NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



315 



From the American Farmer. 



CATTLE SHOWS. 



Every week lately hna brought us hand-bills 

 «ting forth the premiums to be distributed the 

 I uing autumn by the Eastern agricultural so- 

 jj ties. From these there appears to be no 

 tement of their zeal, and great improve- 

 nt in tlie application of it. In this paper tve 

 ■e copied the list of premiums offered by the 

 ex Agricultural Society, signed and probably 

 pared by the venerable I'ickeri.ng — because i 

 departs materially frcmi what seems to have 

 n the leading principle in all the agricultur- 

 ocieties of the country — that of olTcring pre- 

 iras chiefly for certain specific articles of 

 bandry, instead of the combined improve- 

 its of entire farms." It will be conceded 

 : we ought not to publish all these lists — for, 

 constit\itions, they are very much alike, 

 contain generally little that is new and im- 

 tant ; not so, however, with the one in ques- 

 — and we have therefore inserted it for the 

 iideration of the IMaryland, and other Agri- 

 ural Societies. Moreover, the reasons giv- 

 br drawing attention, and for olTermg their 

 lest rewards, to new objects, serve at the 

 e time to convey practical information 

 ch must prove acceptable to most farmers. 

 ;re is, however, one thing in this scheme of 

 niums we regret — and that is, that they are 

 ■ed ia- -money instead of pieces of plate, in 

 i specific form for domestic ornament or 

 There seems to us to be all imaginable 

 fence in the sentiment which must accora- 

 the two forms of reward — with the idea of 

 money, " tilthy lucre," it is difficult to as- 

 te that of generous and patriotic pure spiv- 

 rivalry, which conquers without force or, 

 ession, and defeats without inflicting a 

 id. Money is the common boon of vulgar 

 letition in the lowest grades of human exer- 

 and strife. The common stimulus pro- 

 led for the apprehension of the runaway 

 and the house breaker is " twenty dollars 

 rd" — whereas, when the premium is given 

 e shape of a can or a goblet, a spoon or a 

 lie, it may be placed on the sideboard or 

 oantle, and becomes an object for exhibi- 

 ind harmless boasting to our friends — and 

 down, from one generation to another, as 

 t of heir-loom in the family — a mark of af- 

 in in family bequests — some simple inscrip- 

 erving to chronicle the merits or the enter- 

 for which it was originally bestowed.— 

 ourselves, we confess that we never feel 

 self-satisfaction than when we are display- 

 ) our agricultural friends, the little silver 

 rs, standing on cow's feet — " Presented to 

 S. by the Maryland Agricultural Society, 

 mporting Shepherdess and White Rose : 

 1823" — and the silver pitcher, with a 

 engraved likeness of Champion on its 

 —ten times the cost of them in money 

 I be valueless in comparison. For every 

 ium, however small, some appropriate 

 }| may be devised, combining permanence 

 utility — and we take occasion to repeat 

 QTer of our services to have them prepar- 

 ' Mr. Warner, who has heretofore aup- 

 on the most reasonable terms, appropr^- 

 ieces of plate, by order of several socie- 

 ) whom his work has given entire satisfac- 

 All we desire is to experience the pleas- 

 f aiding in giving the best direction to the 



bounty of those who wisely patronize agricul- 

 tural emulation, (f^lt should be remembered 

 that all Orders for premiums in this shape 

 should be given several months before hand, to 

 give time for their preparation. 



rtV'rhe Fremiiinis offered by the Efscx .\»ricultural 

 •'■ocietv were published in th 

 Xo. 37, page 289. 



In 



From the American Farmer. 



RUTA B.\GA. 

 fVorcester, [Mass.) April lit, 1223. 

 reference to the rutn baga, I regret to 

 say, that I am almost alone in this part of the 

 country, in its cultivation. The we'! establish- 

 ed fact, that it communicates an unpleasant fla- 

 vor to milk, when fed to cows, has brought it 

 into general disesteem. Still 1 regard it as the 

 aiost valuable root for husbandrv culture. It 

 has been particularly useful to mo, in the keep- 

 ing of swine ; and added to my own observation. 

 1 have the authority of my farmer for the assur- 

 ance, that it is equal to one half of their keep- 

 ing in summer, with the most inconsiderable ex- 

 pense only of labor. My course is to sow the 

 seed thick, and as soon as the plants are of the 

 usual size to set, to begin thinnirig them out, 

 and giving the green plants, which are pulled, 

 to the swine. The field may thus be gone 

 over several times during the season, leaving 

 the plants at last as thick as they will well ripen 

 by the harvest time. The swine being thus 

 fed at first, became fond of the roots, and will 

 continue to eat them greedily through the win- 

 ter. Within a few days I have witnessed a 

 large basket of them from the celler thrown 

 into the pen, and apparently as readily devour- 

 ed, as would have been so much corn. The 

 hogs are in good condition, and these turnips 

 have been their principal food. My sheep also 

 are much improved by them, especially about 

 the lime of yeaning. These facts are the rath- 

 er stJted, as proof that the seed which you kind- 

 ly sent, will be appreciated by at least one in- 

 dividuil, and with the thanks of the society for 

 your attention, I pray you to accept mine for 

 the Tilue of the present. 



With much respect, 



I am year obedient servant, 



LEVI LINCOLN, 

 Cor. Sec'ry IV. Ag. Society.'"' 



PERFUMF.S A PREVENTIVE AG.4I.\ST MOULDINESS. 



Dr. MacCullah, of Edinburgh, has published 

 a paper in the Philosophical Transactions of' 

 that city, in which he points out, that all essen- 

 tial oils possess the property of preventing the 

 growlb of mould. 



Ink, paste, leather and seeds, are among the 

 common articles which sufl'er from this cause, 

 and to which the remedy is easily applicable. 

 With respect to articles of food, such as bread, 

 cold meats, or dried fish, it is less easy to apply 

 a remedy, on account of the taste. Cloves, liow- 

 ever, and other spices, whose flavors are grate- 

 ful, may sometimes be used for this end. 



The effect of cloves in preventing the mould- 

 iness in Ink, is indeed generally known ; and it 

 is obtained in the same way by oil of lavender, 

 in a very minute qoantily, or by an}- other of 

 the perfumed oils. 



Leather may be preserved in the .same man- 

 ner. The same essential oils answer the pur- 

 pose. The cheapest, of course, should be se-| 



looted ; and it would be necessary to try oil of 

 turpentine, for this reason. 



It is a remarkable confirmation of this cir- 

 cumstance, that Russian leather, which is per- 

 fumed with Ihc tar of the birch-tree, is not sub- 

 ject to mouldincss, as must be well known to all 

 New England Farmer, [who possess books thus bound. They even 

 prevent it from taking place in those books 

 bound in calf, near to which they happen to lie. 

 Collectors of books will not be sorry to learn, 

 that a few dnqjs of any perfumctl oil "will insure 

 their libraries from this pest. 



With regard to pusle. Dr. M. piefers rosin to 

 alum as a preservative ; but lavender, or any 

 other strong pert'unie, such as |icppcrmint, an- 

 ise, bergamot, are perfectly efl'eclual for years, 

 however the paste is com|iosed. .That which 

 the Dr. himself employs in labelling, &c. " i» 

 made of flour in the usual way, but rather 

 thick, with a proportion of brown sugar, and a 

 sn^all quantity of corrosive sublimate. The use 

 of the sugar is to keep it flexible, so as to pre- 

 vent its scaling ofl" from smooth surfaces ; and 

 that of the corrosive sublimate, independently 

 of preserving it from insects, is an effectual 

 check against its fermentation. This salt, how- 

 ever, does not prevent the formation of mouldi- 

 ness. But as a drop or two of the essential oils 

 above mentioned is a complete security against 

 this, all the cau-ies of destruction are »ffectually 

 guarded against. Paste made in this manner, and 

 exposed to the air, dries without change to a 

 state resembling horn; so that it may at any 

 time be wetted again, and applied to use. When 

 kept in a close covered po(, it may be preserv- 

 ed in a state of use at all tiuics." 



He proceeds. — " This principle seems also 

 applicable to the preservation of seeds, partic- 

 ularly in cases where they are sent from differ- 

 ent countries by sea, when it is well known 

 that they often perish from this cause. Damp- 

 ness, of course, will perform its office at any 

 rate, if moisture is not excluded ; yet it is cer- 

 tain, that the growth of the vegetables which 

 constitute mould, accelerate the evil; whether 

 by rctariniiig moisture, or by what means, is not 

 \ery apparent. This, in fact, happens equally 

 in the case of dry rot in wood, and indeed in all 

 others were this cause operates. It is a curious 

 illustration of the truth of this view of a reme- 

 dy, that the aromatic seeds of all kinds are not 

 subject to mould, and that their vicinity pre- 

 vents it in others with which they are packed. 

 They also produce the same effect daily, even 

 in animal matters, without its being suspected. 

 Not to repeat any thing on the subject of cook- 

 ery, I need only remark, that it is common to 

 put pepper into collections of insects or buds, 

 without its having been rem.irkcd, that it had 

 the same power of keeping ofl" mould, as of dis- 

 couraging or killing the ptinue omnivons, or 

 other insects that commit ravages in these 

 cases. 



" In concluding these hints, I might add, in 

 illustration of them, that gingerbread and bread 

 containing caraway seeds, is far less liable to 

 mouldineas, than plain bread. It will be a mat- 

 ter worthy of consideration, how far flour might 

 be preserved by some project of this kind." 



To cure Cliiiblaitis before they are broken. — 

 Wash them in water as hot as you can bear, and 

 dry them with a cloth ; rub them with spirits of 

 turpentine before the fire and keep them warm. 



