510 



NEW ENGLAND FAHMER. 



Nov. 



least twenty per cent, of nutritive matter. The 

 new process reduces this amount to four per cent. 

 The hulled grains of wheat, seen through a micro- 

 scope, present a perl'ectly smooth and polished ap- 

 pearance, something like that of potatoes when the 

 skin has been removed by washing. The bran it- 

 self is but a pellicle, of which excellent paper is now 

 made. The inventor of the machine, M. Besnire 

 de la Pontonaire, affirms that if this process had 

 been applied to the grain consumed in France the 

 past year, the crops, instead of presenting a deficit 

 of seven million hectolitres, would have shown a 

 surplus of three million hectolitres. (The hectolitre 

 is a fraction over two and one-half bushels.) The cost 

 of hulling a hectolitre of wheat by the new process 

 is about four cents. 



For the New England Farmer. 



EFFECTS OF PUMPKIN SEEDS ON 

 COWS. 



Mr. Editor : — I noticed a statement in a late 

 number of the Farmer, to the effect that pumpkin 

 seeds dried up a cow's milk. This was something 

 new to me, and contrary to the idea that I had al- 

 ways entertained, to wit, that pumpkins were valu- 

 able to feed to milch cows, therefore 1 resolved to 

 ascertain the real value of that statement before 

 taking any stock therein. Being unsuccessful in 

 raising a crop of pumpkins myself, the past season, 

 I procured a few loads of one of my neighbors, who 

 had a surplus, and commenced feeding them out 

 to my cow, at the rate of half a bushel per day ; 

 she was then giving about eight quarts of milk per 

 day, but instead of this increasing the quantity, 

 they diminished it. I increased the feed to a bush- 

 el per day ; still there was a decrease in the quan- 

 tity of milk until the pumpkins froze up, when she 

 did not give but four quarts per day. The cow 

 did not fatten, and the reason for the decrease in 

 the quantity of milk, I could in no way account for. 

 When I stopped feeding the pumpkins, I gave a 

 pail-full of slops from the house, with two quarts of 

 oat meal per day, and in a short time, she was giv- 

 ing her former quantity ; still I did not think of 

 the pumpkins doing the mischief. When I read 

 the statement in your paper, I had commenced 

 feeding boiled to the cow, in addition to the slops 

 and meal, with the same effect on the milk as m 

 the fall. I then took out all the seeds before boil- 

 ing, when, lo, the change ! Instead of five quarts 

 of milk per day, I got nearly nine in a short time. 

 1 again kept in the seeds, with precisely the same 

 result as before. 



Now this experiment establishes a fact, which, 

 (to me at least,) is of importance. Probably there 

 are some who knew the same thing, years ago ; 

 and, perhaps, there are others, some that, like my- 

 self, were not posted, to whom this will be of conse- 

 quence. I also noticed while I left out the seeds, 

 that the cow made no extra quantity of urine, 

 which all cattle invariably do, when fed on pump- 

 kins, seeds and all. If you see fit to give this an 

 insertion, it may b» of benefit to some who have 

 had no more experience than myself. 



Yours, ^c, J. B. FreeMjIN. 



Lebanon, JV. H., 1856, 



8^^ The total export of treasure from San Fran- 

 cisco, for the last seven months, was thirty million. 



LEOMINSTER CATTLE SHOW. 



On the 23d inst. the Farmer's Club of the good 

 old town of Leominster had its annual exhibition. 

 The day was lowery, and in the afternoon there was 

 a good deal of rain, but the public spirit of the 

 people surmounted all the discouragement arising 

 from the state of the weather. They were deter- 

 mined to have a good time, and they did. They 

 were punctual in carrying out all their arrange- 

 ments, and there was a general turn out of all ages 

 and sexes. The show of stock and swine was good, 

 and highly creditable to the town. There were 

 some fine pigs, a cross between the SuSblks and 

 Mackays, that promises well. 



The show in the Hall was surpassingly fine, and 

 commanded the unqualified admiration of all who 

 witnessed it. Magnificent apples, pears, peaches 

 and grapes were piled upon four long tables in al- 

 most unlimited variety, and in quality equal to any 

 thing to be found in any part of the State. Ths 

 show of fruit raised in this town alone, would have 

 done credit to any county exhibition in New Fug- 

 land. Indeed, we have been present at more than 

 one State show where the exhibition would not 

 compare with this, either in quality or quantity. 

 There were Crawford peaches, weighing 10 ounces. 

 Isabellas, Dianas, Sweet-water, Black Hamburgs 

 and fine native grapes were here in abundance. Mr, 

 Hall's Black Hamburgs were magnificent. Among 

 the largest contributors were C. C. Field, the Pres- 

 ident, Isaac Smith, Mrs. E. Robbins, W. Gates, I. 

 Whitcomb, L. Heustis, L. Burrage, N, Harlow, I. 

 C. Adams, L. Buss, G. P. Gibson, C. Boyden, D. 

 Maynard, Jona. Colburn, George Smith, Oliver Hall 

 and E. Buss. There were others, perhaps, equally 

 deserving, whose names we did not get. The ex- 

 hibition of combs, pianos, needle-work, shell-work, 

 hair-work, and other works of art and taste, was 

 of a high order. The show of butter, cheese and 

 bread spoke volumes for the housewifery of the Le- 

 ominster ladies. There were in close contiguity 

 with the bread, some splendid samples of honey, re- 

 minding us of the days of onr boyhood when we 

 used, once a year, upon the taking up of the honey, 

 to have a feast upon brown bread and honey. There 

 were some samples of coffee wheat, a variety of 

 much promise, and specimens of white rye — and 

 one of flour from white rye — equal in whiteness to 

 wheat flour. This new variety of rye we would 

 commend to the notice of New England farmers, 

 generally. 



A large quantity of vegetables in one corner of 

 the hall attracted much attention. 



At 12 o'clock an address was given by Dr. Het- 

 NOLDS, of Concord. The address was of a highly 

 practical character, and was listened to with close 

 attention. At the close of the address a proces- 

 sion was formed and proceeded to the hotel and 



