186 



SOWING PEAS IN CIRCLES. 



water is turned, allowing tlie cold water to circii- 

 culate in the like maimer among the bowls of 

 niilk, till the cistern is filled to near 3 inches deep, 

 ■when it again escapes through the perforated lube. 

 This operation is continued through the hot weeks 

 of summer, the tap being regulated so as to dis- 

 charge a constant trickling of cold water, which is 

 of course escaping through the tube at the other 

 extremity, the milk bowls standing in water of the 

 de|)th of near three inclies during the whole of the 

 summer season. I am thus enabled to allow my 

 milk to remain two or three meals (24 to 36 hours) 

 without becoming sour, and can sell it at the price 

 Eta'ed, Id. per quart. The advantage I gain from 

 this is even greater than wliat I derive from the 

 inci'cased temperature during winter. These ar- 

 rangements have been in operation for several years, 

 during which I have occasionally tested the yield of 

 butter, and have always found it similar, varying 

 only from 25 to 27 ounces from 16 quarts of milk, 

 the greatest amount being observed in the month of 

 December last, when it was found to be fully 27^ oz. 

 from 16 quarts. I may here remark that my milch 

 cows are supplied in summer and in winter with food 

 suited to their wants, and to the office they are per- 

 forming — the production of wholesome and nutritive 

 milk. 



Since I adopted this mode of regulating the tem- 

 perature of my dairy, I have read a lecture given 

 before the Royal Society by Captain Carr, an Eng- 

 lish gentleman, who n sides on an estate which he has 

 acquired in Mecklenburg, in which country the at- 

 tention of farmers is chiefly directed to the produc 

 tion of butter, which is their main source of money 

 returns, and where, as appears from Captain C.'s de- 

 scription, the arrangements of the dairy, with regard 

 to the production of butter, are carried out with the 

 greatest perfection, and in which regulation of the 

 temperature is one of the chief aims. Captain Carr 

 states that by artificial heat they effect a temperature 

 during winter of 60 ° . Now, with my present means, 

 I am not able to attain more than .52 ° to 55 '=, but 

 as I have not, during summer, when the temperature 

 in my dairy sometimes exceeds 60 ° , found a great 

 proportionate yield of butter, I am led to conclude 

 that the degree of temperature I have stated, 52 ° 

 to 55 °, enables me to acquire the whole of the but- 

 ter which the milk contains. 



Since the foregoing remarks were penned, I have 

 had another opportunity of observing the effects of 

 a lower temperature on the yield of butter. During 

 the keen frost of February my main water-pipes, 

 though laid more than two feet under ground, were 

 reached by the frost, and my supply of water com- 

 pletely stopped. My mode of increasing the temper- 

 ature by hot water was suspended. The thermome- 

 ter in the dairy denoted 45 ° . My yield of butter 

 was again tested, and foand to be about 20 oz. from 

 16 quarts, or for every four rolls of butter, with a 

 temperature of 55 °, I had only three rolls from a 

 like quantity of milk, with a temperatuie of 45°. 

 I now noticed a current of cold air from the crevices 

 along the side of the wooden shutter placed inside 

 the trellis window, of sufficient force to extinguish a 

 lighted candle when held near it; I therefore caused 

 another shutter to be fastened to the outside of the 



trellis, with a space of four inches between, whic 

 space I packed closely with straw. From this sin 

 pie, inexpensive contrivance, aided by the fire frcn 

 the adjoining kitchen, the temperature of my dair 

 rose to 50 ° ; the amount of the outlay was moi 

 than compensated by the increase of butter from tl 

 first churning. My observations on dairy husbandi 

 tend to the following conclusions: 



That on a range of dairy cows of similar breed i 

 different stages, some with a full yield of milk, an 

 others with a less quantity or longer after calviu: 

 supplied with suitable food and with no excess i 

 watery element, the composition of the milk will 1: 

 uniform, or nearly so, as far as regards the productic 

 of butter, and probably as regards that of casein an 

 otiier components. That the (|uality of the crea; 

 varies considerably, without influencing the compa 

 ative yield of butter from a like quantity of milk. 



That the proper adjustment of the temperature 

 of the greatest importance on the comparative pr 

 duction of butter. By a series of carefully conduc 

 ed experiments at varying temperatures, 1 am 

 opinion that a correct scale of the comparative yie 

 of batter at different temperatures might be arrive 

 at. The following may be taken as an approxima 

 to what the result would be: From a very low d 

 gree of temperature, little or no butter; from a tei 

 perature of about 38°, 16 oz. from 16 quarts 

 milk; ditto 45°, 21 oz. from 16 quarts of mil 

 ditto 55 ° , 26 to 27 oz. from 16 quarts. 18 quar 

 1 gill of cream churned on the 12th of March yiel 

 ed 450 oz. of butter — nearly 25 oz. per quart; tei 

 perature of dairy 50 ° , without appliance of h 

 water. On perusing several treatises on dairy pr 

 duce, I find the proportion to range from 12 oz. 

 16 oz. of butter from a quart of cream; what I nc 

 state appears nearly double the ordinary proportio 

 — Y. in Agricultural Gaxette. 



Sowing Peas in Circles. — It is a great error 

 those persons who sow the rows of tall growing pe 

 close together. It is much better in all those sor 

 which grow six or eight feet high, to have only oi 

 row, and then to leave a bed ten or twelve feet wi. 

 for onions, carrots, or any crops which do not gro 

 tall. The advantages which will be derived are, th 

 the peas will not be drawn up so much, be strong! 

 will flower much nearer to the ground, and in w 

 weather can be more easily gathered without wettu 

 yoiL 



But instead of sowing peas in straight rows, if y( 

 will form the ground into circles of three feet diam 

 ter, with a space of two feet between each circle, 

 a row thirty feet long, you will have si.x circles 

 peas, each nine feet, in all fifty-four feet of peas, i 

 stead of thirty, on the same extent of ground. 



If you want more than one row of circles, leave 

 bed of ten or twelve feet before you begin anothf 



For the very tall sorts, four feet circles will affo; 

 more room for the roots to grow in. and care mui 

 be taken, by applying some tender twigs, or string 

 to prevent the circles from joining each other. 



This method is equally applicable for scarlet bean 

 — Household Receipt Book. 



