266 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



June 



For the New England Farmer. 

 SMITH'S BUTTEH-WORKEB. 



Mr. Editor : — I have noticed of late that con- 

 siderable has been said in regard to churns, by 

 the aj^ricultural press. Allow me through the 

 columns of your valuable paper to say a few words 

 in regard to Smith's Premium Butter Worker, 

 which, in my opinion, is the ne plus ultra of but- 

 ter-making machines. In preface, let me say that 

 I am wholly unacquainted with the proprietors of 

 this machine, neither have I any interest in it, 

 farther than I have in all good labor-saving ma- 

 chines. 



The first I saw of this machine was at Milford, 

 N. H., at the county Aiir, and through the polite- 

 ness of the exhibitor I was shown the modus oper- 

 andi. At the first glance I was favorably im- 

 pressed with its neatness, simplicity and apparent 

 durability. It is claimed for it that it will churn 

 as will, and as quick, as any churn in existence, 

 and that it will work and salt butter as well as 

 can be done by any other process, with one-fif- 

 teenth part of the labor. Now, Mr. Editor, if this 

 is so, is it not one of the best machines for butter- 

 making ? 



Before me is a copy of the Albany, N. Y., Coun- 

 try Gentleman, dated Oct. 18th, 18(50, in which is 

 a communication from Hon. Levi Bartlett, of 

 Warner, N. H., and in speaking of the New 

 Hampshire State Fair, he says : "M. F. Colby, 

 of Londonderry, exhibited a churn and butter- 

 worker, (Smith's) which promises to become a 

 favorite with butter-makers. He exhibited a 

 beautiful sample of butter, a portion of several 

 pounds churned on the morning of the 4th. The 

 butter was churned inside of three minutes, salt- 

 ed, worked and moulded into pound lumps in less 

 than ten minutes from the time the cream was 

 put in the churn. 



"Human hands or fingers had not touched the 

 butter when exhibited, and it was none of the 

 greasy mottled stuff that too often passes under 

 the name of butter, but yellow, granular in frac- 

 ture, solid and sweet." 



This, coming from one of the most practical ag- 

 ricultural men in the United States, shows his 

 opinion in regard to it. Perhaps this will elicit 

 inquiries from some of your numerous readers 

 which will tend to the public good. 



Manchester, N. IL, April, 1861. F. B. J. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 REVIEW OP THE WINTER. 



December, 1860, had a mean temperature of 

 21.40°, being about the usual mean. The amount 

 of rain was 1.41 inches, and of snow 6.50. It fell 

 in seven days. There was but little good sleigh- 

 ing in the month. 



January, 1861, had a mean temperature of 

 16.15°, being about 3.32° below the mean, and is 

 the coldest January of the past eight years, with 

 the exception of 1856 and '57. From the 11th to 

 13th inclusive, the mercury ranged from 1 to 30° 

 below zero ; these being the only extreme cold 

 days in the month. The amount of rain and 

 meltinl show was 1.79 inches, and of snow 18.50 

 inches, bei ig a larger amount of snow than us- 

 ually falls here in the same month, consequently 



the sleighing was good through the month. There 

 was but little rain and no thaw. 



February had a mean temperature of 26.50°, 

 being 6.65 warmer than the mean ; it being the 

 warmest February for eight years past, with 

 the exception of liS57. The eighth day was the 

 coldest day during the winter, having a mean 

 temperature of 22.33° below zero. At 7 A. M., 

 the mercury stood at 33.5° below zero. This 

 was the greatest extreme known within the past 

 ten years. The amount of rain and melted snow 

 was about 2 inches, and of snow 7.75 inches. The 

 sleighing was good during the first 12 days, and 

 but little snow fell after that. 



March had a mean temperatureof 23.13°, being 

 1.27° colder than the mean. Three mornings the 

 mercury stood below zero 2 to 4°. The amount 

 of rain was 3.80, and of snow 6.75 inches. 



Brandon, Vt., April, 1861. D. Bl'CKLAND. 



CRANBERRY CtJIiTURE— No. 3. 



In a hilly country like New England, there oc- 

 cur many narrow valleys, winding along at the 

 base of gentle ascents, which we call "swale" 

 land, or meadows. Usually there is a small, 

 crooked stream, running through them, which, in 

 many cases, finds its source in a swamp of con- 

 siderable extent above. These "runs" are often 

 quite narrow, and have only a slight descent, and 

 taking all things into account, are the most fa- 

 vorable localities to be devoted to cranberry cul- 

 ture. We have seen them whei-e half a dozen 

 hills of cranberry plants introduced, would in a 

 few years take possession of the meadow, with- 

 out flowing or culture. 



One decided advantage in the occupation of 

 such places, is the ease with which a dam may be 

 erected, and the water thrown over the whole 

 from a reservoir above. 



Where swamps and such meadows occur, as we 

 have described, they are usually skirted by sandy 

 lands from which, through a succession of ages, 

 the vegetable matter has been washed away into 

 the lower grounds. Here, then, is an opportuni- 

 ty of excavating and forming the reservoir, and 

 paying for it by enriching the sandy land with the 

 muck. Make a ditch from reservoir to meadow, 

 with a gate by vihich any desired quantity of wa- 

 ter may be let out. In such an arrangement, the 

 plants may be flooded in the course of a few 

 hours while full of fruit, and thus saved from the 

 frost, and the whole meadow may be kept cov- 

 ered through the winter. 



If the meadow has so much fall as to require a 

 too great depth of water at the lower end before 

 the upper part is covered, throw a slight dam 

 across half way down, or at any point that will ob- 

 viate the difficully. In this way we may succeed 

 in the cultivation of the cranberry with certainty 

 and profit because we can protect ourselves 



