208 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



tobacco in four gallons of water. There were plen- 

 ty of worms in tlie ground, as I foLind in planting 

 and hoeing; but they won hi not touch the to!)acco- 

 scented corn, .while there was not a single weed to 

 be found; and indeed they did no small benefit in 

 destroying the grass and weeds. The field was 

 kept as clean of everything but corn as it well 

 could be. At the first hoeing I observed a larire 

 mullen plant, the leaves of which were eaten 

 through lilce a riddle, and upon digging around it 

 I found over 20 cut-worms. 



Prof. Mapes, in the May number of the Working 

 Farmer, has a paragraph on this subject. He 

 speaks of this and other steeps for seed — says that 

 a solution of carbonate ammonia adds to the pro- 

 ductiveness of the crop, remarking in conclusion: 



"But for the removal of cut- worms, and indeed 

 all other worms from the soil, we would recom- 

 mend tlie application of six bushels of common 

 salt to the acre, one week oi more before planting, 

 leaving the dews of two or three evenings to dis- 

 solve and carry the salt into the soil. Unless the 

 soil is surcharged with chlorine and soda, which 

 is seldom or never the ca.se, common salt can be 

 applied with profit not only for the purpose of de- 

 stroying insects and a large class of weeds, but to 

 supply chlorine and soda for the use of plants." — 

 Albany Cultivator. 



COOKING FOOD FOR STOCK. 



We learn by the Bangor Courier, that Captain 

 Martin Mower, one of the scientific farmers of that 

 city, has set up a steaming apparatus in his sta- 

 bles, and has commenced cooking roots, hay, and 

 all the other vegetable matter which he uses as 

 food for his neat stock. His experiments are said 

 to be highly satisfactory and advantageous. The 

 cost of the apparatus is not great, and we should 

 think it could be constructed in so simple a man- 

 ner as to be used with profit by almost every per- 

 son who winters stocks. Capt. M. causes all the 

 food of his animals to be thoroughly cooked, and 

 he is satisfied that the additional nutriment which 

 they receive more than repays him for the extra 

 trouble and expense of cooking. We think the 

 idea of cooking food for stock is a good one, and 

 that farmers generally would be benefitted by prac- 

 ticing it much more extensively than they now do. 

 — Maine Farmer. 



OAT MEAL. 



Most of our readers are probably aware that in 

 Scotland, and some parts of England and Ireland, 

 oat m3al is extensively used as food, and is consid- 

 ered peculiarly nourishing; but they are not aware 

 how this meal is prepared. Oats grown on light, 

 loamy soil, are the best for the purpose, and they 

 should be as nearly of equal size as possible. Be- 

 fore grinding, they must he kiln dried, and for this 

 purpose, when done on a large scale, a cast iron 

 floor, pierced with numerous small holes, and 

 placed many feet above tlie fire, is used. On this 

 the oats are placed, and they must be turned sever- 

 al times before the moisture they contain is evap- 

 orated. There is a fraudulent trick of scattering 

 sulphur among them at this time, to give them a 

 peculiar bright color. When they are cold, the 

 next process is to shell them, which is done be- 

 tween stones, usually five feet in diameter, free in- 

 side the eye, perfectly straight on the face, and 

 capable of making 700 revolutions in a minute. 

 Freestone, or sandstone, is considered best for the 

 purpose. The oats then pass along a dust sieve, 

 into the fans, which separate the seeds and small 

 grains from the good quality, which is removed, 

 either by elevators, or by hand, into the hopper of 

 the grind-stones. These stones should be five feet 

 in diameter, peon inside the eye, straight on the 

 face, but never grooved like those for grinding 

 wheat. They should make 300 revolutions a min- 

 ute. A sieve is suspended under the eye, which 

 completely separates the meal from tlie seeds. To 

 preserve it, it should be tread very hard into a 

 large chest, to exclude the air, and thus packed is 

 said to hicrease in weight. It is chiefly cooked 

 by boiling, not being adhesive like wheat flour; 

 and thus prepared, is known as ''hasty pudding,'' 

 ''stir-a-bont,'' and "-crawdy'' when the skimming 

 of boiled beef is added; but it is also made into 

 thin sheets or cakes, dried on a line. c. f. 



Michigan Farmer. 



IMPROVEMENT IN COTTON SPINNING 

 MACHINERY. 



Mr. W. Rouse, of Taunton, Mass., for whom 

 we recently had the pleasure of securing a patent 

 in spinning machinery, has made two other valua- 

 ble improvements, for which he has taken measures 

 to secure a patent. The improvements consist in 

 regulating the draught of the thread between the 

 ring guide and the traveller of the bobbin; and an 

 improved method of letting the ring rail descend 

 suddenly to lay the binding thread on the cope. 

 This last is an improvement in the mechanism for 

 which he previously secured a patent. The regu- 

 lation of the draught on the thread is done by a 

 movable guide ring which maintain an equal dis- 

 tance from the ring lail as it moves up and down, 

 and thus keeps the thread at the same angle always 

 with the traveller, laying the threads in a most 

 equal and beautiful manner, forming a cope of the 

 first quality, and preventing much breakage of 

 yarn. — Scientific American. 



A HINT TO BORRO¥/ERS. 



A correspondent of the Boston Post relates the 

 following anecdote of Robert G. Shaw, one of 

 our rnerchant princes: — 



We have an anecdote to tell about Mr. Shaw, 

 which was never before in print, and which, we 

 think, will amuse our mercantile readers, and not 

 give offence to our venerable friend. We hap- 

 pened to be present when the occurrence took place. 

 A gentleman met him in the street, and, upon a 

 brief conversation, asked him to lend him ten dol- 

 lars, as he was .short — not an uncommon thing for 

 him, at the time. It was many months ago. Mr. 

 S , raising his spectacles, replied — "Yes, sir, with 

 pleasure, on one condition." "What is that, sir?" 

 "Why, that when we next meet, you will turn 

 your face toward me, look pleasant, and not turn 



it away ! I lent Mr. a small sum of money 



about a month ago, and ever since that time he has 

 cut me, most decidedly. Meet him where I will, 

 on State Street, Commercial Street, or in the Ex- 

 change, and he always turns his head away. — 

 When I lend a man money, and he is owing me, I 

 want him to look me full in the face, as though 

 nothing had happened. And then I shall be wil- 

 ling to lend him again." This is a veritable story. 



