364 



NEW ENGLAND FAFMER. 



From the Poultney, (Vermont) Gazette. 



Messrs. Smith k Shiite— 



As I recently caused to he publislied in yourj 

 paper, some remarks on the subject ut Dnirying, j 

 perhaps it will not be inexpedient to oiler a tew 

 observations in support of the theory therein 

 contained. Considerable diversity ot' opinion I 

 seem^ to exist concerning the manufacture of 

 butter; and tlie query seems to rest — whether 

 it is not, the most effectual means of giving it a 

 preservative quality, when made, by cleansing 

 it from the milk, with water. A few reasons 

 may be deduced, which, to me, together with 

 considerable (lersonal observation, appear con- 

 clusive, in favor of cleansing it with pure spring 

 water. 



In the first place, it is a fact, which it needs 

 no argument to establish, that so long as there 

 is any part of the acidity of the milk retained 

 in the butter, it cannot be preserved ; and 1 

 conceive it to be beyond a possibility, to cleanse 

 it from this acidity, except through the aid of 

 water. This may be proved by simple experi- 

 ment : — When the butter is churned, let it be 

 thoroughly worked over, so that the milk is ap- 

 parently entirely out — then thrown into clear 

 water, and it will be discovered that the water 

 will become white and sour with the milk. — 

 This, then, simply shows, that the sourness can- 

 not be got out by working only, -i 



It is thought, by some, that by washing, the 

 >vater takes away the goodness of the butter. — 

 But if any of the goodness can be washed away, 

 why is it not done with the brine, which is gen- 

 erally added to preserve it? Every one must 

 know, there is no athnity between oil and water ; 

 and such is the nature of butter. By letting the 

 water, in which the butter is washed, stand for 

 a time after being used, it will be easy to dis- 

 'over what part or qiiality of the butter is taken 

 out; as it will gather upon the top — which will 

 convince any one, that there is nothing taken 

 from it which should not be. 



It is the general practice of those who put 

 down butter to keep, to put it down in biine, 

 which I consider the best method of preserving 

 it; and unless it is cleansed from the milk, this 

 brine becomes a butter-milk-brine, and will not 

 preserve it from rancidity — so it is when the 

 butter is not put into brine, the salt mixing with 

 Ihc particles of sour milk left in the butter; — 

 whereas, on the contrary, if the batter is wash- 

 '"d in pure water till it runs clear from it, the 

 little particles of water which arc retained in 

 the butter, when salted, assist to dissolve the 

 salt, and become, of themselves, pure particles 

 of brine, interspersed throughout, which will 

 effectually preserve it. Now, if brine be a pre- 

 servative, which is universally acknowledged, 

 of what consequence is it, in what manner it 

 comes into the butter, provided it is pure and 

 clear when it gets there ; — whether it be added 

 ai"ter the butter is made, salted, and carried to 

 the merchant, or at the time it is made? It 

 seems very rational, that the sooner the butter 

 is reft of the sour milk, and a pure brine takes 

 its place, the better it is. 



In hot weather, butter is frequently brought 

 to market full of little hard specks of coagulated 

 milk, rhis is thought by some, impossible to 

 prevent ; — but it may, in a measure be remedied, 

 Ky often stirring the cream, after skimming; 

 and what remains may be entirely got out by 

 washing. The cream, however, should never 



stand till thijJcoagulation so forms. Butter be- 

 ing of a concrete substance, the union of its con- 

 stituent parts is formed wilh ditficulty, through 

 the imposing barriers, conjunct with its original 

 state ; and these are scarce ever so entirely re- 

 moved, but that something of an acid nature re- 

 mains in it. Let the butter be sweet when 

 churned, and every acid substance removed 

 from it by washing, and it will not, with lacility, 

 inhale from the atmosphere, that substance 

 which, being cherished, as it lights upon the 

 surface, by particles of acidity, creates that foe- 

 tid, offensive flavor, usually called /roti'. 



Rancid butter is said to be one of the most un- 

 wholesome and indigestible of foods ; — and if 

 there can be any improvement upon the man- 

 ner of preserving it, it will not only prove ben- 

 eficial to the general health, as an article of 

 consumption — but will enhance its value, as a 

 marliet commodity. A. B. 



From the Dutcliess Observer. 



Ma. Barnum — The season will soon srrive 

 when almost every farmer can save his own Tim- 

 othy Seed, and that at an expense of not more 

 than seventy five cents per bushel, while the 

 market pi ice is generally from 4 to 5 dollars. — 

 I take an interest in the im[)rovements of agri- 

 culture and the happiness of my fellow citizens : 

 and herewith furnish you with the following 

 mode of saving this kind of grass seed, which 1 

 think is at once cheaper, easier and better, 

 than any other mode with which I am acquain- 

 ted. 



PnocEss. — When about half of the heads or 

 tops of the grass had changed their appearance, 

 or become whitish, I sent two men with mowing 

 scythes, and one with a common grain cradle 

 (the fingers of which were pretty close togeth- 

 er, to gather up the heads of the grass and to 

 prevent them from dropping through) into the 

 field ; and they began to work in the following 

 manner. One of the men, with his scythe, mow- 

 ed a szealk to make room for the tops of the 

 grass to be laid from the cradle. Tho. man with 

 the cradle followed, cutting the tops of the 

 standing grass as high as could conveniently be 

 done and save the heads — laying the same in or 

 near the middle of the mown swath, (in the 

 same manner that grain is laid from the craiile) 

 for the purpose of leaving room for the mown 

 grass or stubble, of the mower, who immediate- 

 ly followed the cradle. In this manner, the tops 

 were kept separate from the mown sluhble. It 

 w.is found necessary for the man using the cra- 

 dle, to stand near the edge of the standing grass, 

 that he might with more facility lay his to])s 

 out of the way of the stubble, to be cut after him 

 it was also found that one man with a cradle, 

 would cut the tops about as fast as two others 

 could mow the stubble after him. And in this 

 manner they proceeded till they had cut as 

 much as was intended. 



Then with rakes, they gathered up three or 

 four of the seed or cradle swaths, and laid thera 

 sufficiently spread, by the side of another cra- 

 dle swath ; which made a space for spreading 

 the hay or stubble, which at a proper time, was 

 raked and carried off. 



The seed tops remained, as above described 

 four or five days, (which when the weather is 

 dry will generally be long enough) and then it 

 was ready for threshing. The tops may be 

 threshed with horses or flails — which ought to 



be done on a hot, dry day, and as soon as th At 

 heads are sufficiently dry. I threshed mine la; " 

 ^eascn on the fourth day after being cut, wit 

 ;.irscs — within half a day — from grass whic 

 grew on about 1 1-4 acre of ground, and it di 

 not stand very thick. , 



MARTIN E. WINCHELL. D 

 A'orM £ai/, JV% 12, 182.3. son 



lit 



From the Albany Plough Boy. 



From the first settlement of America, land 

 have always been considered so plenty and s 

 cheap by our predecessors, that little attenti© f 

 has heretofore been had to economise the soil 

 Recently, from a variety of concurring circum 

 stances, especially from the stimulating mca« 

 ures of numeious agricultural societies, it i 

 found much to the interest and happiness of in 

 dividuals to renovate worn out lauds, as thef""' 

 have been called, in preference to submitting t 

 the privations and miseries of seeking new land 

 in distant regions. Among numerous success 

 ful experiments to renovate worn out lands, th 

 following well authenticated fact is worthy th 

 notice of every farmer. David Lawton, a (z^u; 

 kcr farmer, from Rhode Island, settled som 

 years ago in the town of Washington, eountv c 

 Dutchess, 1.3 miles east of Poughkeepsie. Hi 

 neighbor .\mos Herrick, pressed him for som 

 time to purchase 20 acres of land adjoining hi 

 farm, which had been lying in common, as wor 

 out abandoned land, for seven years. At lengt 

 Lawton purchased the 20 acres at §5 an acr( 

 payable in five years without interest, with th 

 privilege to abandon at the termination of tha 

 period. Lawton's purchase was the sport c 

 the neighborhood ; it was pronounced wort 

 nothing, as it was subject to a small tax, an 

 tbat even mullen would not grow on it. Th 

 ensuing spring Lawton fenced in the 20 acr< 

 with substantial rails, and proceeded as follows 



First year, ploughed deep, sowed oats, an 

 put on 8 quarts of clover seed ; and a bushel c 

 plaster, immediately after sowing, to the acre 

 and soon after the field became green, a secoH' 

 bushel of plaster to the acre; left the crop t 

 rot on the ground, and permitted no creature t 

 run on the land. 



Second year, put on another bushel of plas 

 ter to the acre in the spring ; there was a goo^ 

 crop of clover, which was again left to rot oi 

 the ground, and no creature permitted to i'eei 

 on it. 



Third year, nothing was done in the spring 

 but a vigorous growth of clover covered th* 

 whole twenty acres, which was ploughed ii 

 with 4 oxen to a good depth ; the whole tieli 

 smoked while the clover was in a state of de 

 composition. As soon as it was sufficiently rol 

 ted, the field was cross-ploughed, and when mel 

 lowed it was thoroughly ploughed for a crop o 

 wheat, which was neatly got in, and in a suffi 

 cient quantity in the month of September 



In the 41h year, reaped as fine a crop of whea 

 as Dutchess county bad ever produced, whicl 

 sold for two dollars a bushel. Lawton paii 

 the purchase money before it ivas due, refun 

 ded all his expenses, labor included, and htu 

 ^20 in pocket. Two years after he refuse< 

 ^50 an acre for the same land, and fairlj 

 tohied the tables upon his sneering neighbors' 

 The soil was a dark loam intermixed will 

 coarse gravel. 



CA-JRA 



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