(56 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



are perfectly secure from the severest frost. — 

 We have mentioned before that it was once 

 thought necessary to expose potatoes to several 

 ilays of sunshine before they vvorc housed; an 

 error which is now pretty generally exploded. 

 But there is another practice which we believe 

 is not correct, although it is, [lerhaps, often 

 adhered to. Potatoes <iesigned (or the table are 

 often packed away in sand, and inav be very 

 well preserved in tliat manner. It was former- 

 ly thought necessary that the sand in which 

 thev were placed should be perfccthj dnj. But 

 we have been told by good pracl.cal larrTiers not 

 only that potatoes should n<it tie dr.ed in tiie 

 sun, when dug, but tiiat they are best preserv- 

 ed in moist sand. Some say it is as ivell to dig', 

 gatbr^r and house |io1atoes in rainy as in fair 

 w atlier, much better to choose a cloudy, cool 

 an I d im;3 than a clear, dry and warm day tor 

 that purpose, and even " wet sand'' is most el- 

 jtrlble to preserve them in. The Farmers' As 

 Sistant assures ns (hat " A planter of North Car- 

 olina sent soaie potatoes to the West Indies for 

 market; a part of which were dried ii the sun, 

 in the usual way, and a part were laid away in 

 nnoist or wet sand as fast as they were dug ; and 

 when exposed lor sale he obtained iirec times 

 the amount, per bushel, for those laid in sand, 

 that he got /or the others. We mc/ion this 

 circumstance, in order to observe that such po- 

 tatoes as arc designed for the table slioald be 

 laid away in ■k'C* sand as fast as they aro taken 

 from the earth." We perceive nothing unrea- 

 sonable, or unphilosophical in the stipposition 

 that potatoes, as well as other roots, may require 

 moisture lo preserve their life, their lital, or 

 Tegetable principle. There is ndWanger of 

 their growing, or sprouting, uidess to moisture 

 be added ixannlh and air. Seeds of plants, we 

 are toid by good authority, are best preserved 

 •^ by causing them to be packed cither in husks, 

 pods, &c. in absorbent paper with raisins, or 

 brown moist sugar." And if so, is it not prob- 

 able that mojst sand may answer ("or preserving 

 roots, fruits, &•;? .The d^^rse of moisture prop- 

 er for sand intended (or such uses, we can say 

 nothing about, except «e have preserved pars- 

 nips and carro.'s through the winter and S[)ring 

 till June, bv packing them in sand, taken tVoin a 

 bank, and used immediately, without any atton- 

 tiou to drying it. The sand Wris, we believe, 

 a little damp but not very xvet, nnd that is the 

 slate in which we shoidd (as at present infurm- 

 ed) recommend using it. It m.ght be well, 

 however, to try a few roots packed in sand lol- 

 ly or nearly saturated with water, and note the 

 result of the experiment I'er the benelit of your 

 future management of this important branch of 

 household economy. Perhaps the sweet potatoc 

 which many have attempted lu vain to preserve 

 in dry sand, might be well kept in moist sand ; 

 and if so the must serious obstacle to the culti- 

 vation of that important root in tlic northern 

 part of the union will be removed. 



FOR THE NEW T.lVGl.AND FARMER. 



CIDER. 



Good cider is probably as pleasant and whole- 

 some a drmk as any that is or can be made use 

 of Yet a ver}' large proportion of the cider 

 that is made is both unpalatalde and unfit to be 

 <isid. We not unfrequently hear people com- 

 pla ning that their cider is bad, and wonder. n^^- 

 what the cause of it is. Some people might Oe 



informed that it is neither mysterious nor unac- 

 countable why they do not have good cider. — 

 If there be proper care and attention in making 

 and managing cider, there is very little doubt 

 but that it will be pleasant and good ; while on 

 the other hand, if suitable care and attention 

 be wanting, it is as certain to be unpleasant and 

 bad. There are a few things, the observance 

 of which are necessary in order to have g"od 

 cider. It does not depend altogether, nor prin- 

 cipally, upon the kind of apples, ibr there are 

 liut few sorts but what will make good cider if 

 rightly managed. 



Apples should be thoroughly ripened, and 

 gathered when perfectly diy and put into the 

 cider house, uh^re they should be kept until 

 surticieiilly mellow to be ground, which should 

 be done before (bey become rotten and musty. 

 Cider should always be made in cool weather, 

 the wind blowing from the W. or N. VV. If it 

 lie made when the wind Idows from the South 

 it IS almost certain that it will be hard and un- 

 pleasant. Cider should not be pressed out of 

 the pomace sooner than ten or twelve hours 

 after the apples are ground, as the flavor will 

 be better by ihus remaining. After it is press- 

 ed out it should be strained through sand, which 

 will take out all the sediment, and thereby pre- 

 vent its working or fermenting too much. Th:<: 

 operation is simple and eaiy, and attended witli 

 very little labor or expense. Sand of a coarsf 

 kind should be procured from a river or pon.l 

 and put into a cistern suitable tor the purpose, 

 tirst placing a layer of straw at the bottom to 

 prevent its washing througli. Having thus pre- 

 pared for straining, put in water sufficient to 

 wet the sand and thoroughly rinse out all the 

 dust or tine dirt, which will be done as soon as 

 the water runs clear. The cider should now 

 be put into the cistern as it runs from the press, 

 and as fast as it runs through the sand put into 

 suitable casks and placed in a tight cool cellar, 

 anti after the fermentation is over be bunged 

 tight, and (bus remain until wanted for use. 



Neatness and cleanliness are essential and 

 indispensably necessary in order to have good 

 cider. Tb.e cider mill, and every thing con- 

 nected with it, should at all times be kept per- 

 tectly svveet. Pomace should not be permitted 

 to remain on the press at'ier the cider has done 

 running tVom it, as it will immediately become 

 sour, should the weather be warm. Straw and 

 j litter of every kind should be kept entirely 

 I away, excejii what is necessary to be used.— 

 '; The manure of the horse should be cleaned 

 away as soon as it is dropped. In fact, the 

 cider house, the mdl, and every thing apper- 

 taining thereto, should be kept as free from 

 dirt and tilth of every kind even as the kitchen 

 or parlor. 



I know of one distinguished farmer who dur- 

 ing the winter shelters his sheep and calves in 

 his cider house. Another within my knowledge 

 m ikes use of it as a slau^iter house. He butch- 

 ers his hogs therein, scalds them in his cider 

 tub, and dresses them on the press. 1 have 

 been at some cider mills where the straw and 

 pomace, the horse dro[)pings and other tilth, 

 rendered it almost impossible to stir about. 



As long as habits ol' this description are per- 

 ■i.sied in, so long «e most expect lo hear peo- 

 ple complaining about their cider. 



A FARMER. 



Worcester, Sept. 1823. 



To the Editor of the JVew England Farmer, 



Dear Sir — If the following Notes from P^ 

 fessor Day's Lectures, describing the best m( 

 of constructing chimneys, can till up a con 

 of your valuable paper with advantage, v 

 are at liberty to make use of them. 



CHIMNIES. ■ 



A common opinion concerning the ascenl 

 smoke is, that it is draznn up ; but the trull 

 the smoke is pressed up by the cold air whicj 

 coming to the fire place from the room. "J 

 warm air rises upon the principle of sped 

 gravity and carries the smoke up with it. Smj 

 IS not lighter than air of the same temperatai 

 hilt it rises principally because it is in the c 

 rent of heated air. Dr. Franklin by a ve 

 simple experiment jvith a tobacco pipe liasi 

 monstrated this fact to every ones satisduclli) 

 The great art then of making the chimney e 

 ry smoke consists in producing this current ; i 

 removing as much as possible every obstriicli 

 to its passage. The funnel should be made 

 smootit as possible. It should be plaisteredl 

 kept clear as may be of soot and should 

 large enough to admit the v^hole of the hea 

 air. 



1. The funnel should be made as long asd 

 venient. For the force of the current is j 

 portioned lo the difference between the \vc\ 

 of the air in the chimney and Ihe weight o 

 column of the same height without it. T 

 the reason that rooms in the upper lofti 

 more liable to smoke than those in the I 

 unless they be made proportionably sm; 

 \:\ imperfect draught may often be rem 

 morely by raising the top of the chimne 

 very common defect in the chimnies in^ 

 country is that the funnels are niuch too 

 It requires a good fire to heat so conside: 



a body of air. To make the funnel bend 

 no advantage to the draught, but rather impi 

 it. But it is of u-^e to prevent the fall of 

 and snow, and obstruct ihe progress of s 

 putTs of wind. The turn should be gradu 



2. The tire place should be constructs 

 such a manner, that all the air which passe 

 to the funnel should be heated as it passe; 

 the fire. Count Rumlbrd (bund only one; 

 out of live hun.irod where the smoking ol 

 chimney was owing to any other cause thar 

 improper dimension of the throat and lire |i 

 The throat need not be more than four i 

 .n depth in almoslall cases. The mantle 

 is often too high. This construction haj 

 advantage of throwing more heat into the 

 and if there is no danger of smoke the 

 the mantle piece, the better. The fire 

 must not be made very deep. Almost all 

 ing chimnies may probably be remedied b 

 ermg the mantle peice. The tire place si 

 never be wider than is sulhcient to receivl 

 wood. But supposing that the chimney is] 

 structed in the best manner possible, it il 

 certain that it will carry Ihe smoke well. 

 thing is farther necessary — the constant si 

 of tresh air from the room. Rooms in ai 

 house are apt to be tilled with smoke bei 

 they are too tight. Move the door bac" 

 lorth until you tlud the least opening whici 

 clear the room of smoke. Calculate ihcj 

 ber of square inches in this ; — and an o|M 

 in any part of the room may be made 

 saiue emcut. ^Hil 



