1868. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



417 



not be covered with old hay or leaves from the 

 forest, or shavings and be burnt over in August, 

 annually, until the sprouts are all dead ; and then 

 set out the cranberry vines ? I would be pleased 

 to hear from my brother farmers on this subject. 

 Those vTjteran pioneers, Capt. Sebina Small, of 

 Harwich, and Dr. Miller of Franklin, Mass., might 

 throw some light on this subject, as they have re- 

 claimed swamp land and made it valuable cran- 

 berry meadow. Mr. Editor your opinion, too, is 

 asked. Caleb E. Parmenter. 



Attleboro\ Mass., Jan., 1868. 



Remarks. — A dirty swamp, such as you de- 

 scribe, was converted into one of the finest cran- 

 berry meadows in our knowledge. The process of 

 reclamation was by flooding the land until all the 

 bushes were entirely dead, then tearing them up 

 root and branch, burning, spreading the ashes, 

 levelling, and then setting the plants in stools. 

 We have no doubt but the bushes would sprout 

 and cover the surface, if cut as you propose ; and 

 covering with leaves, straw, or any thing else, and 

 burning, would be a tedious and expensive pro- 

 cess. It may require more than one summer to 

 kill the brush by flooding, but if so, it will be 

 cheaper than cutting it two or three times. If you 

 cannot flood the land without encroaching upon 

 your neighbors, and cannot obtain their assent to 

 flow, tjien the only course left is to tear up the 

 bushes and level and dress with sand in the best 

 way you can. If, upon examination, you find 

 sand below the surface, and within twelve inches 

 of it, you will, probably, have no occasion to haul 

 and spread it upon the surface. . 



WHITE SPECKS IN BUTTER. 



From ten years' experience in butter making, I 

 come to the conclusion that it is neither strong cur- 

 rent of air nor excessive heat that causes the 

 white specks. A strong current coming directly 

 on the milk will break the cream and pre- 

 vent its rising. Heated air will make the cream 

 soft and oily. I am troubled about white specks 

 only in warm, wet weather. Warm, damp air 

 brings the white specks on the top of the cream. 

 They do not originate in sour milk at the bottom 

 of the j ar. They may be seen by looking across the 

 mi/k before skimming. At least, this is my opinion. 

 My milk is set in a large airy room, having two 

 large windows at the north, which are taken out' 

 during the summer; two at the west, and one at 

 the south, and a door at the south covered by a 

 veranda. The temperature of the room is regulated 

 by blinds which are opened at night, and for a 

 while in tl^e morning, and closed during the day if 

 the weather is warm. Our milk shelves are made 

 by placing four hard wood scantlings, two inches 

 and a half square, on two carpenter's "horses," 

 which make a solid place for the rows of pans, ac- 

 cessible on all sides, and of a convenient height 

 to strain and skim the milk without moving or 

 lifting. In this way the air coines in contact with 

 all the milk in the room. During the past week 

 of extreme hot weather, no white specks have ap- 

 peared, and with the use of ice when churning, 

 which we think tends to prevent the specks, good 

 butter has been made. Some pass the cream 

 through a strainer to get out the specks. There is 

 also now in use a cream grinder, or condenser, that 

 takes them all out of the cream. We think it best 

 to make cheese during the warm sultry weather of 

 dog days. One great trouble with many dairies is 

 that the milk rooms are too small by far, and with- 



out proper ventilation. Whoever takes care of 

 the milk should regulate the temperature of the 

 room. This is something that I always see to my- 

 self unless sickness or absence from home prevents. 

 Where there are no blinds a frame to fit the win- 

 dows and covered with musquito netting, or cloth 

 for cheese bandage is by far better than nothing. 

 Fairfax, VL, July 4, 1868. Mrs. L. F. 



RAISING CHICKENS. 



Last year I let my chickens run with the hens 

 and lost over one hundred. This yeor I let them 

 run with the hens one week, then took brood after 

 brood and put them together in a box, or house, 

 about three feet wide by six feet long, and have 

 not lost three. The box must be weather tight, the 

 roof to pitch one way, shingled, and made like a 

 scuttle, to take off pleasant days to dry the inside 

 of the box. Under the eaves of this roof there 

 should be a space for proper ventilation ; and one 

 or more lights of glass must be put in the box for 

 the admission of light, &c. 



I run a bar across about six inches from the 

 floor, midway of the box, to which I fasten an 

 old blanket and let it hang back to the side of the 

 box where it reaches the floor, and is kept in place 

 by a brick or two being laid upon its edge. Then 

 at the end of the box there is a door to slide up> 

 just large enough to let a half grown chicken go in 

 to a yard as large as you please, with a fence about 

 a foot or more high, made of boards, slatted at the 

 top, and leave a place for the large chickens to fly 

 out and in as they please, keeping the little ones 

 in till they get older. Shut the door nights to keep 

 rats, skunks, &c., from the chickens. 



The first brood should be put under the blanket 

 to learn them the way. After there are two or 

 three broods, the blanket may be taken away, as 

 the larger ones will keep the smaller ones warm 

 enough. 



The hens that you have taken the chickens from 

 should be kept in a room for three or four days 

 with a rooster and they will go to laying in a short 

 time. I think this is better than to have a hen run 

 all summer with three or four chickens, as they 

 often do. Chickens must be kept dry. -To avoid 

 hawks, &c., keep a guinea-hen. 1. Jordan. 



Franklin, Mass., July, 1868. 



improvement of stock — CATTLE SHOWS. 



I have noticed in your paper that quite a num- 

 ber of farmers have written in regard to improv- 

 ing our stock, — horses, oxen, cows, siieep, hogs, 

 and even down to hens. Now I think we do not 

 make effort enough in that respect, particularly in 

 the New England States,— I mean the majority of 

 us farmers. I have always taken quite an interest in 

 the improvement of stock, although my opportuni- 

 ties and means for making such improvements 

 have been rather small, but 1 am hoping I may be 

 able to do more in the future. But small farmers 

 like myself need encouragement and information 

 as to the best breeds, and the most economical 

 means by which such improvements might be com- 

 menced. 



When the State Fairs first went into operation, 

 I looked to them for assistance in this direction, 

 and met with some success, but I think none of 

 our Agricultural Fairs have as yet arrived at per- 

 fection. It appears to me that they are susceptible 

 of still further improvements. By some change 

 in premiums and otherwise I think they might be 

 made far more attractive to farmers, and espe- 

 cially to stock growers. The improvement of 

 stock is a subject that requires much knowledge 

 and much persistent and intelligent effort. We 

 must give our minds to the subject, and it appears 

 to me that our agricultural societies might be so 



