1854. 



NEW- ENGLAND FARMER. 



305 



CHURNING. I 



As the season of butter-making is at hand, it is 

 a proper time to present to the reader whatever 

 may facilitate the operation, and at the same 

 time save manuaUabor. Churning is a laborious 

 work even with the best churns, and under the 

 most favorable circumstances; and occasionally, 

 when the butter ia long in coming, it becomes a 

 discouraging and vexatious labor and one that se- 

 verely taxes the patience. A gentleman extensive- 

 ly engaged in dairying in Western New York, 

 onco informed us that he had long used a ma- 

 chine somewhat similar to the one ^represented 

 above, and operated it with a cosset sheep, who 

 came at the call of a whistle and did the churning 

 every morning. A large dog, or a child, will also 

 answer the purpose well. The machine ia now 

 made so as to be very light, yet with saflScient 

 strength to do the churning of a large dairy, or 

 to drive a grindstone, or to be applied to other 

 purposes. 



The manufacturers describe it as a simple end- 

 lees platform, formed upon two india rubber 

 straps, with strips of light yood firmly rivetted to 

 it. This endless platform is supported by a drum, 

 about 12 inches in diameter at each end, and the 

 whole so arranged that it can be elevated to any 

 angle required by the weight of the dog, or work 

 to be done by it. 



It will be seen by the cut that the movement 

 produces both the vertical and rotary motion, so 

 that it may be applied to the crank or common 

 das'.i churns, or both, at the same time. Tliey may 

 be found at the Agricultural Rooms of Messrs. 

 Rugglcs, Nourse, Mason & Co. — Price $12,50. 



to lay a large number of eggs, but cannot do so 

 without the materials of the shells, however nour- 

 ishing in other respects her food may be; iudood, 

 a fowl fed on food and water, free from carbunate 

 of lime, and not finding any in the soil, or in the 

 shape of mortiir, which they often eat on tlie walls, 

 would lay no eggs at all with the best will in the 

 world." 



For the yew England Farmer. 



PEOTECTING PEACH TREES. 



Mr. Editor : — In the Farmer of last week you 

 make a few remarks on peach blossoms ; you ask 

 if any person ever attempted to protect branches 

 of the peach tree by bringing them together in the 

 autumn, and covering them with matting or pro- 

 tecting them in any way other than by snow. In 

 order to protect peach trees in this manner, it is 

 necessary to keep the trees dwarfed by pruning, 

 which may easily be done by beginning while the 

 trees are small, as it is not the cold, but the sud- 

 den changes in the weather that we wish to pro- 

 tect the tree from. The covering need not be 

 heavy ; I have covered peach trees in the follow- 

 ing manner : — take four long spruce poles and set 

 them round the tree with the tops inclined to the 

 top of the tree ; tie the poles together at the top, 

 then take some old mats and roll around the tree 

 and make fast to the poles. I do not think it is 

 necessary to cover tlio trees clear down to the 

 ground, but only as far down as the branches. 

 i'lie result of tliie covering was a good crop of 

 fruit, whilst the rest of the trees in the orchard 

 were barren and fruitless. I think it is better to 

 leave them open a little at both top and bottom, 

 to admit air in warm weather; the peach being a 

 fruit that is very uncertain in this part of the 

 country, it is very iiiiportant to try some way to 

 have a few good peaches, for good fruit brings a 



ood price at all times. Youre, 

 Swampscoit, May 29, 1854. Blythkwood. 



Feeding Poultry. — Professor Gregory of Aber- 

 deen, in a letter to a friend, observes : — "As T sup- 

 pose j'ou keep poultry, I may tell you that it has 

 been asccrtuined that if you mix with their food a 

 sufficient quantity of egg-slielis or clialk, which 

 they eat greedily, they will lay twice or thrice as 

 many egga as before. A well-fed fowl is disposed 



Mixing Soils. — The benefit derived from the ap- 

 plication of clay to very light, sandy soils, are of- 

 ten most remarkable. Clays may also be much 

 improved by the application of sand, and those 

 whose "garden spots" chance to be in need of 

 either amendment, will find early spring the best 

 time to attend to it. 



