J56 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



©rtstiwl Ctommuntcattons. 



TO THE EDITOR OF THE NBW ENGLAND FAIIJIER. 



VELOCITY OF MILLS, &c. 



Mr Fessenpen. — I have observed in jjour p;ip- 

 «r, page 99, some remarks, copir,fl from anolher 

 paper, respecting mills doing more work in (he 

 night than in the day time, witli the same gtiage 

 of water. 1 have had upwards of thirty years' 

 experience with Grist and Saw ftlills, und paid 

 every attention thereto, that a person of my 

 capacity and circumstances could do. 1 know 

 it to be an indisputable fact, and no ahcrraticn of 

 funcif. The question is, how are we to account 

 for the cause by any discoveries yet made in the 

 laws of nature ? From my numerous observa- 

 tions, I have been fully satisfied that (he moon- 

 light or darkness has no agency or eftect there- 

 in, — that there is at limes a materiil ilifTerence 

 in this increased night-power of water-mills, of 

 from 5 to 10 or 1.5 per cent, yet dial difference 

 is not governed by the light of the full, or dark 

 of the new moon. 



It has generally been admitted that the spec- 

 ific gravity of water occasions the velocity, and 

 is all the power by which it acts upon mills. — 

 This led me to conclude that the nis:ht being 

 colder than the day, the water condensed, and 

 had more specitick gravity. Yet from all the 

 experiments that have been made, of the spec- 

 ific gravity of water, — of different do2;rees of 

 warmth and cold which could be chana'ed by the 

 atmosphere of day and nighl, — the ditference is 

 too small to be oerceived in the operations of a 

 mill. 



Our learned authors have written abundance 

 on the properties of water, yet none appear to 

 have been fully acquainted iherertith, hut sev- 

 eral simple facts seem to contradict their adopt- 

 ed theories. For instance, in the dry part of 

 fsummer, a man may carry on his shoulder a dry 

 log that would float him across a river, — lay that 

 log under water all winter, and it will absorb so 

 much water more (ban its bulk, that it will sink 

 like a stone. The wood occupies some part of 

 the bulk, and divested of the water would float. 

 If it did not absorb more than the same bulk of 

 tlie surrounding water, it would not sink. 1 wish 

 to see these mysteries fully investigated in your 

 ^iseful paper. As water is a component part of 

 the human body, the subject is very interesting, 

 and it would be well to understand all its mo- 

 tions as correctly as we do those of the heaven- 

 Iv bodies. SAMUEL PRESTON. 



' Stockport, {Pa.) JVov. 13, 1C21. 



ass. We like to have our lands so poor that we 

 must plant 30 acres for a hundred bushels of 

 corn, as this keeps us industiious; and as tor 

 agricultural books and newspapers, we view 

 them as Mahometans would a bible. We like 

 to have so little (odder that we may deal it with 

 the same precision that a Doctor would a dose 

 of ipecacuanha ; and in order to do (his, we must 

 (as the old negro said of the grain,) have two 

 cattle to one hay. We like to give our cattle a 

 stout bundle of straw in the morning, and leave 

 them to work out (heir own salvadon wi(h fear 

 and trembling, — aj'e, trembling, owing to the 

 weakness of their nerves. But we do not like 

 to hear our good pastor preach from (he pas- 

 sage, " the merciful man is merciful to his beast.''^ 

 We like to have our cider such, that it will soon 

 sour, else we should drink too much. We like 

 to turn olT our dullest yoimg men (o college, and 

 consign (hem to charity, otherwise we should 

 be (roubled wi(h idiots. Lastly, we like to see 

 young ladies well helled and boarded, as this 

 gives (hem a sys(ematical appearance, and makes 

 them look as slender as bean poles, as nea( as 

 nine pin*, and as delicate as guinea-pigs. 

 Hartford, Con. Dec. I. Hagl.\ Col.\. 



TOR THE NEW ENCiLAND FAK3IER. 



WH.IT MYSELF AND NEIGHBORS LIKE TO SEE. 

 We like to se<3 six or eight hogs running about 

 the streets, threatening every one who hajipens 

 to step out of the kitchen. This shows us (o be 

 jio coward^. We like to have our farms so large 

 ihat wc cannot keep our fences more than (hree 

 rails high, which allows our cattle, by jiimi>ing 

 x>T rather crawlirg, to have a frequent change 

 of feed ; whereas, if our (once ivas liigh, our 

 cattle might be neglected. We like to have our 

 cattle homely, because our fathers said they 

 would fatten liellcr and give more milk than 

 handsome ones. We like to see our barn yards 

 HS free from manure as our parlours, and wish 

 to know 110 more about compost, than Balaam's 



MANURING GRASS LAND WITH COMPOST. 

 Although the following article, abridged from 

 the Loudon Farmer^s Journal, developed no new 

 principles, it contains some ideas which may, 

 perhaps, be of use to some of our readers. We 

 have often inveighed against the practice of 

 manuring grass ground with unmixed manure 

 from the barn jard ; but the manner of mixing 

 it with earths described below, may be new to 

 some, though we have observed something sim- 

 ilar on the borders of the fields of our most suc- 

 cessful farmers. — [Ed. N. E. Farmer. 



" The manure 1 use for grass ground is a mix- 

 lure of dung from the farm-yard, and mould from 

 the headlands, all of which were much higher 

 than the rest of Ihe Geld. This compost is an 

 excellent dressing for an old meadow [mowing 

 lot] as well as one recendy made ; and i will 

 here (ake (he lilierly o( s(a(ing Ihe method ol" 

 preparing it. l\Lany years ago, a friend advised 

 me to manure wilh this compost, in preference 

 to dung alone, with a view to save expenses and 

 extend improvement. His taller is now before 

 me, and I cannot do belter (ban to use his own 

 words. — ' 1 commence (he work belbre Christ- 

 mas, by ploughing the headland fourteen feel 

 in width, as deep as a plough will fairly take it. 

 In this stale it remains for five or six weeks. 1 

 then cart from Ihe barn-yard as much dung as I 

 can spare, and place it upon tw» third parts of 

 the width of the land, ploughed in an even and 

 equal manner. All the mould which remains 

 uncovereil, is then turned ujion the dung. In 

 this state it remains for five or si.x weeks or more. 

 The next process is turning over and mixing the 

 dung and mould well together, to which great 

 attention should be paid. The manure, thus 

 prepared, will become lit for use in Ihe nionlli 

 of July, when it should be put upon the nn.ad- 

 ow or pasture land, at Ihe rate ol' twenty carl- 

 loads per acre, the grass being first fed off as 

 close as sheep will take it ; or if mown, Ihe 

 manure sho\ild be applied immeditttcty after 



carting the hay. By this method, meadows and 

 pastures may be greatly improved, as an abun- 

 dance of new herbage is produced by the com- 

 post, and that of the first quality. Care must 

 always be taken to leave a sufficiency of the 

 compost upon Ihe head land to mend it, and to 

 sow proper grass seeds thereon. 



' 1 am much inclined to lielieve Ihat the com- 

 po-^t here recommended, would be as effectual 

 in forcing a broad cast turnip crop, as dung from 

 Ihe farm-yard, heaped according to the common 

 mode of husbaiidry. Farmers are apt to cart 

 out llie dung intended for the turnip field, into a 

 heap so large, that the inside is often burnt, and 

 Ihe outside so dried, Ihat the original quantity 

 is reduced full one third. The compost pre\ ents 

 this waste. 1 tried it four years ago, nn a field 

 of seven acres, and it answered well. The tur- 

 nips were very good; so was the succeeding 

 crop of barley.' " 



From Jlectwi^s Culinary Chemialry. 



- 9t 



METHOD OF PREPARING BACON, HAMS AND 



HUNG BEEF. 



Meat, when salted, is sometimes dried, when 

 it ge(s (he name of bacon, ham, or hung beef. 



The drying of salt meat is effected either by 

 hanging it in a dry or well aired place, or by 

 exposing it at (he same (ime (o wood smoke, 

 (vliich gives it a peculiar flavour, much admir- 

 ed in Westphalia hams and Hamburg beef, and 

 also (ends to preserve it, by (he an(iseptic ac- 

 tion of the pyrolignic acid. AVhen meat is to 

 be hung, it need not be so highly salted. 



The method of preparing bacon is peculiar 

 (0 cer(ain dis(ric(s. The following is the meth- 

 od of making bacon in Hampshire and Somer- 

 setshire : — 



The season for killing hogs fof bacon is be- 

 tween October and iMarch. The articles to be 

 sailed are sprinkled over wilh b.iy-salt, and put 

 fi)r twenty-ibur hours in Ihe salting trough, to 

 allow the adhering blood to drain away. Alter 

 this tlipy take thrm out, wipe them very dry, 

 and throw away (he draining. They then take 

 some fresh bay salt and beating it well in a frv- 

 ing pan, rub the meat very well with it, r"e- 

 peatina; this every day for lour days, lurning the 

 sides every other day. 



If the hog be very large, they keep the sides 

 in brine, turning them occasionally for thi'ea 

 weeks; alter which tliey take them out, and let 

 them be thoroughly dried in the usu;;i manner. 



SMOKE-DRYING, OR CURING OF BACOX, HAMS, AMD 

 BEEF, AS PRACTISED IN WESTPHALIA. 



The custom of fumigating hams wilh wood 

 smoke is of very ancient da(e ; it was well 

 known :o the Romans, and Horace mentions it. 

 '' Fiunu.'!(u cum ptJe pernre.'''* 



Several places on the Continent are famous 

 for the delicacy and flavour of their hams: — 

 Westj)halia, however, is at Ihe head of the list. 



The method of curing bacon and hams in , 

 Westphalia (in Germany) is as follows: — F"am- 

 ilies thit kill one or more hogs a year, which 

 is a connmon practice in jirivaie houses, have 

 a closet in the garret, joining to the chimney, 

 made tglit, to retain smoke, in which ibey hang 

 their hams, and bacon to dry ; and out ol the 

 effect of the fire, they may be gradually driad 

 bj' the lycod smoke, and nut by beat. 



