on agriculture had asserted 

 that the topg of potatoes might be cut and given 



