326 



NEW EiVGLAND PARMER. 



May 4, 1837. 



keep in a cool place. In March draw off the wine, 

 which is pleasant and by many preferred to cur- 

 rant wine. 



March 2, 1837. 



Since the above was written I have seen with 

 pleasure some remarks on the virtues and use of 

 Black Currant Wine in the N. E. Farmer, present j 

 volume, page 2G7. I believe that too much is not 

 said io its praise. From the little acquaintance 

 I have had with it, I think it is one of the best 

 medical wines. 



Tiie gentleman's " history of the wine" which 

 precedes the remarks inl'orms us that he has " in- 

 troduced important improvements in the prepara- 

 tion," and thinks, " that which is now exhibited 



will be found superior to any before produced 



But to arrive at this result it has demanded mi- 

 nute personal attention in every stage of the pro- 

 cess — from the cultivation of the plants till the 

 wine is fit for the bottle." 



The gentleman has neither informed us of the 

 proportions of the ingredients, nor the process — 

 nor have I ever seen any of his wine. 



What is wanted is a pure wine possessing the 

 peculiar properties of the currant. The wine is 

 not so easily made ae most of the domestic wines, 

 but I do not think that there is any great difficul- 

 ty about any part of the business. I have three 

 varieties of tiie black currant in my garden — they 

 all grow and tlirive equally well, and with as lit- 

 tle care, as any other l;ind of currant. The offi- 

 cinal or Rihes nigrum is by far the best. From 

 the long known virtues of the black currant, I 

 was induced, some time since, to make the wine 

 on a small scale, and found it to exceed my e.'C- 

 pectations when used medically. It is probable 

 that I may make some improvements, and tliis is 

 a sufficient reason for not (at present) giving the 

 proportions of the ingredients and process to the 

 public. 11. GREEN. 



May a, 1B87. 



ANODYNE BALSAM. 



This balsam is recommended in Rees' Cyclope- 

 dia, not only for procuring ease in the most rack- 

 ing extremities of pain, but also for assisting in 

 discharging the fiercant matters that occaBionod 

 it. It is thus made : — " Take of opium 1 ounce, 

 camphor 9 ounces, essential oil of rosemary half 

 an ounce, and rectified spirit of wine 2 pounds, — 

 digest the opium and soap in the spirit for three 

 days — then to the strained liquor add the camplior 

 and oil, diligently shaking the vessel." 



ANODYNE OIKTMEKT. 



TIlis may be prepared (according to the same 

 authority) by mixing 10 drachms of olive oil, half 

 an ounce of yellow wax, and 1 drachm of crude 

 opium. Opium thus externally applied will in some 

 degree produce the same effect, as when it is used 

 under the form of anodyne balsam, in which state 

 it produces effect.'? more immediately ; but under 

 this form its effects are more permanent. The 

 present ointment also furnishes an useful dressing 

 for sores attended vi-ith severe pain. 



LIME NECESSARY FOR THE PRODUCTION OF EGOS. 



Dr Fordyce found that a certain quantity of cal- 

 careous matter was required by birds during the 

 period of laying ; and if the bird was deprived of 

 this, the shell was never formed, and the bird fre- 

 quently died irom the eggs not coining properly 

 forward. The method he adopted to prove this 

 was simple and satisfactory : he took a number of 



canary birds, when about to hiy — some ho enclos- 

 ed, so that they conld have no access to any cal- 

 careous matter — and to others he gave a piece of 

 old mortar which they swallowed with avidity, and 

 they kiid their eggs as usual ; whilst, on the other 

 hand, those birds he had not furnished with mortar 

 were unable to produce eggs, and in severul in- 

 stances died. See, further, Fordyce on Digestion, j 

 pages 25, 20. 



1;IBD CATCUINO. 



The following simple method of catching aquat- 1 

 ic birds, is used in Mexico by the natives. The 

 lakes of the Mexican vale, as well as others of the 

 kingdom, are frequented by a prodigious multitude , 

 of ducks, geese, and other water birds. The Mex- j 

 leans leave some empty gourds to float on the water j 

 where those birds resort, that they may be accus- 

 tomed to see and approach them without fear. The 

 bird-catcher goes into the water so deep as to hide 

 his body, and covers his head with a gonrd ; the 

 ducks come to peck at it ; and then he pulls them 

 by the feet under water, and in this manner se- 

 cures as many as he pleases. 



TO REMOVE SPOTS OF GREASE FROM EOOKS 

 AND PRl.NTS. 



M. Desohamps, member of the Philosophical So- 

 ciety at Lyons, recommends, in the Bibllolheqxte 

 Economique, to take out as much grease as possi- 

 ble from books which had been spotted with it, by 

 means of blotting paper ; and then to dip a small 

 brush in the essential oil of well rectified spirit of 

 turpentine, heated almost to boiling, and draw it 

 gently over both sides of the paper, which must be 

 carefully kept warm. This operiition must be re- 

 peated as often as the quantity of grease imbibed 

 by the paper or the thickness of the paper, may 

 render necessary. When the grease is entirely 

 removed, the paper may be restored to its former 

 whiteness by dipping another brush in higlily rec- 

 tified spirit of wine, and drawiu'j it in like manner 

 over the place which was stained, and particularly 

 round the edges, to remove the border that would 

 still present a stain. 



SEASON. 



The fore part of April gave indications of an 

 early spring ; and we were apprehensive that the 

 season was about to be too forward to be fruitful. 

 But for more than three weeks preceding the 

 present date, (May 2), we have had, nearly the 

 whole time, the vnnd from the north and norlheast, 

 and an air which seemed a direct emanation from 

 the very tip of the north pole. The weather, how- 

 ever, though disagreeable, has not been frosty, 

 and the chill vfhich has been so uncomfortable has 

 proceeded rather from the dampness and motion 

 in the atmosphere than the lowness of its tempe- 

 rature. Vegetation appears nearly at a siand, but 

 it is getting good fuothull, and probably its prog;- 

 re.is will be more rapid and successful than it [ 

 would have been with an earlier slrtrl. The cold- i 

 ness nnd wetness of the season may also serve to ! 

 destroy many insects, which had begun to threat- 

 en ns with the first appearance of mild weather, 

 the latter part of March and the beginning of 

 April. 



Since the above was in type the sun has made 

 his appearance, and Dame Nature is putting on 

 her holiday suit to greet him. We were visited 

 v.'ith a slight frost on the night of the 2d instant, 

 which we believe has done little or no damage in 

 this ricinitv. 



CABAL 



Is a name given to a sort of drink made of i 

 raisins. The manner in wliich the PortagB|o.J! 

 make Cabal is this : they take out the ston^ jf It fon^ ' 

 about 20 pounds of raisins, and then bruisingjlu 

 raisins a little, they put them into a barrel of vf^i 

 wine, in the month of January or February, | 

 let them stand till Easter. It is then very cttu 

 and rich, luscious and palateable to the taste. \\, 

 is recommended to stop coughs, and give streiiji 

 to the stomach. It may be wortli while to trjabjl 

 experiment with the same proportion of raisiii| toj 

 the same quantity of prime cider, which vtifm 

 probably prove a fine drink. 



jile i 



I POWDER, * ' 



with a closejij. 



TO REDUCE CHARCOAL TO 



It is put into a large mortar 

 through which a vertical axis passes to the bott^ 

 Through mortices in the lower part of this txt 

 are put-two ai'ms, which divide the mortar int|4i 

 quadrants. In two opposite quadrants are put 

 large bombs or solid balls, ;ind to two opposite 

 on the lower side are fixed rakes. When the 

 tical axis is turned, it is easy to conceive how 

 charcoal would be bruised, raked up, bruised ai 

 and so on till reduced to powder. The verl 

 axis may be turned by water, or any other po 



The above account first appeared in the Gl 

 govv Mechanics' Magazine. — This simple mach&c 

 might probably be applied to many other usrail 

 purposes besides reducing charcoal to powderip 

 such as grinding mustard seed, pulverising indm 

 painters' colours, &c. As the top or cover minl| 

 be made to fit close, it might be particularly vS. c 

 able when it is wished to reduce to powder rt? 

 corrosive or poisonous substances, which in com- 

 mon cases, during the process of grinding or com- 

 minution, emit particles injurious or offensive to 

 the workmen. — Ed. N. E. Farmer. 



LIJIESTONE AMTEOLT BURNING A USEFUL MA* 

 NURE. 



Lorain says, pulverised limestone, at the rate if 

 from eight to ten bushels to the acre, has been 

 tried in Pennsylvania, on grass grounds, and 

 greatly increased the crop. lie has never used 

 lime prepared in this way, hut believes that it mer- 

 its more attention than has been given to it. It is 

 also doubtful, whether under a proper system of 

 management it will cost more to quarry, haul, pul- 

 verise and apply ten bushels of limestone, (if the 

 stone be pulverised immediately after it is quarri- 

 ed,*) than it usually costs to burn and apply 

 twenty bushels of lime. The quarrying and haul- 

 ing in tlie latter case would double. The cost of 

 fuel and burning in some situations is considernr 

 ble. 



iih 



iceil 



WORCESTER COUNTY SURVEY. 

 A Geological and Agricultural Survey of tLis 

 County would acquaint its citizens wich their 

 various sources of wealth, and the best means 

 of converting them to their use. It would bring 

 to view the mines of ore, veins of coal, beds of 

 marl, quarries of marble, pits of clay, banks of 

 sand, ponds, streams, and falls of water, and the 

 value of each. It would tell where to look, and 

 how to examine ; when to proceed, and when to 

 desist ; when to attempt, and when to abandon. 

 It would acquaint farmers with the different so'As, 



* Stone is commonly much softer before tiinii 

 after it has been exposed to the influence of the 

 sun and sir. It is of consf uence more easily 

 pulverised or ground. 



