No. 1. 



Kerry Cows. 



23 



fire instantly when tlio cliarj^e is finished. 

 They should never have much over two 

 inches in depth of syrup placed in them at 

 one time, and should each be of such a size 

 that a charge of three or four gallons will 

 not fill it deeper than this. 



The difficulty of nianufhcturiug sugar to 

 the best advantage, has always been consi- 

 derable. This has grown out of the foreign 

 substances always found connected with it 

 in the juices of plants. Sugar is one of 

 the most easily decomposed substances in 

 nature. The juice of a plant may be very 

 rich in sugar, yet when slowly evaporated, 

 the residue will not show a single trace of 

 saccharine. In the process of vegetation, 

 as the plant approaches maturity, sugar is 

 changed into starch. In the germination of 

 the seed, a contrary change occurs, and 

 starch is converted into sugar. I took a 

 portion of sprouted corn, and macerated it 

 in water until the sugar was extracted ; the 

 liquid then strikingly resembled both in taste 

 and smell, the juice of corn-stalk after it 

 has been clarified ; it was then set to evapo- 

 rate over a slow fire; it gradually grew 

 darker in colour, and in a short time it ap- 

 peared very much like beet juice. Before 

 the evaporation was finished, every particle 

 of sugar had disappeared, and from being 

 sweet and pleasant to the taste, it had be- 

 come black, bitter and nauseous. The same 

 experiment was repeated under the same 

 circumstances, except that a small portion 

 of starch was added to the water; in this 

 case, the sugar was not decomposed, but re- 

 tained its distinctive qualities throughout 

 evaporation. The chemical reasons for this, 

 it is needless now to discuss; the simple fact, 

 and its application, are sufficient for our pur- 

 pose. Wheat flour consists principally of 

 starch, and was used with good success, 

 though perhaps pure starch would be better. 

 One pint of flour was mixed with two gal- 

 lons of skim milk, and one pint of this mix 

 ture was added to 30 gallons of juice. These 

 proportions are not given as best, for many 

 more experiments will be necessary before 

 they can be determined accurately. 



As the juice comes from the mill, it should 

 run into a receiver which will hold just 

 enough to fill one of the defecating kettles; 

 while in this receiver, the mixture of flour 

 and milk, and also the necessary quantity of 

 lime water must be added and well stirred 

 in. It is then poured at once into the defe- 

 cating kettle and heat applied ; a very firm 

 thick scum is by this means separated, and 

 the juice becomes clear; it is next run 

 through a flannel strainer into one of the 

 evaporating pans, and the boilinfr kept up 

 briskly. Take a shovel full of red hot coals 



from the furnace, and afler blowing the 

 ashes o^\ throw them into the pan: as you 

 put in more juice, add more coal ; as the 

 pan becomes filled with coal, take out that 

 which has been in longest. From this pan 

 the juice is run in succession through the 

 others — straining it when convenient — until 

 it is finished. VVm. Webb. 



Wilmington, Del., March 14th, 1845. 



Kerry Cows. 



Great yield of Butter. — In the rough and 

 mountainous parts of Ireland, there is a 

 small race of cattle called the Kerry breed. 

 They are considered indigenous to the coun- 

 try, and arc much esteemed for their good 

 qualities — especially for the dairy. From 

 the descriptions and engravings given of 

 them by writers, particularly by Youatt, and 

 by Low, in his " Illustrations of British Cat- 

 tle," they appear to be a beautiful as well 

 as hardy and useful variety. Mr. Youatt 

 says — "The cow of Kerry is truly a poor 

 man's cow, living everywhere, hardy, yield- 

 ing for her size abundance of milk of a good 

 quality, and fattening rapidly when required." 



Mr. Colman, in his late speech at Sir 

 Charles Morgan's cattle show, spoke of the 

 Kerry cow as follows: — "He found in Ire- 

 land a dairy consisting of five dairy cows, 

 from which the owner had sent to Liverpool, 

 twenty-five firkins, of butter, averaging 64 

 lbs. a firkin, and that was 320 lbs. of butter 

 to each cow tor the season. He conceived 

 a stock of dairy cows worthy as much atten- 

 tion as a stock of fat cows. He believed 

 from observation, and observation not con- 

 fined to a tew years, that in many localities, 

 the farmer's best property, would be a good 

 stock of dairy cows." (Report of Mr. Col- 

 man's speech in the London Farmer's Jour- 

 nal, Dec. 30th, 1844.) In the Journal of the 

 Royal Agricultural Society, we find an ac- 

 count of a trial made between three Ayr- 

 shires, three Galloways, and three Kerry 

 cows. The Ayrshires gave rather most 

 milk, but the Kerries exceeded them all in 

 butter. — Cidlivator. 



Yellow Locitst. — If you have but little 

 fencing timber fit for posts on your farm, 

 sow a few pounds of yellow locust seed, and 

 when the plants are two years old they may 

 be transplanted. In twelve years from the 

 time the seed is sown, you may begin to cut 

 ihem for posts. 



Abortion among Cows. — Earl Spencer 

 says, that since he placed lumps of rock 

 salt in his pasture lands, none cf his cows 

 have suffered abortion. 



