No. 10. 



An Economical Boiler. — The Silk Culture. 



303 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 An economical Boiler. 



While on a visit to Mr. John Kirkbride, 

 at Morrisville, Pa., I saw a boiler, which is, 

 I think, admirably adapted to the uses of a 

 large farm, where the system of cooking- 

 food for cattle is followed. It is remarkably 

 simple in its construction, and on a principle 

 which must tend greatly to the saving of 

 fuel. It consists of a stout and long wootlen 

 box, through the end of which, and within 

 about an inch of the bottom, an iron or cop- 

 per pipe enters and passes to the other end ; 

 it then turns by an elbow, and again travers- 

 ing the bottom of the box, passes out at the 

 end at which it entered, leaving a space of 

 a few inches between the two openings. 

 The pipe is larger at its entrance than its 

 exit, and is kept firm, steady and water 

 tight, by flanges well nailed around, on 

 rings of cloth and putty. In the largest 

 mouth of this pipe the fire is made, either 

 of light wood, corn-cobs, &c, and a strong 

 current of air passing in with it, the flame 

 is carried through the pipe with the greatest 

 velocity; the smaller end of the pipe serving 

 the purpose of a chimney for the smoke. 

 Thus the water in the box comes into close 

 contact with the fire-pipe on all sides, the 

 double length of the box and the return 

 elbow at the end; and nothing intervenes 

 to rob it of the force of the fire; nor is there 

 any fear that the end of the box will suffer 

 from it, as sufficient water will be found be- 

 tween the box and the pipe, to quench the 

 heat and prevent ignition. The box may be 

 about six feet long, three or four feet broad, 

 and two feet deep. 



Now, as I find that our friend Henry 

 Chorley, of Scott farm, grows his corn- 

 stalks so large, that he cannot find a box 

 with knives sufficiently strong to cut them 

 before steaming, I would recommend him to 

 reverse the order of procedure; put up a 

 couple of these box boilers, cook his corn- 

 stalks firsl, and cut them after ; and I think 

 I might promise him double the benefit he 

 now derives from the use of his steaming 

 apparatus. By these means he would pro- 

 vide a vast quantity of capital swill for his 

 dairy cows; for I would propose, that the 

 liquor in which the stalks are boiled, should 

 be let off* from the boxes every time they 

 are used, and be preserved for the purpose 

 in a cistern; and this is to be done before 

 the stalks are removed, preparatory to the 

 reception of another batch of them. And 

 if in the water there be mixed a few pounds 

 of molasses, and as soon as it boils, a few 

 pounds of corn and cob meal — first mixed 

 with a little cold water — by way of thicken- 

 ing — not a particle of either being lost during 



the cooking by evaporation, a porridge would 

 be formed, the best and cheapest food that 

 could be devised for dairy cattle, calculated 

 to produce an extraordinary flow of the 

 sweetest milk. And no business could be 

 more conveniently performed; it would only 

 be for the boy to cut off with a sharp hook 

 the top of each corn-stalk, which would 

 form capital dry feed for the cows; place 

 the stalks in the box straight and close, so 

 as to make it contain as many as possible ; 

 put on the cover and light the fire; and 

 while these are boiling, he may be unload- 

 ing the other boiler and fresh packing it, 

 preparatory to another cooking. 



It has been said, that food when slightly 

 acidulated, is best for cattle of every de- 

 scription — here then, will be an opportunity 

 of fermenting the swill to any degree re- 

 quired ; it is only to add a little yeast to the 

 contents of the cistern, when reduced to a 

 proper degree of temperature. Or if it be 

 thought preferable to prevent fermentation 

 altogether, it is but to sprinkle a little dust 

 of lime and stir it up. — See an article on the 

 antiseptic properties of lime, page 29, of the 

 sixth volume of the Cabinet. J. C. 



Bucks co. 



The Silk Culture. — We copy the follow- 

 ing paragraph, says the American Farmer, 

 with unmingled feelings of pleasure, because 

 we believe that the success of the experi- 

 ment detailed therein, will exert a whole- 

 some influence in favour of this branch of 

 industry. 



" The Silk Culture. — At a recent Agri- 

 cultural show and fair in Fredericksburg, 

 Mr. Rees Jewry, of Culpepper county, ex- 

 hibited a specimen of silk fabrics manufac- 

 tured by his daughters, who also superin- 

 tended the cultivation of the silk. 



" The articles produced from rather less 

 than 10 bushels of cocoons, were as follow : 



12 Yds. of cloth (from floss silk) value $7 



18 Handkerchiefs — sold for 81 



8 Reticules, 16 



4 Purses, 2 



1 Shawl and 1 veil, valued at 10 



Total, 



$116 



" Mr. Jewry has on his farm a plantation of 

 mulberry trees, which is managed by his 

 daughters, and he gives it as his opinion, 

 that the proceeds of his cocoonery will 

 amount, when in full operation, to more 

 than his entire crops of wheat and corn. 

 His establishment is capable of producing 

 annually, 80 to 100 bushels of cocoons. 

 This is decidedly encouraging to the silk 

 enterprize." 



