VOL,. XIII. MO. ao 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



From the Maine Farmer. 

 TJNPERMENTED SAVILL,. 



A question was asketl in one of our late num- 

 bers wliy unfermented swill was not so good for 

 hogs as that which was undergoing fermentation. 

 It is 1,'i'nerally consiilered that swill which is al- 

 ready undergoing fermentation will fatten swine 

 niucli faster, and, is of course, moru economical 

 than swill not in that condition. As no one has 

 a|)peare<l as yet fiir the purpose of answering the 

 question of our corr^pondent above alluded to, 

 we will venture a few remarks. Vegetable sub- 

 stanci's contain a large quantity of carbon and this 

 same substance also enters largely into animal ina- 

 ;erials, especially into fat and oils, constituting a 

 arge |)ortion of these substances. It follows there- 

 fore, that in animals by the process called diges- 

 ion, a portion of this carbon of the food is sepa- 

 rated, and assimilated or cotiverted into chyle and 

 jlood, and from these into fat, muscle or flesh, and 

 iuch like materials which make up the animal body. 

 But before the digestive powers can do this, the 

 bod must undergo a change, aiul the carbon con- 

 ained in it combined with something that will ren- 

 ter it easily dissolved in the fluids of the bodv. 

 5olid carbon is not dissolved in fluids. Chai-coal 

 vhicb is one form of carbon, and indeed is nearly 

 lure carbon, we all know is not soluble in fluids ; 

 lut still it may be easily dissolved by adding another 

 ubstauce to it. Take a [liece of charcoal and 

 lurn it in a close vessel, an<l you change its form. 

 t combines or unites with the oxygen or vital air, 

 ind is converted from a hard solid visible state 

 nto an invisible air or gas called carbonic acid or 

 ixed air, and strange as it may seem, this same 

 ubstauce which a few minutes ago was a luujp of 

 harcoal, is now an invisible gas, and the next 

 ninute by agitating it with water is absorbed and 

 ecoujes liquid, and the next minute if drank will 

 e converted into a portion of a walking, living, 

 ireathing animal. 



To go back to our first remark, that vegetable 

 Libstances, such as are used for food, contain a 

 irge portion of carbon, not in a pure state to be 

 jre, l)ut niingleil with many other substances 

 ?hich render it more liable to undergo fermenta- 

 on. Now what is fermentation ? It is nothing 

 lore nol- less than this carbon combining with the 

 xygen of the air or atmosphere being converted 

 ito an air, and escaping in the form of bubbles of 

 as as it works its way up through the mass. The 

 ivill therefore that is in this state, is all ready to 

 B dissolved in the fluids of the stomach and cou- 

 erted to the animal body. If it is not yet fer- 

 lented it will not digest so soon, and of course is 

 ot changed to fat so soon, and consequently the 

 og does not fat so fast. In order to bring on fer- 

 leutation three things are necessary, viz : mois- 

 ire, air and heat; and heat is also engendered by 

 le fermentation which serves to keep it up so 

 ing as there is any carbon to be converted to gas. 

 nd the effectsof this fermentation and heat when 

 irried ou in the animal stomach, is curiously 

 Instrated by the auimal itself. Paine Wingate of 

 [allowell, a highly respectable member of the So- 

 ety of Friends, and a close observer, informed us 

 le other day that in his experiments in feeding 

 ogs, when he gave his hog swill that was unfer- 

 lented he would go and lie down on the ground, 

 ut when he gave him swill that was fermenting 

 e would lie quietly in his pen ou a plank. This 

 ifl!erence of conduct is we think accounted for, 

 jr the fact that heat is caused by the act of fer- 



205 



mentation, and when fermentation is carried on in 

 the stomach. Sir Porker finds it necessary to sleep 

 out of doors. 



SWELIilNGS. 



To scatter swellings on Horses or other cattle, 

 take two quarts of proof whiskey, or other proof 

 spirits, warm it over coals, but not to blaze — dis- 

 solve it in a pint of soft soap — when cool, put in 

 a bottle, and add one oimce of camijhor. When 

 dissolved it will form the liquid Opodeldoc, and 

 is then ready for application, forming a cheap and 

 useful reinedy. When the swelling is on the leg, 

 or any part that will receive a bandage, such ban- 

 dage should be applied, and wet with the Opodel- 

 doc. — Bantror Courier. 



MELONS. 



A French periodical gives the following method 

 of hastening the ripening of melons. Spread on 

 the melon and round it a thick couch of from one 

 to two inches of pounded charcoal. Lampadius 

 tried this plan at Friebuler in 1813, and succeeded 

 in making melons ripen iu a box of earth in the 

 open air, during the summer of that year, in the 

 mining district of Saxony. The surface of the 

 earth thus covered with charcoal had at noonday 

 a temperature of 37.50 to 47.50 of Reauinur, while 

 at the same time the thermometer in the shade wasi 

 ordy at from 15 to 20, and in the sun at 25 to 37. 

 50. 



pieces at a houseinear which was observed a small 

 guard ; IJritish ofllcers came out and dispersed, 

 the guard, after firing their muskets at us, fol- 

 lowed ; soon a column of infantry advanceil and 

 were at first driven back by the fire of our field 

 pieces, two of which were then sent to the right 

 which was menaced, where the enemy looked as if 

 close to their muzzles when discharged ; immedi- 

 ately the column re-appeared in front, with a horse- 

 man in the dress of a field ofiicer, who pronounced 

 the word ' forward' with out-stretched arm and 

 weapon, — as he rode in their front they came 

 on at a rapid pace, unheeding the fire of the four 

 remaining guns, which were now ordered for re- 

 treat, and the infantry near them retiring with the 

 guns, the whole brigade fell back to the entrench- 

 ments near the city.' Tvp. 



PRESERVING MEAT. 



Meat may be preserved fresh many months by 

 keeping it imnjersed in molasses. A joint of meat 

 or any provision suspended in a flannel hag will 

 keep sweet much longer than by iTiost of the modes 

 commonly practised. The cooler and dryer the 

 meat is when the flannel is put round it the bet- 

 ter, and the flannel should be perfectly clean. 



Fresh meat put in a close vessel containing vine- 

 gar, will be preserved a considerable time. Taint- 

 ed meat may be rendered good by pickling it in 

 pearl-ash water some time. Before it is cooked, 

 however, it should be dipped in vinegar a short 

 time and then salted in brine. — Genesee Farmer. 



WOODEN RUSTIC 'WORK; FOR GARDENS. 



The advantage of wooden rustic work is that it 

 can be adapted to a great variety of pur|)oses. 

 Thus very beautiful and even architectural tem- 

 ples may be formed of unbarked wood. Orna- 

 mental doors, every description of garden seats, 

 and flower baskets and vases of very elegant forms, 

 may be composed of the same material. Shady 

 walks also, having the pleasing gloom and enrich- 

 ed effect of a Gothic cloister, may be made of 

 wooden rustic work. I allude more particularly 

 to what I call wood mosaic, which is, I believe, 

 rather a modern invention. It is formed of split 

 sticks of various lengths and sizes, and having 

 bark of diflerent colors. The pieces are nailed to 

 any flat siuface of wood, and very beautiful and 

 elaborate patterns may be produced by arranging 

 the pieces according to their sizes and the various 

 colors of the work. Garden seats and vases of 

 almost aiiy shape may be covered with this kind 

 of mosaic work, but as it is not durable when ex- 

 posed to the weather, it is most suitable for the 

 inside of summer houses and garden temples. In 

 such situations the richest specimens might be in- 

 troduced, and if varnished over they woidd last 

 for a number of years. — Gard. Masr. 



ARCHITECTURE. 



BALTIMORE MONUMENTS. 



The Baltimore ' Washington monument' pre- 

 sents a mass of pure white marble of great girth I 

 and steeple height — its round shaft rises from a* 

 square pedestal and is surmounted by a colossal 

 statue of Washington. It is on a small hill at the 

 termination of one of the central streets ; and near 

 it are the Catholic and Unitarian churches, both 

 with magnificent domes. Up through the shaft 

 is* a long winding way, lantern in hand, without a 

 look-out till you reach the top. This monmnent 

 has every requisite — size, simplicity of form, and 

 beauty of material. 



The ' Battle monument' of Baltimore, is also 

 of marble, with brass cannon at the angles of its 

 base, elegant in structin-e and wreathed with the 

 gilded names of those who fell in defence of the 

 city. It is. in a paved square, which may called 

 the Forum — the favorite place for great political 

 assemblages. The fresh recollections of that ' pre- 

 liminary' battle (as it was it was expected to be), 

 make it a highly interesting memorial. — ' For a 

 good while,' said a citizen who was in the ranks, 

 ' our att^tion was occupied by their Congreve 

 rockets ; an order came to level one of the field 



ENGLAND. 



The present equable diffusion of moderate 

 wealth cannot be better illustrated, than by re- 

 tuarking that in this age many palaces and superb 

 mansions have been ])ulled down, or converted to 

 other purposes, while none have been erected on 

 a like scale. The numberless baronial castles and 

 mansions, in all parts of England, now in ruins, 

 may all be adduced as examples of the decrease of 

 inorrlinate wealth. On the other hand, the multi- 

 plication of couunodious dwellings, for the upper 

 and middle classes of society, and the increased 

 comforts of all raid<s, exhibit a picture of individ- 

 ual happiness, uid<nown iu any other age. — 5iV G. 

 Blane's Letter to Lord Spencer. 



Method of Building Chimneys that ivill not Smoke. 

 — Contract the space immediately over the fire, so 

 you may be sure of the air being well heated 

 there; this will • ensure a current upwards. All 

 chimneys should be carefully built, and every joint 

 well filled with mortar, so as to prevent commuui- 

 tion in case of fire. — Dr. Thomas Cooper. 



A large Tree. Travellers in Mexico give an ac- 

 count of a famous Cypress Tree, in Allixco in 

 Mexico, said to be the largest in the world, with 

 the exception of the Boabab in Senegal. It meas- 

 ures seventy-six feet in circumference. 



