1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



415 



sometimes" two or three layers of sap-wood di- 

 rectly beneath it, remain green. When the wood 

 is killed, and the bark only remains green, the 

 tree or branch will leave as usual, and perhaps 

 directly after the flowering season the leaves will 

 wither up. This is more frequently the case with 

 the pear than with the apple tree, and the ef- 

 fect is then called fire blight, See. In pruning 

 trees, if a branch is cut where the whole of the 

 wood or a part of it has been Avinter-killed, the 

 ■water will run from such killed wood, at what- 

 ever season of the year the tree may be pruned. 

 I have more facts upon this subject to communi- 

 cate hereafter. Sandy River. 



Remarks. — Our correspondent says — "The liv- 

 ing, healthy wood of an apple tree will not bleed 

 or discharge sap when cut at any season of the 

 year." We are greatly confident that he is mis- 

 taken. An extended experience, both as to time 

 and number of trees worked upon, has thoroughly 

 convinced us that if a vigorous tree is cut when 

 the sap is in full motion, that sap will immedi- 

 ately flow out, long before there is time for any 

 wood to die, or be winter-killed, or even to acid- 

 ulate. Upon coming to the air this sap becomes 

 pungent and bitter, and poisonous to the bark 

 and wood over which it flows. 



EXTRACTS AND BEPLIES. 



WATER CRESS. 



I noticed in your July number a few remarks 

 by a Salem correspondent, of the value and util- 

 ity of the Water Cress, recommending its more 

 general use. I can attest, from long experience, 

 to its utility as an edible or early salad, and often 

 wondered that it was not more generally used. I 

 have observed the New York markets are par- 

 tially supplied early in the spring, from Long 

 Island or Jersey. 



Early in the year 1841, I was travelling in the 

 vicinity of New Haven, and observed a fine bed 

 of water cress growing spontaneously, and ap- 

 parently unnoticed previously. I therefore gath- 

 ered a bunch, took it home with me, planted or 

 strewed it into a spring of water near my house, 

 and within two or three years from that time, 

 without any trouble or cost whatever, I have had 

 an abundant supply for the use of my family and 

 neighbors. If any of your correspondents should 

 have a clear spring near his homestead he could 

 not put it to any better purpose than make a 

 plantation of water cress — they are not only a 

 perennial, but remain by seed, which deposits and 

 germinates so as to keep a supply. J. Wood. 



Mountain Grove, Bridgeport, Ct. 



SPECKS IN BUTTER. 



Having noticed in your paper a number of re- 

 marks on "White Specks in Butter," I would 

 here give a few words of my experience, never 

 having had the "luck" to have my butter specked, 

 unless I kept my milk too long before skimming, 

 or my cream too long before churning. 



The milk should be skimmed before it curdles, 

 and the cream churned before it has either "white 



or black specks." I agree with "H. E. C," of Put- 

 ney, Vt., in "not stirring the cream." The thick 

 sour milk will be settled at the bottom ; that I 

 keep from the churn. The cream wants strain- 

 ing, not merely to "get the dirt out" but to break 

 and mix it preparatory to churning. This meth- 

 od I will warrant to keep the "specks" out of the 

 butter. M. E. C. 



Warner, jV. H., 1859. 



TIIE MANNER OF MOWING. 



When, a half century since, I learned to mow 

 model farmers were in the habit of cutting their 

 grass very close to the ground, and those who 

 failed so to do were taunted with being slovenly 

 husbandmen : therefore, when I acquired the 

 skill of shaving off the stubble of the preceding 

 year, and leaving the turf in my swath as smooth 

 as though it had just emerged from a barber's 

 shop, I regarded myself a "crack" mower. 



Recently, some of our farmers are getting into 

 the practice of mowing higher. They say cut- 

 ting Timothy below the lowest joint kills the 

 roots, in case of dry weather immediately after 

 mowing, and they say their attention was first 

 attracted to the subject, from noticing that the 

 grass lands of some of their slovenly-mowing 

 neighbors, held out from year to year better than 

 their own, until they adopted the practice of cut- 

 ting above the lower joint. 



What is the experience of Massachusetts far- 

 mers in this matter ? Vermont. 



BUTTER-MAKING. 



Permit me to express my views, as the result 

 of twenty years experience in the dairy business 

 has shown me that white specks in butter are 

 caused by sour milk being taken off with the 

 cream in skimming, which, by standing with the 

 cream, is hardened, as all sour milk will be. In 

 the process of churning it adheres to the butter 

 in the form of white specks. These are never 

 formed when cream is churned immediately after 

 skimming. C. T. CowDERY. 



South Royalton, Vt., July 11, 1859. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 HAY CAPS. 



Grain of all kinds may be cut and shocked up 

 at once and capped, and it will not hurt. 



I have used hay caps for from fifteen to twen- 

 ty years, and have always had them keep grain 

 perfectly well. 



I have cut grain in the milk, shocked it up at 

 once and let it stand from one to five weeks. I 

 use, or should like to use, caps four feet square. 

 All things considered, I think them best. They 

 will cover from eight to twelve sheaves of wheat 

 and from twelve to twenty sheaves of oats, ac- 

 cording to size of bind. Set up the bundles as 

 you would for stooking, except the cap shi^aves, 

 then throw the cap over, and pin it down at the 

 corners with pins about eighteen inches long. I 

 do not hesitate to let the rake follow the cradle, 

 and shock my wheat up at once, if the weather 

 looks unfavorable. Ed. Emerson. 



Hollis, jV. IL, July 9, 1859. 



