332 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



are large, healthy, and thrifty. Being well cared 

 for every way, they are very productive and 

 serviceable. 



We believe this is the best plan to secure use- 

 ful fowls. The same general principles will ap- 

 ply to raising all kinds of stock. — Valley Farmer. 



INCREASING THE QUANTITY OF CBEAM. 



A gentleman in Brussels, Mr. Bakaert, some- 

 time since assured the public that he had at last 

 been successful in his efforts to discover a pro- 

 cess for increasing the quantity of cream from 

 milk. The process by which this is accomplished 

 is as follows : — 



To every two quarts of milk, add a table- 

 spoonful of liquid made by dissolving in a quart 

 of water one ounce of carbonate of soda, one 

 tea-spoonful of curcuma, or tumeric, and three 

 drops of marigold water is added. The action 

 of the soda is, according to Mr. Bakaert, to cause 

 a greater quantity of cream to be separated from 

 the milk than would otherwise be ; while the 

 other ingredients render the quality and color of 

 the butter superior to that of butter produced 

 in the ordinary way. 



Wc are not satisfied that this boasted discovery 

 will be of any great utility, after all. It is some- 

 what difficult to conceive how the carbonate of 

 soda can produce the action or result which, in 

 this case, is attributed to it. As to "coloring" 

 and "flavoring" butter, -when the latter is prop- 

 erly made, it is to be regarded as of a piece with 

 "gilding refined gold," or to add perfume to the 

 violet. The milk of cows, judiciously kept, if 

 well managed, will always produce butter of a 

 good color and flavor, and the attempts of some 

 to render their butter more saleable in the prin- 

 cipal markets, by coloring it with pigments of 

 various kinds, is, at best questionable as to its 

 utility, and generally to be deprecated as a de- 

 cided injury to the article when it is to be kept 

 any time before being used. 



In a paper now before us, we notice an article 

 in which the yellow Altringham carrot is recom- 

 mended as an excellent article for coloring but- 

 ter ! The yolks of eggs, and otto, are also used 

 in some localities, for this purpose, as are various 

 other vegetables and dnigs. Every thing added 

 to good butter, — after a little salt, — hurts its 

 keeping qualities, changes that sweet, delicious 

 taste that good butter always has, causes it sooner 

 to become rancid, and depreciates its true value. 



As TO Going to Parties. — "Extensive and 

 promiscuous intercourse with mankind has few 

 advantages for the man of thought. Access is 

 not thus to be obtained to what is most valuable 

 in others. Better for the studious, thinking man 

 to be much alone, cultivating acquaintance with 

 the inside of good books and himself, than with 

 tlie outsides of other people." 



A NEW VINE PROTECTOR. 



We have seen a new contrivance to protect 

 squash, melon and other vines from the ravages 

 of bugs, which we think cannot fail to be effi- 

 cient. The largest in size and form resembles a 

 half bushel measure ; the sizes then decrease so 

 as to allow three others to be packed into the 

 first, forming a nest. 



They are made of scaleboard, about an eighth 

 of an inch thick, got out by machinery from 

 chestnut timber ; are about eight or ten inches 

 high, and fastened with copper nails. The top 

 being covered with gauze, a hoop is pressed down 

 over it and the thing is complete. It is light, 

 cheap, durable, and will prove just the article 

 needed. They are made by Mr. J. C. Gove, of 

 Leominster, and are for sale by Noui'se & Co., 13 

 Commercial St., Boston. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 NEW ENGLAND FARMING. 



It is evident that the cultivator of a naturally 

 unproductive soil needs more agricultural knowl- 

 edge than one who cultivates a soil naturally 

 rich in the elements of productiveness ; for while 

 the latter has to do only the commonest opera- 

 tions, such as call for a moderate outlay of phys- 

 ical force, the former has to do many things that 

 could not be done by the mere exercise of brute 

 strength, or could be done only at an unwarran- 

 table expenditure of time and money. The lat- 

 ter has to do scarcely more than plow, sow and 

 reap, while these constitute but a small part of 

 the necessary labor of the former. 



The latter may plant any seed on any portion 

 of his farm and he will get good crops, while the 

 former must know what parts of his farm are 

 best adapted to the growth of particular crops 

 and what elements he must supply to make cer- 

 tain parts yield desired crops. He must know, 

 too, whether his farm contains within its limits 

 the elements requisite for the restoration of the 

 balance between its different parts ; whether the 

 swamp contains substances wanted by the sandy 

 plain to render it fertile; and on the contrary, 

 whether the soil of the sandy plain can be trans- 

 ferred with profit to the rank and heavy swamp 

 land. 



In short, as has been said a thousand times, 

 he must have an acquaintance with the chemistry 

 of agriculture, and after he has an acquaintance 

 with it, he must put it into practice ; in other 

 words, he must proceed to experiment upon his 

 knowledge. He may be successful or otherwise. 

 Very likely his trials may lead to some useful 

 discovery. At any rate, the fountains of thought 

 will be broken up, and new ideas will pour in up- 

 on his mind. Having acquired knowledge upon 

 one subject, he will begin to long for knowledge 

 upon other subjects, and having disciplined his 

 mind somewhat, as he has been forced to do in 

 making his first acquirement, he will begin to 

 feel the value of mental disciijline, and to pos- 

 sess more of it will be his aim, until at le-.gth 

 he will be the owner of a store-house oi infor- 

 m»tioD, and the master of a well cullivuted ia- 



