1860. 



NEW ENGLAND FARIVIER. 



547 



MILK— ITS USES. 



A few evenings since we hoard an experienced 

 physician assert, that "a child could be healthfidly 

 nurtured on arrow-root." This more nearly con- 

 cerned his vocation than ours ; we did not contra- 

 dict him, but listened under the hope of being in- 

 structed by his arguments. It proved, however, 

 that his views were entirely empirical. Upon 

 turning to the analysis of arrow-root, we find that 

 it contains no phosphate of lime ; in examining 

 the composition of milk, we find it does contain 

 this necessary element, and feci inclined to agree 

 with St. Paul, that milk for babes is a proper ali- 

 ment. We should rather our friend, the Dr., 

 prescribe for his own child than for ours ; and 

 notwithstanding the proverb that we should "love 

 our neighbor as ourself," if we contemplated de- 

 voting a pound of arrow-root and a gallon of milk 

 to the children of our neighborhood, we might be 

 tempted to igore the former and use a goodly por- 

 tion of the milk at home. 



The bone-making principle in children, as well 

 as in other young animals, is highly important in 

 the earlier stages of growth. Every farmer knows 

 this, and it is practically illustrated in sections 

 where phosphate of lime is deficient in the soil, 

 and therefore in the crops. We might as well at- 

 tempt to build a house of flexible material, as to 

 nurture an animal organism with substance that 

 will not furnish the bone-making element ; for 

 not only is the rigidity of the bone consequent 

 upon the presence of phosphates in the food, but 

 the strength of the membranes is due in a degree 

 to the same cause. 



There can be no doubt that the sustenance fur- 

 nished by the healthy mother is in a better con- 

 dition for assimilation than that supplied from 

 artificial sources ; and thus for the infant the milk 

 of the mother is more valuable than that of the 

 cow. The phosphate of lime it contains is more 

 progressed, and will be more thoroughly assimi- 

 lated. 



Our medical friend, it is to be hoped, will re- 

 view his rationale as to the value of arrow-root. 

 We believe that thousands of infants have been 

 hurried into eternity by the use of arrov/ root as an 

 aliment ; and if they have escaped an early death, 

 it has only been to wear out an unsatisfactory life 

 for the want of the early formation of the proper 

 organism. — Working Farmer. 



THE LOV53 OF FIiO"WBRS. 



No man can cultivate too earnestly a hearty 

 love for flowers. We may not measure the value 

 of them as we measure merchandise, for the in- 

 fluence flowing from them is ethereal and intangi- 

 11 c; yet not more necessary is pure air to a 

 healthy growth and broad development of body, 

 than is a loving communion with these "sweetest 

 thoughts of God," needful for all true upbuilding 

 and expansion of the mind. The notion that it is a 

 weak and feminine thing — a thing for women and 

 children — to interest one's self in flowers, is ut- 

 terly false. One of the most humanizing, and 

 therefore noblest, things in the world, is a devout 

 study of these beautiful works of God. There are 

 granite peaks lifting themselves, bare and bald, 

 with forbidding aspect, which though clothed with 

 glandeui', are nevertheless the unloveliest objects 

 in nature. There are otiier peaks which have as 



much of majesty, yet nestled in whose rifts, and 

 climbing up whose sides, manj'-colored flowers 

 unfold their beauty, and by their soft hues re- 

 lieve the sternness of the dull, harsh rock. He is 

 the truest man whoso character thus combines 

 strength and conciliating tenderness — whose prin- 

 ciples are firm as mountains, yet at the same time 

 are always adorned by the verdure of a gentle 

 charity. From no source can man gather so many 

 gentle thoughts and unpolluted feelings, as from 

 intercourse with flowers. If the Infinite is ever 

 turning from the care of circling worlds to the 

 adornment of the violet, surely it cannot be be- 

 neath the dignity of man to follow his Maker with 

 a reverent step, and learn the lessons which he 

 has written for him in the humblest flower. — W. 

 Iloyt, in Rural New-Yorker. 



For the New England Farmer. 



MARTHA'S VINEYARD AGRICULTURAL 

 SOCIETY. 



Mr. Editor : — Having noticed a request in 

 your paper that some one would give you a short 

 description of the several agricultural fairs as they 

 were held, and not being aware of your having a 

 correspondent on the Vineyard, I have concluded 

 to send you a few items concerning the Third An- 

 nual Meeting of the Mnrtha's Vineyard Agricul- 

 tural Association, which was held on the loth and 

 16th of the present month. This society is as yet 

 in its infancy, consequently much could not be 

 expected of it. The Fair was in many respects 

 superior to either of its predecessors, yet there is 

 much room for improvement. 



On the first day the grounds were devoted to 

 the exhibition of fat cattle, sheep, swine and 

 poultry. The show of fat cattle was unusually 

 good. The sheep were not numerous. Among 

 them were two bucks which I understood were 

 brought from China ; one of them had four horns. 

 They were covered with a coat of hair instead of 

 wool ; and in my opinion better deserved the 

 name of goats than sheep. During the exhibition 

 of the swine, my attention was drawn to some 

 very fine pigs from four weeks to two months old. 

 The show of poultry v\as very small. 



On the morning of the second day of the Fair 

 I vvas much gratified in witnessing the fine dis- 

 play of horses and colts. I was particularly inter- 

 ested in the colts, some of which in a few years 

 l)id fair to equal, if not surpass, any of the horses 

 imported from Vermont. 



In the hall I observed huge pumpkins and 

 squashes, long ears of corn, samples of wheat, 

 and other vegetables, which I think no society in 

 the State would be ashamed to place upon its ta- 

 bles. The ladies' department was net contribu- 

 ted to as largely as would be desirable to have it. 

 There were some articles, however, which reflect- 

 ed great credit on the skill and taste of those who 

 manufactured them. The most attractive were 

 several bouquets of prettily formed wax flowers, 

 that almost equalled nature. On one of the ta- 

 bles, in a conspicuous position, was a very large 

 shoe, said to be seventy-six years old, which, 

 when placed beside one of the present day, would 

 show not a little improvement in appearance, 

 though perhaps the former would be the most du- 

 rable. On the opposite end of the table was a 

 brick on which was the impression of a child's 



