370 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Adg. 



ing, and will it, if cut when in the milk, ripen 

 and be as sound and nutritious as if allowed to re- 

 main till fully ripe?" 



To the question thus demanded we have no hes- 

 itation in replying, afTirmatively. Wo think that 

 experience has plainly demonstrated, that many 

 important accessions are made to Indian corn 

 when the plant is cut up and shocked at; a period 

 of its development when there is but little sound 

 corn in tlie field ; in other words, when the ears 

 are green and immature. Most of the southern corn 

 brought to our markets is cut and shocked in this 

 manner. This becomes necessary with the planter 

 to enable him to get in his wheat crop. The corn 

 is cut early, placed in large shocks, often on the 

 furrows where it grew, and frequentl}- remains in 

 that condition for mouths ; yet it comes to us hard, 

 .sweet and sound. 



We have seen oats cut when there was not a 

 ripe or yellow head in the field, and on thresh- 

 ing, and comparing the grain with that from a 

 field adjoining, in which the oats had stood till 

 fully ripe, have found the former superior to the 

 latter, not only in. point of weight, but in bright- 

 ness also. The philosophy of this, a late writer 

 explains as follows : — 



'•After the formation of tlie car has commenced 

 tlie berry or the kernel is tlie point to which all 

 the efforts of nature are directed ; and this is con- 

 tinued until the process is complete, — the juices 

 de.siccated and rendered incapable of absorption ,- 

 or the supply of nutritive matter exhausted. As 

 tlie juices become thicker in consequence of the 

 non-supply of sap from the root of the plant, the 

 deposition becomes more active and rapid in the 

 grain, so long as it moves at all, or till the kernel 

 i.-5 filled; which will in part account for the fiict 

 tliat grain severed from the root, after the proper 

 suj^ply of nutriment for the kernel has been elabo- 

 rated in the stalk, ripens so much quicker than it 

 would if loft attached to the root." 



There is another viiry important advantage se- 

 I'ured by cutting grain before it becomes "dead 

 ripe. ' ' Most farmers find the straw of their cereal 

 crops, of value as fodder for stock ; and this, when 

 out green, is much more nutritious than if left un- 

 til all its nutritive juices are exhausted, and the 

 librc rendered hard by becoming mature in the 

 field. 



It is supposed by some good cultivators, that 

 wheat intended for seed, should bo allowed to 

 rijMJn a little more than that intended for grinding. 



U^ The only l)rother of Henry Clay was a cab- 

 inet-maker ; Webster, the giant of statcs^men, and 

 the ornament of his country, had a brother-in- 

 law who never learned to read until after com- 

 pleting the period of thrcc-score-and-ten, and a 

 majority oC the first statesmen of the present time 

 are the energetic and ambitious sons of "poor 

 I'ut honeet parents." — Washington Union. 



NATIONAL CATTLE \. HOW 



OF THE UNITED STATES AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 [CIRCULAR.] 



Springfield, Ohio, May 1, 1854. 



Dear Sir,— The 25th, 2Gth and 27th days of 

 October next have been fixed by the United States 

 Agricultui-al Society for holding its fiist Cattle 

 Convention, in the City of Springfield, Clark 

 county, Ohio.' 



Six thousand dollars will be distributed in px'e- 

 miums for the best stock of the various breeds of 

 Cattle subject to competition without territorial " 

 limit. 



The Executive Committee of the United States 

 Agricultural Society have been careful to select a 

 time that will not, so far as thej" are aware, con- 

 flict with any of the State Fairs or othe:- meetings 

 of general interest; and after due deliberation 

 have selected this place as the most eligi'de for 

 holding the Cattle Fair. Springfield is centrally 

 located as regards the cattle region; it is most con- 

 venient of access by railroad from almost every 

 point of the compass. The means f r acommo- 

 datirg, at very moderate charges, a Ixrge number 

 of persons, are ample. Private houses will be 

 opened for the reception of guests. There are also 

 eighteen cities and towns within reach by an 

 hour's ride on the railroads, on whicli extra trains 

 will be placed to accommodate such as wish to go . 

 elsewhere for lodgings. 



About twenty acres of ground have been enclosed, 

 and more than three hundred stalls will be pre- 

 pared for the shelter of cattle during the conven- 

 tion. 



It is expected that very liberal arrangements 

 W)ll be made by all the railroad companies, both 

 for the transportation of cattle and the convey- 

 ance of passengers to and from the Fair. 



We respectfully solicit your attendance on the 

 occasion, and that you will furnish us with such 

 aid as you may feel disposed in making known 

 the objects, time, and place of the Convention ; 

 and if you have improved stock of cattle, of any 

 description, we cordially invite you to enter them 

 for competition. 



A list of premiums and copy of regulations 

 will shortly be published. 

 Very respectfully, yours, 



•C li c'lTk''' U^'^^ Executive 

 ,^' T> ■ * ' ( Committee. 



C. KOBINS, ) 



CHEESE AS A DIGESTEK. 



As a digester, as some not appropriately call it, 

 cheese — that which is decayed and mouldy being 

 preferred by connoisseurs — is often eaten after din- 

 ner. The action which experience seems to have 

 proved it to possess, in aiding the digestion of what 

 Fias previously been eaten, is both curious and in- 

 teresting, and has had some light thrown upon it 

 by recent chemical research. When the curd of 

 milk is exposed to the air in a moic^t state, for a 

 few days, at a moderate temj^erature, it begins 

 gradually to decay, to emit a disagreeable odor, 

 and to ferment. When in this state, it possesses 

 the property, in certain circumstances, of inducing 

 a species of chemical change and fermentation in 

 other moist substances with which it i8mixed,or is 

 brousrht into contact. It acts after the same man- 



