858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



29 



one hundred tons of the marrow squash the pres- 

 ent season, on about two acres of ground. 



An inquiry has often been made, how is the 

 purity of the squash preserved? I have never 

 met more sensible remarks on this point, than 

 the following, which I quote from a Report on 

 Vegetable Products, al/out to appear, viz. : The 

 Tramadions of the Essex County ^iocidyfor 1857. 



"It is a mistake to infer that the seed of the 

 squash is pure, because the squash itself has all 

 the outward characteristics of purity. The cross- 

 ing of varieties, as in the apple, pear and all our 

 fiuits, is not in the pulp, but in the seed ; and 

 were the squash vine like our trees, perennial, no 

 matter how near other varieties might grow, the 

 fruit would always be constant ; but when we 

 plant the seed, be it of squash, apple or pear, 

 then the result of growing it in the vicinity of 

 other varieties, at once shows itself in point of 

 all degrees of purity, though the seed planted 

 may all have come from one squash." 



This doctrine may in some manner explain the 

 vexed question, which I have often heard answered 

 ■with great confidence on both sides. Will seeds 

 taken from squashes peld pximpkins ? or vice ver- 

 sa ; will seeds taken from pumpkins yield squash- 

 es? I had supposed these vegetables to be as 

 different in their nature, as are the African and 

 the European, in the human family. Neverthe- 

 less, I have seen of these, individuals that awak- 

 ened a strong suspicion ot juxtaposition of pa- 

 rents before birth. If such erratic adventures 

 happen in the human family, under the obliga- 

 tions of all conventional and moral propriety, 

 much more may they be expected in the vegetable 

 family, that recognizes no such obligations. 



Stranger things than these have turned up ev- 

 en in Marblehead — the overflowing fountain of 

 squash intelligence. EsSEX. 



Nov. 14, 1857. 



NEW BOOKS. 



"Sorgho and Imphee, the Chinese and Afri- 

 can Sugar. A treatise upon their origin, varie- 

 ties and culture ; their value as a forage crop ; 

 and the manufacture of sugar, syrup, alcohol, 

 wines, beer, cider, vinegar, starch and dye-stuffs ; 

 with a paper by Leonard May, Esq., of Caffraria, 

 and a description of his patented process for crys- 

 talizing the Imphee. By Henry S. Olcott. A. 

 O. Moore, Agricultural Book Publisher, (late C. 

 M. Saxton & Co.,) N. Y." 



Such is a title of this new work on the Chinese 

 Sugar Cane, and the African Sugar Cane, which 

 is also called "Imphee." Mr. Olcott seems to 

 have explored every department of the subject, 

 and perhaps has given all the information in rela- 

 tion to them which it is necessary to know in ma- 

 king further experiments. The book commen- 

 ces with an account of the cane in China, and 

 then goes on with some minuteness through all 

 the stages of planting, culture, liarvcsli;;g, c;c;>rcs- 

 sing its juices and obtaining the syrup or sugar. 

 The AViiter has also introduced the opinions and 

 experiments of many practical men in relation to 



it. Numerous diagrams and figures illustrate the 

 subject, so that the whole is presented in a clear 

 and comprehensive manner. 



The book is printed on large type and good pa- 

 per, and is a credit to the old agricultural pub- 

 lishing house from whence it is issued. All per- 

 sons intending to cultivate either of these canes, 

 or who desire to know more about them, may be 

 benefited by a perusal of this work. 



"Illustrated Annual Register, for 1858. 

 With 130 Engravings. By J. J. Thomas. Lu- 

 ther Tucker & Son, Albany, N. Y." 



This is Number Four of the Register and is 

 equal to any of its predecessors. It tells you how 

 to build a cheap farm-house, or a complete coun- 

 try residence, how to protect and feed animals 

 and bees, to build cellar walls and cisterns, about 

 gardens, grapes, orchards, poultry, plowing, and 

 indeed, almost every thing that the farmer ought 

 to know. It costs but 25 cts., and the single ar- 

 ticle on Ventilation is worth more than that to 

 any farmer who will read this. You never will re- 

 gret it if you purchase it. 



MANAGEMENT OF MILCH COWS. 



As soon as the grass begins to fail in the fall, 

 milch cows should be fed on vt^arm slops, that they 

 may not get a back set, and kept at night in a warm 

 and comfortable stable. If the farmer prefers 

 using hay, they should have all of it they will eat 

 up clean, and each night and morning a feed of 

 from four to six quarts of shorts, wet with about 

 the same quantity of warm water. Or a more 

 economical way is to feed them twice a day with 

 about half a bushel of nice, clean, cut straw, 

 mixed with about three gallons of warm water. 

 They will then need no hay, and give an abun- 

 dance of good rich milk. Corn is too heating for 

 milch cows, and has too much of a tendency to 

 fatten. 



The stable should be thoroughly cleaned every 

 morning after the cows are turned out, and littered 

 with clean straw. When it is stormy, they should 

 remain in the stable until the middle of the after- 

 noon, when they should be turned out to get wa- 

 ter. — Genesee Farmer. 



LARD AND KESIN FOR TOOLS. 

 "A penny saved is two-pence earned." 



Take about three pounds of lard and one 

 pound of resin. Melt them together in a basin 

 or kettle, and rub over all iron or steel surfaces 

 in danger of being rusted. It can be put on with 

 a brush or piece of cloth, and wherever it is ap- 

 plied it most effectually keeps air and moisture 

 away, and of course prevents rust. When knives 

 and forks, or other household articles, liable to 

 become rusted or spotted, are to be laid away, 

 rub them over with this mixture, and they will 

 come out bright and clean even years afterwards. 

 The coating may be bo thin as not to be perceiv- 

 ed, and it will still be effectual. Let every one 

 keep a dish of this preparation on hand. As it 



