52 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



ninety-one pounds of clover hay, cut or chopped ; 

 one pound of salt; one hundred and sixty-eight 

 pounds of brewer's grain ; twelve pounds of ground 

 flaxseed. These ingredients are mixed together, 

 and equally di\'ided as the food of twelve cows. The 

 hay, after being cut, is put into the mash-tub and 

 scalded M'ith boiling water. The other articles 

 are then mixed with it. It is asserted that the 

 "average yield of milk, is fourteen quarts, for a pe- 

 riod of eight months in succession." — Am. Vderina- 

 ry Journal. 



UNSEASONABLE FUEL. 



A few calculations relative to the comparative 

 value of green and seasoned wood for fuel may serve 

 to remind those interested, of the importance of at- 

 tention to the subject. 



Everybody knows that green wood is poor stuff 

 to kindle a fire, though some contend that it will 

 keep up as well as seasoned, if appHed constantly, 

 not suffering the heat to go down. That is, if you 

 have a good fire to season it in, you can burn green 

 wood as well as dry. But to the calculations : 



A green stick of wood weighing 100 lbs., when 

 seasoned, weighs only 66 lbs., or such is about the 

 average of wood commonly used for fuel. In 

 seasoned stick you have all'the wood — all that will 

 support combustion — you have only got rid of 34 lbs. 

 of water. 



Now, water will not burn, and if present in fuel, 

 it has to be converted into steam, at the expense of 

 that fuel, and it will take five times as much heat 

 to make steam of water, as it will, simply to bring 

 it to a boiling point. Here is seen at once, the poor 

 economy of burning green wood. 



We have shown that about two-thirds of the 

 weight of green wood is water — now, how many 

 barrels of water is there in a cord of Mood ? There 

 are 128 cubic feet in a cord, which allowing two- 

 fifths for vacant space betM-een the sticks, leaves 77 

 feet of solid wood, one-third of which is water — 

 equal to over six barrels of water in every cord of 

 green wood. The heat required to evaporate this 

 water, would bring thirty barrels to the boiling 

 point. And this is not the only expense. If the 

 wood was cut properly, piled aiid seasoned in the 

 woods, the cost of drawing it Mould be nearly one- 

 third less. Any way you can look at it — the econ- 

 omy of burning green wood is more than question- 

 able. 



Every farmer should look at, and determine to 

 keep a stock of wood on hand, sufficient to last one 

 year, at least. And he may take another look at 

 the difference between wood seasoned just enough, 

 and under cover, and that which has lain out doors 

 until all the sap-wood has become rotten, and one- 

 half its value been lost by exposure to the weather. 

 —Ag.Ex. 



A Thanksgiving Dinner.— We have a family 

 in this State, who all dined under one roof on 

 Thanksgiving Day, whose dinner consisted of /en 

 bushels of potatoes, eight hundred pounds of fresh 

 pork, roasted, j?ye barrels of pudding, together with 

 plenty of good bread and pure cold water ! 



In the evening, the great hall was cleared, a 

 couple of fiddlers were found among the number, 

 and the whole party assembled for a joUificatioujj 



the lame and lazy, the halt and blind, the aged and 

 infants, and all graduations between, were there. 

 Many a madam galloped that night that hadn't 

 even trotted for years before, and many an old sol- 

 dier shouldered his crutch 



"And showed how fields were won." 



In the midst of their festivity the great bell told 

 the hour of nine, when up Avent three rousing 

 cheers for their considerate guardian, and in five 

 minutes more, the gay wassailers were dreaming of 

 Elysium on the advent of another Thanksgiving. 



HOME PICTURE. 



BY MRS. F. D. OAGE. 



Ben Fisher had finished his hard day's work. 



And he sat at his cottage door ; 

 His good wife, Kate, sat by his side, 



And the moonlight danced on the floor ; 

 The moonlight danced on the cottage floor, 



Her beams were clear and bright. 

 As when he and Kate twelve years before 



Talked love in her mellow light. 



Ben Fisher had never a pipe of clay, 



And never a dram drank he ; 

 So he loved at home with his wife to stay. 



And they chatted right merrily ; 

 Right merrily chatted they on, the while 



Her babe slept on her breast — 

 While a chubby rogue with rosy smile 



On his father's knee found rest. 



Ben told her how fast the potatoes grew. 



And the corn in the lower field, 

 And the wheat on the hill was grown to seed. 



And promised a glorious yield : 

 A glorious yield in harvest time. 



And his orchard was doing fair ; 

 His sheep and stock were in their prime, 



His farm all in good repair. 



Kate said her garden looked beautiful. 



Her fowls and her calves were fat ; 

 That the butter that Tommy that morning churned 



Would buy him a Sunday hat ; 

 That Jenny for Pa a new shirt had made. 



And 'twas done, too, by the rule ; 

 That Neddy the garden could nicely spade. 



And Ann was ahead at school. 



Ben slowly raised his toil-worn hand, 



Thi-ough his locks of greyish brown — 

 "I tell you, Kate, what I think," said he, 



"We're the happiest folks in town." 

 "I know," said Kate, "that we all work hard ! 



Work and health go together, I've found ; 

 For there's Mrs. Bell does not work at all, 



And she's sick the whole year round. 



"They're worth their thousands, so people say, 



But I ne'er see them happy yet ; 

 'Twould not be me that would take their gold. 



And live in a constant fret. 

 My humble home has a light within, 



Mrs. Bell's gold could not buy — 

 Six healthy children, a merry heart. 



And a husband's love-lit eye." 



I fancied a tear was in Ben's eye. 



The moon shone brighter and clearer, 

 I could not tell why the man should cry. 



But he hitched up to Kate still nearer; 

 He leaned his head on her shoulder there. 



And he took her hand in his — 

 I guess — though I looked at the moon just then — 



That he left on her lips a kiss. 



