740 



FARMERS' REGISTER— LETTER FROM EARL STIMSON, &c. 



of sap a spoonful of slacked lime. This causes the 

 impurities to rise ?jetter when boilin<^; which 

 should be carefully skimmed off. The sap should 

 be boiled before fermentation commences, which 

 will happen, as the weather becomes warm, the 

 second or third day. The greater the exposure of 

 the surface to the atmosphere, when boiling, the 

 greater will be the eva})oration. When the saj) 

 has been reduced to a syrup, it should be strained 

 through a woollen or hair cloth, and then stand a 

 few hours to settle; after which it should be turn- 

 ed carefully off from the sediment ^vhich has settled 

 at the bottom. In boiling down, charcoal is the 

 best fuel to use ; for although the heat should be 

 pretty brisk, it should be equable, and be confined 

 to the bottom of the kettle. The clarifying mate- 

 rials should be added at the commencement of this 

 process. These are generally milk, eggs, or what 

 is better, calves' blood. The scum which rises 

 should be carefully taken off. The impurities at- 

 tach to these mucilaginous materials, and are car- 

 ried with them to the surface. 



When the syi'up is sufficiently reduced, and 

 taken from the fire, it should be stirred well for 

 some time, in order to give it grain. This is 

 effected by bringing every part of the mass in con- 

 tact with the atmosphere ; for if turned into moulds 

 immediately, and not stirred, it will not be grained, 

 but resemble candy rather than sugar. If intended 

 to be caked, it must be turned into moulds before 

 cold. Under the best process there will be a por- 

 tion which will not granulate, on account of Ihe 

 vegetable mucilage which it contains, but which 

 will drain off if the cask in which the sugar is de- 

 posited has holes at its bottom through which it can 

 pass. To prevent the sap or syrup rising, a piece 

 of fat may be thrown in, or the inner rim of the 

 kettle rubbed with a piece of flit pork. 



Molasses and vinegar are generally made from 

 the last runnings, as the sap is then less adapted for 

 sugar, abounding more in mucilage as the buds of 

 the tree swell, and being more liable to ferment. 

 The molasses, when properly clarified, is superior 

 to that from the sugar cane, having a peculiarly 

 grateful flavor. The vinegar, though excellent for 

 ordinary use, is not so well adapted for pickles as 

 that made from cider. 



HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF A LITTLE LAND. 



From the Genesee Farmer. 

 In the spring of 1830, 1 purchased in this city a 

 house and lot ; the lot was fifty by one hundred 

 and twenty feet. One third of the lot was covered 

 by the building. When I purchased, there was 

 not a free, shrub or plant, on the premises, notwith- 

 standing the house had been constantly occupied 

 for near forty years. I planted the first tree in the 

 spring of 1831. I at that time planted three peach 

 and three gage trees. One of the peach and the 

 three gage trees bore fruit the past season. I ha\ e 

 since added three more peach, four choice plum, 

 one choice cherry, one quince, and four choice pear 

 trees, which bid fair to bear fruit soon. I have 

 also three fine grape vines, that will probably bear 

 plentifully next season, judging from their size. I 

 have also aliout a dozen smaller vines. I raised 

 on the same ground the past season, cucumbers, 

 beets, sallads, citron melons, and nasturtiums, in 

 great abundance for family use and for pickling. I 

 also had a great abundance of cabbage, both for 



summer and winter use. In addition to the above, 

 I have at least fifty flowering shrulis and bushes, 

 such as roses, syringoes, altlieas, lilacs, snowballs, 

 rows acacias, flowering almonds, cape jasmines, 

 &c. &c., with a plenty of the honeysuckle. I 

 liave at least two thousand bulbous roots, such as 

 hyacinths, tulips, crocuses, narcissus, &c. with 

 equal that numlicr of anniial and biennial plants 

 and flowers, and all of the aforementioned luxuries 

 and necessaries are enjoyed from the spot of ground 

 that has laid waste for so great a length of time. 

 There is still another item of profit to be added to 

 the foregoing list : nine tenths of the labor of cul- 

 tivation has been performed with my own hands, 

 morning and evening, when not engaged in my 

 own regular business, unquestionably affording me 

 a greater degree of health, and certainly a far 

 greater degree of pleasure, tlian I should otherwise 

 have enjoyed. I have also a lot in the rear of the 

 above-mentioned, twenty-five by one hundred and 

 twenty feet, on which there is a barn, cowshed, and 

 pig-stye, covering forty by twenty-five feet, leav- 

 ing eighty by twenty-five feet for cultivation. 

 Around this I have a border of two feet wide, one 

 fourth of which is occupied by currant bushes, one 

 fourth by raspberry, one fourth as an asparagus bed, 

 and one fourth for spinnage, for a cabbage plant 

 bed, for early lettuce, &c. The centre is laid out 

 in three squares of seventeen by twenty-three feet. 

 The first square I plant with early potatoes, the 

 second with Lima beans, and the third with sweet 

 corn ; of the two latter, I have a great supplv for 

 my family, and some for my neighbors. Potatoes 

 we have of the finest kind, and in great abundance 

 through the summer season. Last fall ''we put 

 about four bushels in the cellar from the same 

 patch. We Vv'ere in the summer nine in family, 

 in the winter eight. The edge of my border I 

 planted with bush beans; and I do not recollect 

 that I paid a single cent for vegetables, except for 

 the articles of green peas, and a few carrots and 

 parsnips, the latter two of which 1 did not have of 

 my own in consequence of sowing bad seed. I 

 give you the above statement of facts, with the 

 hope that if you should think them worth publish- 

 ing, some one person may be induced to try the 

 experiment, when he will learn that it will not 

 only afford him a source of profit, but one of great 

 pleasure, to grow his own vegetables; and that, 

 while by beautifying his yard, he is not only ad- 

 ding to his health and comforts, but, in most cases, 

 adding very much to the value of his property. 



M. HUDSON. 



LETTER FUOM EARL STIMSON TO JESSE BUEL. 



From the Cultivator. 

 Galway, I8th Bee. 1833. 



Dear Sir — In reply to yours of the 23d Nov.j 

 requesting some information in regard to the differ- 

 ence between good and bad farming, I submit the 

 following facts: 



When the land was first cleared in this town, 

 being about forty-five years since, its timber con- 

 sisted ])rincipally of fjeach, maple, elm, ash and 

 baswood. The soil j>roduced good crops of all 

 kinds; but the farmers neglecting to save and 

 apply their manure, the consequence was, that their 

 crops decreased, and in about twenty-five years the 

 land would not produce more than one half as 

 much, on an average, as when it was first cleared. 



