42 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



AUG. 7, 1839. 



AND HORTICULTURAL RF.GISTER. 



BosTOK, Wednesday, August 7, 1839. 



To OUR Subscribers. — We gave notice in the clos- 

 ing number of the last volume of the N. E. Fanner, that 

 we should issue the paper once a month or oftener, in 

 an enlarged form. We engaged our paper, but found 

 that it could not be printed so as to fold in any regular 

 order; we were obliged therefore to send it out in a 

 most awkward shape. As we are disappointed in this 

 arrangement, we have concluded thai it would, perhaps, 

 be as well to publish ocr-asionally an extra, particularly 

 at the time of the cattle shows, and at the season of the 

 year when advertisements pre.'ss upon us, &c., which 

 we trust will give equal satisfaction. J. B. 



BEET SUGAR. 



We perceive by a recent number, that nur neighbor 

 the publisher oflhe Yankee Farmer, proposes forming 

 an association for the purpose of ascertaining the 

 practicability and advantages, if any, of the manufac- 

 ture of sugar from beets in this country, by the latest 

 and most improved methods. Especially he is de- 

 sirous of determining whether it can be so managed, 

 as has been represented, that every farmer's family in 

 the country may, by a simple household practice 

 supply their own wants. We most heartily wish him 

 all possible success. How far the calculations which he 

 has given to the public in relation to this matter, are to 

 be relied on, we are not able to say. But the funds ask- 

 ed for are a small affair compared with the importance 

 of the object in view ; and, divided as they will be, can- 

 not fall heavily, even if the project should fail. But 

 success is highly probable. 



The sugar beet is beginning to be much cultivated in 

 various parts of the State. We have seen considerable 

 fields of it in many places ; and trials of it as feed for 

 cattle and swine, have served to bring it into favor. A 

 company is prosecuting the cultivation of it, as we have 

 been informed, to a large e.vtent in Micbigm, with a 

 view to the manufacture of sugar. One sprriii'd indi- 

 vidual has informed us that he has one hundred acres 

 in that State devoted to sugar beet. The present year 

 therefore, will probably decide what can be done. 



There are facts in regard to it now existing in France, 

 which we find it ditRcult to reconcile to statements 

 which are constantly made in respect to the manufac- 

 ture in that country. The first is, why if the cultiva- 

 tion and manufactuie are as profitable in that country 

 as is represented, they require so heav}' a duty upon 

 colonial sugar in order to protect the manufacture of 

 beet sugar. The second is why, if the new methods 

 recently discovered are successful, and by them the su- 

 gar can be produced at a low rate, they are not at once 

 adopted, and the government protection rendered i3n- 

 necessary. An intelligent gentlemiin, sent out by t'ue 

 Northampton Beet Sugar Company, for the e.xpress 

 purpose of obtaining all necessary information in rela- 

 tion to the matter, informed us that Shulzenhach's meth- 

 od upon trial in France was not approved. Fleischman 

 in his interesting report to Congress on this subject, 

 states the discovery of a method of extracting the sugar 

 from the beet, by which a considerably larirer amount 

 of sugar was obtained than by Shutzenbach's method, 

 at a less expense, and in a way which would place the 

 manufacture within the reach of every farmi;r's family 

 in the country. It is now full time that we should have 

 received the result of experiments made by this method. 

 Probably they have been made and others are in pos- 



session of the results. We have not been so fortunate. 

 Shutzenbach's method, as we have been informed by 

 persons who were not proprietors in the ctmcetn, has 

 been tried at Northampton with success. We have seen 

 a sample of the sugar made there, which promises well ; 

 tiutcan give no particulars. More than a year since we 

 mentioned the discovery of a method of exliacting and 

 manufacturing the sugar by a gentleman at Stoneham, 

 in the vii;inity of Boston, which promised the advanta- 

 ges of general practicableness, small expense, and a 

 large per centa>;e of sugar from the amount of product. 

 We saw the sliced and dried beets; the mode ofobttiin- 

 ing the syrup; the crystallization of the syiup, and the 

 sugar pnrfected, but not refined — certainly a beautiful 

 article. For the amount which could be obtained from 

 the bei;l by this process, and which was represented to 

 be from eight to ten per cent., and for the expense re- 

 quired in the extraction and manufacture, we relied up- 

 on the testimony of the operator, whose integrity is be- 

 yond a qutsuon. We deemed it a most important dis- 

 covery, and after a patent tor the manufacture had been 

 obtained, we had great pleasure in announcing it. We 

 thought the vessel had not only entered the harbor but 

 actually reached the wharf; and were quite disposed to 

 throw up our hat with the farmers and give three cheers. 

 But il seems to have been a phantom ship or a sort of 

 •' flying Dutchman," for wo have not been able to ob- 

 tain a word farther on ihe subject. 



The matter deserves all the attention wliich any a- 

 mong us seem disposed to give to il ; and we wish our 

 neighbor all the beet sugar he can need in his tea and 

 coffee Ihe rest of his life, sweet creature as lie must be- 

 come, if his useful project should prove successful. 

 H. C. 



BUTTER. 



There is no article in our market or on our farmu, in 

 respect to which there is more just ground of complaint 

 than butter. In few cases is it found fresh and sweet. 

 In most cases, we speak particularly of public houses, 

 it is absolutely detestable ; and often comes upon the 

 table " daubed over" in a manner thoroughly disgust- 

 ing. How we are to find « remedy for this evil it is 

 not easy to see. It is difficult to induce a patient to 

 take medicine, who has not the slightest consciousness 

 of ill health, or to submit to an amputation when tliey 

 have never felt any pain in the limb ; or to speak more 

 plainly, to induce those persons to wash their faces who 



I never look in a glass, or who perhaps in the course of 



I their lives never yet saw the true color of their skin. 



j We are determined, however, as often as convenient, 

 10 throw in our mil«, and protest against the manner in 



; which this article, whicli is almost a first necessary of 

 life, is made, kept, and served up. 



We might have good butter if we would; but with 

 our usual modes of management, it is not surprising 



j that thinis are as they are. The milk is not ahv.iyi 

 drawn clean ; and impurities find their way into the 

 pail which no strainer will take out. The pans into 

 which the milk is poured are not always thoroughly 

 eJeansf^d and scalded, and dried before using. The 

 dairy room is oftentimes ill-placed and badly ventilat- 



! ed ; and frequently made a general receptaole for brok- 

 en meats and dirty dishes, and the nameless and mis- 

 cellaneous fragments of the table. Then loo, the cream 

 is kept too long before churning; the butter is imper- 

 fectly worked ; the article is oversalted ; and put to be 

 kept in a place where ihere is little or no difficulty in 

 its soon passing into a state of rancidness. 



The farmers have no excuse whatever to otFur for 

 poor butter. They might have good butter always.— 

 There is encouragement enough given in our markets. 

 The butler of some farmers who send weekly to Bos- 



ton, commands always thirtyseven and a half cents 

 pound; and if they could send a thousand pound 

 week they would find a ready aiarket for the wholt 

 it. The butler sent in for exhibition and premium brii 

 usually from thirlythree to fifty cents per pound. ( 

 farmer within our knowledge, has for years receii 

 fortyfive cents per pound for his butter through 

 whole winter season. Can farmers ask any belter ] 

 ces than these .' and why should any farmer consen 

 be outilone by his neighbor, if he has the spirit o 

 man ? I'erliaps however, this matter belongs more ji 

 ly to the " appropriate sphere" of women. We st 

 say nothing uncivil to them most certainly ; but we h 

 at least they will hear what we have said to their li 

 bands. 



We occasionally hear housekeepers remark that tl 

 buy a cheap butter, because it *' will answer well enoi 

 for cooking.'' We always mark these people ; and 

 sire to keep clear of their cookery. Nothing should 

 swer for cooking which is not entirely sweet and win 

 some ; and rancid butter is poison, let it be disguised 

 it may be. Poor butter in the market ought neve 

 find a sale ; and in spite ofall the noisy discussion n 

 ringing in the public ear about sumptuary laws, we 

 maintain, without compromise or abatement, that 

 use of spoiled butter for food, ought to be made an 

 diclable offence. H. C 



Massachusetts Horticultuial Society. 



EXHIBITION OF FLOWERS. 



Saturday, Aug. 3d, 183£ 



By John Towne, Esq. ; some fine pot plants : ami 

 them we noticed Fucheir tenella, Bonvardia triphy 

 Erica cinerea, do. multiflora (?), do. verlicillala, Mei 

 esia coerulea, and Erythana cristagalla. 



Madam Eustis, of Koxbury, presented some fine s 

 ciinens of Carnations ; some three or four oflhe flow 

 were equal if not superior to any exhibited at our roc 

 the present season. 



From the grounds of Thomas Lee, Esq.,of Brooklii 

 fine specimens of Roses and other choice flowers. 



We welcome the scholars of Stephen M. Weld, E 

 of Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, to our rooms Their B 

 quel was such an one as we should expect from 

 youthful lovers of Flora and her handmaids. 



Dahlias, by Col. iVl. P. Wilder, of Dorchester, vi 

 Birmingham Victor, Striata formosissima, Zeno, IV! 

 A. A. Broadwood, Squibb's Prima Uonna, and S 

 phurea elegans. 



From Mr J. L L. F. Warren, of Brighton ; Madon 

 Welter's Jlary, Napoleon, Royal William, Smith's f 

 purple, and Duke of Wellington. 



Striata formosissima, in the collection of Mr Wile 

 was greatly admired. We were much pleased w 

 Madonna, in the stand of Mr Warren. 



A'atiee Plants, by Ezra Weston, jr , Esq., and Frar 

 Parker; Clethra Alba, Asclepias verlicillala, Sabbi 

 chloroides, Gerardia flava, Polyala sanguinea, Lysir 

 chia ciliala. Euphorbia maculata, Cephalanthus occid 

 talis, Orchis fimbriata, Solidago lanceolata, Dal 

 stramonicum, Mentha Boiealis, Eriophorum angusti 

 lium,Cuscuta Americana, Spirea tomentosa, Spirea al 

 Qi^nothera Pumila, Eupertorium purpureum, Lobi 

 pallida, Hcdyrasum paniculatum .' Mimulus ringe 

 Drosera tenuifblia. 



By G. Gilbert, Esq. ; Sabbalia chloroides, Coreof 

 rosea, Stachy's hyssopifolia. Polygala rubella, (2x h. i 

 radical flowers,) Gnaphalium margaritaceum, Crotala 

 sagiltalis, Asclepias tuberosa ; all from Plymouth, Ma 



By Wm. Oakes; Sabbatia chloroides, do. How 

 white; Stachy's hyssopifolia, Polygala rubella, Asc 

 pias tuberosa, Drosera lenuifolia, Lycopodium alopei 

 roides, Coreopsis rosea — all from Plymouth, Mass. 



Bouquets from Messrs Winships, Hovey &, Co., 

 Howe, Jno. Hovey, and Sam'l Walker, of Roxbury. 

 For the Committee, 



S. WALKER, Chairman 



Vegetables exhibited Saturday, August 3 : 

 By Mr J. L. L. F. Warren, Brighton ; fine specime 

 of Tomatoes and early shelled Beans. 

 For the Committee, 



AARON D. WILLIAMS. 



