No. 4. 



Sugar from Pumpkins — The Raising of Ducks. 



63 



fourteen dozen. Benjamin Crawford, Esq., 

 who also succeeded in procuring' about a 

 bushel and a half of the seed from New York, 

 we understand, estimates his yield at about 

 twenty-five bushels." — Winchester, Va. Rep. 

 August 9. 



Sngar from Pusiipliiiis. 



A discovery has been made in France 

 which, if transplanted into this country, will 

 make the pumpkin fields of New England 

 dangerous rivals to the cane fields of Louis- 

 iana and the West Indies. A French paper 

 says: 



" A complete revolution is expected to take 

 place in the manufacture of native sugar — a 

 revolution which will probably compel the 

 beet-growers to ' hide their heads.' In other 

 words, the pumpkin is about to enter the 

 field as a rival of the beet root, and to force 

 the Chamber of Deputies to revise its late en- 

 actments on the sugar question. An indus- 

 trious speculator is on the point of establish- 

 ing a manufactory for extracting sugar from 

 this overgrown and hitherto despised produc- 

 tion of the vegetable world, the first experi- 

 ments on which, it is added, have been 

 crowned with complete success." 



Tbc Raising of I>itcks. 



These birds being acquatic in their habits, 

 most persons suppose they ought to give the 

 young ones a great deal of water. The con- 

 sequence is, they soon take colds, become 

 droopy, and die. This mode should be avoided. 

 Duck's, when first hatched, are always in- 

 clined to fever, from their pinion-wings com- 

 ing out so soon. This acts upon them as 

 teethmg does on children. The young ducks 

 should, consequently, be kept from every 

 thing which may have a tendency to create 

 cold in them. To prevent this, therefore, I 

 always allow my young ducks as little water 

 as possible. In fact, they should only have 

 enough to allay their thirst, and should on no 

 account be permitted to play in the water. 

 If the person lives near the city, liver and 

 iites should be boiled, and chopped up fine, 

 and given to the young ducks. Or, if fish, 

 crabs, oysters, or clams can be procured, they 

 should be given. In case none of these can 

 be got, all the victuals should be boiled be- 

 fore feeding. Boiled potatoes mixed with 

 hominy, are also excellent. Half of the 

 ducks which are lost, are because raw food is 

 given them. To sum up all in a word — if 

 you wish to raise almost every duck that is 

 hatched, give them little water, and feed 

 them on no food which is not boiled. By ob- 

 serving this plan, I raise for market, and for 

 my own table, between two and three hun- 

 dred ducks every year. — Southern Jlgr. 



Domestic £couomy. 



As appropriated to the season, we give a 

 few receipts for preparing pickels : — 



Pickled Onions. — In the month of Sep- 

 tember, choose the small white round onions, 

 take oft" the brown skin, have ready a very 

 nice tin stewpan of boiling water ; throw in 

 as many onions as will cover the top. As 

 soon as they look clear on the outside, take 

 them up as quick as possible with a slice, and 

 lay them on a clean cloth, cover them close 

 with another, and scald some more, and so on. 

 Let them lie to be cold, then put them in a 

 jar, or glass wide-mouth bottle, and pour over 

 them the best white wine vinegar, just hot, 

 but not boiling. When cold, cover them. 



Cucumbers and Onions Sliced. — Cut 

 them in slices, and sprinkle salt over them, 

 next day drain them for five or six hours, put 

 them into a jar and pour boiling vinegar over 

 them keeping them in a warm place. The 

 slices should be thick. Repeat the boiling 

 vinegar, and stop instantly, and so on till 

 green. 



Pickled sliced Cucumbers another way. 

 — Slice large unpaired cucumbers, an inch 

 thick; slice onions, and put both into a broad 

 pan ; strew a good deal of salt amongst them. 

 In twenty-four hours drain them, and then 

 lay them on a cloth to dry. Put them in a 

 small stone jar and pour in the strongest plain 

 vinegar, boiling hot ; stop the jars close. 

 Next day boil it again, and pour over, thus 

 thrice ; the last time add whole white pepper, 

 and a little ginger. Keep close covered. — 

 New Bedford Gazcite. 



Don't give yom* CliicUens Salt* 



A correspondent says in a letter — " The 

 fatal eifects of mixing salt, in any considera- 

 ble quantities, with food intended for chick- 

 ens, or which they can eat, received a singu- 

 lar illustration on the farm of a friend a few 

 days since. As an inducement to his horse 

 to eat a handful or two of salt, he mixed it 

 with a quart or two of meal, and fed it to the 

 animal. The horse refused the mixture, and 

 it was left where it was soon found by the 

 chickens, which, to the number of forty-five 

 or fifty, soon caused its disappearance. With- 

 in twenty-four hours, every one that eat of 

 the meal died, and the greater part did not 

 live half that time. There is an old saying 

 among poulterers, that ' salt is health to a gos- 

 ling, but death to a chicken,' and the foregoing 

 result would seem to prove that, like other 

 old saws, it contains some truth." — Gen. Far. 



Quintessence, the virtue of any thing ex- 

 tracted, the purest part, the spirit. 



