30 



NEW ENGLAND FAR M E R 



AUGIIST 1, lS3g. 



fish, saurkraut, musty casks, or other articles which 

 tend to render the air impure, ought to be permit- 

 tek to remain in the same apartment with milk or 

 cream. Fluids absorb the noxious vapors of the 

 air in a remarkable degree. A pitcher of water 

 being permitted to stand over night in a room where 

 a. eegar has been smoked, in the morning will be 

 found to be strongly impregnated with it. 



It will be found to be impossible to make butter 

 of good flavor, and of first rate quality, if the apart- 

 ment in which the milk is set is not kept entirely 

 free from all smell of what kind soever. It will 

 receive a taint from foul air, of which it can never 

 be divested, by any process whatever ; therefore, if 

 you desire to obtain the hishest market price for 

 your butter, keep your milk-houses and cellars as 

 sweet and clean as your parlors, and let the e.vhi- 

 bition of it in the market place be so perfectly neat 

 and tidy as to attract the admiration of purchasers, 

 and be sure never attempt to sell a pound of butter 

 with a segar in vour mouth. — Far. Cabinet. 



AND gardener's JOURNAL. 



Boston, Wbdsesday, Adgdst 1, 



INDIAN CORN. 



• DCKERING, TOPPING STA 7. KS, HARVESTING. 



(continued.) 

 When tlie corn throughout the field is complotely 

 glazed, so thai from partial examination you cannot find 

 an ear that is fit to be roasted and the kernels seem all 

 to be touched, then proceed into the field with several 

 hands to cut up the plants at the bottom. A sickle will 

 answer for this purpose ; or a knife made from the end 

 of an old scythe attached to u short wooden handle. As 

 the corn is cut keep it in your arms and do not allow it 

 to be laid on the ground until sufficient is collected by 

 yourself and those at work with you to form a good 

 sized shock. Bring it next round a strong standing hill 

 or if necessary form a support for the shock by bringing 

 the lops of two standing liills together; anil around'this 

 support make your shock ; bring the tops of the corn 

 which you have cut round it, and spread the bottoms 

 widely for the free admission ami circulation of the air : 

 then with a band of rye straw tie the tops of all firmly 

 together round these hills which are left standing. The 

 corn must not be first tied in bundles as is frequently 

 done, as in this case ii is not likely to dry so well ; and 

 the ears frequently become mouldy, especiallv if damp 

 weather follows; besides thai when they are thus tied 

 in small bundles the ears cannot be well rt^ached in the 

 husking and are liable to be missed, unless the bundle 

 is untied, which is a great trouble. The hills which 

 are lefl standing form a very useful support for the corn 

 that IS placed against them, and the shocks otherwise are 

 liable to fall or be blown down. When the corn is suffi 

 ciently dry to be harvested proceed then to cut off the 

 Btand.ng hill ; the shock or stook then rem.iin. firmlv 

 bound by the band of straw at the top ; a„d i„ this forrn 

 .8 easily pitched upon the cart When the corn is husked 

 It is only for the husker to place the top of a shock or 

 stook in his lap. and everu «-.r i^ c . 



■ t j-n, /' ''*">^ "•" 's founu at once and 



w.lhout difficulty. When this whole operation is well 

 and properly performed we are satisfied that there is a 

 considerable saving of labor in curing the fodder ■ that 

 the whole f,dder is saved in a much better condi'tion • 

 and that the grain itself becomes equally ripe sound' 

 and heavy, as If suflcrcd to remain until it is '"dead' 



ripe '• in the field. The fodder it-elf is more succulent 

 and much better; and in truth, in respect to all parts of 

 it, which are eatable, is as nutritious a food as can be 

 given to live stock, either neat cattle, horses, or sheep. 



Ill the evrflil of the prospect of an early Irost the crop 

 in this way would often be saved, when otherwise it 

 might be ruined ; as there is no danger from frost after 

 the corn has been cut and shocked twentyfour hours. 

 Another advantage from this management is that it en- 

 ables you to remove your corn much earlier from your 

 field so as to have opportunity to prepare the ground for 

 another crop, as where this is desirable the shocks of 

 corn can be placed at the sides of the ploughed land. 

 There is liowever an impoitant suggestion to be made 

 here. Where the shocks are placed at the sides of the 

 field upon grass ground, there is danger that the grass 

 will check the circulation of air umler the shocks, and 

 neilher the grain nor the stalks will ripen well. The 

 stalks too are liable to become mouldy at the bottom. 



There is every prospect, let us be thankful to a kind 

 Providence, of an abundant ciop of corn the presentsea- 

 son. The fields were never more lu.turiant and beauti- 

 ful. With the exception of some particular articles in 

 particular situations, and what may at present be called 

 fancy articles, such as beets for sugar and the silk cul- 

 tivation, Indian Corn must be set down as the great 

 crop for New England. We are fast departing to our 

 very great injury from the good old fashions of Indian 

 bread and Johnny cake. It is hoped we shall presently 

 learn what is for our health and interest, and come back 

 again. There is no more nutritious or healthy bread 

 than that which is furnished by this rich gift of Heaven. 

 Massachusetts alone can, and we have no hesitation in 

 saying, ought to raise her three milliou bushels per 

 year. 



Wholesome drink for warsi weather.— Take a 

 two gallon stone jug and fill it with cold water. Put 

 into this water a quart of oat meal ; and shake it well. 

 In half an hour it will furnish a pleasant, nutritious and 

 excellent beverage. We know a farmer, who cuts ordi- 

 narily one hundred tons of hay. This is the only drink 

 in the field for himself and his hands. He says he de- 

 sires nothing better and he can find nothing more accep- 

 table and useful to his laborers. Molasses and water 

 and small beer are liable to be drank in too large quan- 

 titles and have ^ tendency to disorder the stomach. Cold 

 water is excellent, but may be l<iki-ii loo cold and in too 

 great quantities; and laboreis in general want some- 

 thing diflerent. Cider is iuflammntory and iritatin" and 

 stupefying. Ardent spirit is almost done with among 

 respectable and decent people. Who wishes to be pos" 

 sessed of a devil ? 



For the New England Farmer. 

 Mr EoiroR— It has been a subject of surprise to me, 

 for some time past, that with all the ingenuity for which 

 the Yankees are so celebrated especially when a profit 

 may be expected, no one has as yet in this pan of the 

 country (nor I believe in any part of the United States) 

 ever introduced to our tables an article common in va- 

 rious parts of the world, viz ; Capons. It may not be 

 known to the great mass of your readers that in the 

 West Indies and several parts of the old countries, a 

 Capon is considered a great luxury and readily com- 

 mands a much higher price than a chicken of the same 

 age. They are apparently easily raised, grow to a 

 large size, (say from H to 10 lbs.) and range together in 

 flocks, never showing any disposition to fight eacli oth- 

 er. The writer sees no reason why they cannot be in- 



troduced here, with profit to the raiser, and regreis his 

 inability to furnish the information necessary to perform 

 the required operation. The annexed from the Albany 

 Cultivator of this month, is all that lie can find any 

 where on the subject, and as it does not go so fully into 

 the " Modus Operandi," as could be desired, the writer 

 is induced to request the insertion of this communica- 

 tion in your valuable journal, in the hope that it may 

 meet the eye of some one of your intelligent correspon- 

 dents, who will give througli your columns, a full ac- 

 count, as to how this matter should be done, when the 

 proper age, how the animal should be fed, &c. and 

 thereby oblige at least one young farmer. Norfolk 

 July, 1838. 



Capons— "To C.-ipon Cocks make an incision with 

 a sharp knife under the lowest rib ; with your fin-rers 

 lay hold of the pans to be extirpated, and cut them away 

 with sharp scissors. 



Put a stitch or two into the wuum\.-.ma?iy Cultivator 

 for July, 1S38. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 The way to make good Butter in August.- Salt 

 the milk before you strain it, at the rate of a heaped 

 spoon of ..alt to a pail-full. Let it siarid 24 or at most 

 3fi hours. The first pan of milk you skim, put another 

 heaped spoon of salt to the cream ; add cream from day 

 to day as you skim your milk. Churn three tunes a 

 week or at least twice. Use a stone churn if you can 

 conveniently obtain one. fet your churn in a pail of 

 the coldest water, and change it as it grows warm by 

 standing while you churn. Keep your cream in white 

 earthen or a wooden bowl. It is injurious to health to 

 use brown earthen ware for any thing salt or acid 

 These directions are for a small dairy of one or two 

 A Hocsekeeper. 



Massachusetts Horticnltnral Soeiet^. 



EXHIBITION OF FRUITS. 



Sulurdai/, July 28, 1S38. 



/"cac/iei.- Beautiful specimens by M. P. Wilder of 

 this city, from his garden id Portland, raised under glass. 



Gooseberries.~3os. T. Buckingham, 2 boxes good 



William Mellerof Roxbury,2 boxes. Jolly Prin'ter 

 Champagne, &c. all of fine kinds. ' 



George Newhall of Dorchester, 4 boxes of large and 

 fine. 



William Kenrick, 3 boxes do. 



Raspherries.—Dr. J. C. Howard from his garden at the 

 Woodlands, Brookline ; Franconia and°While Ant- 

 werp ; line specimens. 



Curranls.-A. D, Williams from his garden in Rox- 

 bury, 4 boxes Dutch White and 4 boxes of Dutch Red 

 all of the finest quality. ' 



William Meller, aboxof Red and a box of White 

 Dutch Currants, fine. 



//oncy.— Andrew P. Young, offered for exhibition a 

 globular glass vessel, quite filled with pure honey, du- 

 ring 4 weeks from his yard in Hanover street' and 

 weighing IG lbs. 



For the Commiliee, 



WILLIAM KENRICK, Chairman. 



Singular Event.— As two men were cradlinirwheat 

 near Milford, Del. during a thunder storm, a portion of 

 the electric fluid struck the scythe of one, and glancing 

 off, killed his companion. 



