112 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 19, 1831. 



MISCELIiAIVY 



The following extracts are from a small pamphlet lately repub- 

 lisbed by Lilly 4- Wait, and Carter J- llendee, entitled » 

 KNOWLEDGE FOR THE PEOPLE, . 



WHY AND BECAUSE. 



ffhy is lime most generally contained in natural 

 waters '? 



Because there are few springs which, during 

 some part of their subterranean counse, do not come 

 in contact with calcareous eartli, and there is no 

 substance which appears so readily soluble in a 

 variety of menstrua. The presence of lime uncoin- 

 bined in any natural waters, is, however, conjec- 

 tural. 



Jf'hy are ice and snow ^caters of superior purity ? 

 Because they contain no gas or air, or saline sub- 

 stances, such having been expelled during freezing. 

 fVhy is the Thames water of such extreme soft- 

 ness ? 



Because, from observations at and helow London 

 bridge, as far up as Kew and O.vford, it is supposed 

 that the waters seldom change, being probably car- 

 ried up and down with the turn of the tides for an 

 indefinite period of time. 



Il'hy are the objections to Thames water removed 

 hy filtration i 



Because its impurities have no influence in per- 

 manently altering the quality of the water, which is 

 good ; and, as they are only suspended, mere rest, 

 especially such as is given hy filtration, will restore 

 the water to its original purity. 



Ji'hy are leaden cisterns unsafe for holding water 

 for culinary purposes ? 



Because, if the water has stood in them for 

 several days undisturbed, a small coating of white 

 rust may be seen at the up[)er edge of the water. 

 On every fresh addition of water this rust is wash- 

 ed off; and, if there be the slightest degree of 

 acidity in the vessel, the rust of lead will be dissolv- 

 ed in the water, ami thus an insidious poison will 

 be conveyed into the stomach. This rust, or oxide, 

 as it is chemically called, is pioiluced by the lead 

 combining with the oxygen of tlie water. 

 If'hy is ice broken before it is stored in tvells ? 

 Because it may reunite m the interior ; in a long 

 frost it diminishes considerably in bulk, as it 

 forms itself into a compact mass, by freezing in the 

 well. 



ff'hy should ice be taken from the sides of the tvell, 

 and the centre left till the last ? 



Because, if the ice is first taken from the mid- 

 dle you disturb the body, and the air thus intro- 

 duceil will destroy more than you consume. 

 Jf'hy does tvaler boil in a vessel on the fire ? 

 Because the parts of the liquid next the fire get 

 heated, and rise up through the colder parts which 

 are heavier ; and this is found to be the principal 

 manner of communicating heat to all parts of a 

 liquid : for, if the heat is applied at the top, it can 

 only with great difficulty be conducted through the 

 liqiiid either sideways or downwards ; but when 

 apjdied below, the parts, as they are heated, be- 

 come enlarged and lighter ; they rise to the toj), and 

 heal the others in their progress, while those oihcrs, 

 beino- still somewhat heavier, sink down, and are 

 heateil fully in their turn. By degree.*, the whole 

 liquid gets so hot that the parts next the bottom 

 are converted into steam or vapor, which rises 

 through the rest of the liquid in bubbles to the 

 top, and there flies offtill the whole liquid is evapo- 

 rated. 



ff'hy should the bottom of a tea-kettle he black, and 

 the top polished ? 



Because the bottom has to absorb beat, which 

 is aided by rough and blackened surfaces ; and the 

 top has to retain heat, which is insured by polish- 

 ed ones. 



Jfliy is meat preserved by drying ? 



Because all bodies, to ferment, must be more or 

 less moist. Thus, a piece of meat, with all its na- 

 tural juices, will soon putrefy ; whereas bodies com- 

 pletely dry cannot be made to undergo any kind of 

 fermentation. 



If'hy is habitual drinking especially fatal to the in- 

 terests of cooks"? 



Because nothing so soon destroys the palate or 

 taste, which is necessary even for the most ex- 

 perienced cook^, to ascertain the flavor and sea- 

 soning of their soups, sauces, &c. 



H'hy (Iocs charcoal prevent meat, Sfc, becoming 

 tainted ? 



Because it absorbs the different gases of putre- 

 faction, and condenses tliem in its pores, without 

 any alteration of their prni)erties or its own. 



H'hy is baking of all modes the least advantageous 

 of cookery ? 



Because meat tlius dressed loses about cue third 

 of its weight, and the nourishing juices are then, 

 in great measure, dried "p. Beef in boiling loses 

 26 lbs. in 100 lbs. ; in roasting it loses nearly one 

 third. 



If'hy is beer believed to tie of the same antiqiily with 

 wine ? 



Because the word beer seems to be of Hebrew 

 origin : thus, the Hebrew for com, with a very 

 slight modification, .sounds like lire in sabri, other. 

 The Hebrew language modified itself into the 

 Phoenician, and that again into the S.ixon ; accord- 

 ingly the Saxon bipe, barley, resembles its Hebrew 

 parent : hence we have the English beer, the French 

 biere, and the Italian birra. The Saxon itord has 

 been retained in English ; for there is a kind of 

 barley called here, or bigge. Tho Englidi word 

 beer was, a few centuries ago, spelt here ; ind beer 

 has at all times been made from barley ; hips are 

 a modern improvement. We may thereforeincline 

 to believe, that the etymology of the word mt only 

 proves the remote antiquity of tlic bevcrajc, but 

 traces the invention to the family of Noah. 



Jf hy is the month of October an unft timefo- brov- 

 ing, although famous for the manufacture of l^glish 

 beer ? 



Because in October river water is generally 

 unfit for n.se, it being then loaded with vegeablo 

 decompositions and living aniinalculte, neither of 

 which are favorable to the fermentation. 



Jf'hy does the water of stagnant ponds prodife better 

 beer than that of the finest springs ? 



Because, probably, of its softness, whilstjts im- 

 purities are separated in the course of the feiment- 

 ation. — JVeuman. 



j\'ew England Farmer and Horticultural Journal. 



This is a weekly paper devoted to agiiculture, gar- 

 dening, and rural economy ; edited by Tho.mas G. Fes- 

 sENDEiv, assisted by various agricultural wi'iters, and by 

 the observations of the best practical farmers in New 

 England. It is printed in a quarto foim, (paged) making 

 a volume of 416 pages annually, to which a title page 

 and index are furnished gratiit. This journal has been 

 puljlished for nine years ; dui'ing which time the most 

 assiduous exertions have been made by the Editor to 

 make it acceptable and useful to the farmer and iJie hor- 

 ticulturist. Fiom the incieasing number at;d respecta- 

 bility ot' its correspondents, and the means now at the 

 command of the Editor, the Publisher feels a confidence : 

 in recommending it to the favorable notice of the public, 

 as a journal with iegard to wliose future character they 

 will not bo disappointed. By a vote of the Board of Visi- 

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 Cui'ator of that estalilisbment has been requested to 

 make known, through tlie Now England Farmer, the 

 details and results of his espci iments in various horti- 

 cultural subjects — the choice of soil, and situation, with 

 regard to various planls. See ; — ;ind by a vote of the 

 Massachusetts Horticidlural Society, all communications 

 on horticultural subjects, addicssed lo lh.> I'ri-ident, are 

 to be published regularly in the New Eii^l.uid Farmer, 

 so that this journal will contain the complcle Transac- 

 tions of the Society. 



By concentrating all these advantages, it is thought 

 that the volumes of the New England Farmer will con- 

 tain so large a collection of useful lads and experiments 

 connected with agriculture and its kindled branches of 

 gardening, orcharding, &.c, as to be found worthy a 

 place in llie Library of every farmer. A weekly report 

 of the sales of the cattle at liiigblon — the state of the 

 markets, crnps^ &c — and occ:'sionally drawings of agri- 

 cultural irTiploments, &c, will be found in this journal. 



The New England Farmer is piililishcd every Wednes- 

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[nirGentlemen who procure five subscribers, and for- 

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(O'Editors with whom we exchange, who may feci 

 disposed to pive this one or two insertions, will confer a 

 favor that will be reciprocatcil with pleasure on any oc- 

 casion. 



JVotice. 

 The subscriber wishes to procure a small quantity, 

 say half a pint, of acorns from each species of oak grow- 

 ing in New England, with the specific, or where not 

 known, the cdmmon name. It is desirable that they 

 should be sent in by the 1st of November, with the con- 

 tribulor's name, as they are lo be forwarded lo the Lon- 

 don Horticultural Society. Any rensonable expense with 

 regard to the above will be cheerfully paid. 



4t J. B. RUSSELL. 



Binding. 



Subscribeis to the New England Farmer are informed 



dial they can have their volumes neatly half bound and 



lettered, at 75 cts. per volume, by leaving them at tbo 



Farmer office. Auo-, 3. 



Father and Son-in-law. — ' Be easy,' said a rich 

 invalid to his son-in-law, who was every htur per- 

 plexing him with complaints of his wife's mi;behav- 

 iour, 'Be easy, I say ; as her behaviour is ;o very 

 blameable, I will alter my will, and cut her of with.a 

 shilling.' The old man heard no more of his laugh- 

 ter's failings. 



Silver Mines. — It is reported that valuable silver 

 ore has been, within a few days, discovered ii great 

 quantities in the county of Schoharie. — MbavAj pap. 



Silver ore has lately been obtained from a \ein at 

 Lubec, Me. which is said to yield 140 ouncesto the 

 ton. 



Published, evrry Wednesday Eieiiin'^, at ^3 per annum, 

 payable at the end of ihe year— but those who pay withiil 

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 being made in advance. 



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 all descriptions of Printing can be executed to meet the 

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