857 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



illation. My own experience favors free ventila- 

 tion. Formerly, my custom was to head up tight, 

 in the best barrels I could get, — but for the last 

 few years I have made a three-fourths inch hole in 

 both heads of the barrel and piled up out doors 

 till quite late. I pile on the bilge and cover the 

 surface to protect from storm and sun. It will be 

 readily seen, that, with barrels thus prepared and 

 thus piled up, whether out door or In the cellar, 

 there is a constant circulation through the barrel, 

 carrying off the moisture which arises from sweat- 

 ing, so that there is at no time any accumulation. 



In 1855, 1 gathered about 600 barrels, and man- 

 aged the whole as above. There was much com- 

 plaint that year about apples decaying badly. Mine 

 kept well ; I thought, better than in former years. 

 Still, there was the difference alluded to in the be- 

 ginning of this article. The bruises, more or less 

 slight would in one barrel dry up, while in anoth- 

 er they would become soft rot. 



I am no believer in lunar influences on pork, 

 beef or cabbage, but I have been led to pen the 

 above from a remark made in ray presence, some 

 year or more ago, viz. : — that a bruise made upon 

 an apple at a certain time in the moon would dry 

 up and not rot. The remark was second or third 

 hand, ar.d my informant could not tell what time 

 in the moon it was best to gather apples. 



Whatever may be the cause of one apple, or one 

 barrel of apples, bruised or not bruised, keeping 

 better than another, the subject is worth attention 



N. F. Emerson. 



Chester, jY. H., Sept. 18, 1857. 



IRON MEAT CUTTER. 



We have often spoken of the importance of pro- 

 viding labor-saving implements for the kitchen and 

 ■wash-room, as well as for the field and barn. The 

 duties of women on the farm are quite as arduous 

 as those of men ; indeed, they are more constant, 

 and unless assisted and lightened, the mother will 

 scarcely be able to devote that time and care to the 

 instruction of children, which no tutor or teacher 

 can with propriety assume. Household work may 

 be materially assisted by a plentiful supply of dry 

 wood and of soft water, always near at hand, and 

 by the use of many little machines costing but lit- 

 tle, such as apple-parers, washing machines, good 

 churns and cheese-presses, and especially the one 

 which stands at the head of these remarks. 



This little labor-saving machine commends itself 

 to every family by its simplicity of construction. 



and by the fact that it is made entirely of iron, and 

 may be easily kept sweet and clean. 



Directions for using it. — Fasten the machine 

 firmly on a level table or bench, by screws through 

 the feet. Cut the meat into pieces the size of an 

 egg, free from bone, and feed it in the hopper, at 

 the same time turning the crank as fast as it 

 will clear. If the meat comes through too coarse, 

 set the slide so as to partly cover the opening 

 when the meat is discharged, and feed slower. If 

 the meat is frozen, or cold and stiff, it may be 

 made pliable by dipping it in warm water. This 

 machine will cut one hundred pounds of meat per 

 hour. 



POSITION IN READING. 



It is best for light to fall on the page from be- 

 hind, a little to one side, the person sitting in an 

 erect position. 



All persons under parental control, should be 

 forbidden to read by artificial light, except occa- 

 sionally, for half an hour at a time. This injunc- 

 tion would need no repetition, if parents could on- 

 ly know, as physicians do, in how many cases the 

 sight is prematurely impaired, or actual disease of 

 the eye is engendered, which, after heavy expense, 

 and weeks and months of starvation and dreary 

 confinement in darkened rooms, is found to be in- 

 tractable. 



It ought to be known that reading by gas light 

 is very much more injurious to the eyes than can- 

 dle-light, from the flicker caused by the unsteady 

 jet of gas from its fountain, and also from the par- 

 ticular tinge of gas light. A candle also flickers 

 some ; this is remedied by having two candles burn- 

 ing at the same time ; they should be rather be- 

 hind the person ; the eyes should never be al- 

 owed to face artificial light in reading. 



The habit of reading by artificial light in bed is 

 so reprehensible, if for no other reason than that 

 of periling the lives of others by burning the house 

 up, as has been the case in multitudes of instances, 

 that it is not worth while to address any argument 

 to those who practice it — whose absorbing, predom- 

 inant characteristics are recklessness and selfishness. 



Many read in the day-time, while reclining on a 

 sofa, or in bed. This occasions an unnatural strain 

 of the sight, which may very well induce organic 

 disease by a persistence in the abnormal tension. 

 Our countryman, Crawford, is believed by persons 

 most familiar with his habits, to have brought on 

 the malady which affects his eyes at the present 

 time, by the constant habit of reading in the posi- 

 tion referred to. In seeking relief, he has made 

 repeated journeys between Paris and Rome, then 

 to London, where, the eye beginning to protrude 

 frightfully on the cheek, by a supposed cancerous 

 formation from behind, had been entirely removed. 

 Only think of it! — to have an eye cut clean out of 

 the head, in the hope of saving life. Even then 

 it seems in vain, as he is on the point of going 

 home to place himself under the care of some per- 

 son here, who is reputed to be successful in cancer- 

 ous cases. — Hall's Journal of Health. 



A Splendid Orchard.— The last spring, we 

 spoke of the new orchard planted by John McMur- 



