92 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Feb. 



from the barrels, I should save the price of the 

 barrels, and possibly gain something in the weight 

 of the pork. And again, the price of the sides and 

 hams are, it -will be seen, put low in proportion to 

 the price in the carcass. 



Thus from these figures each may be assisted 

 eomewhat in coming to a conclusion as to which 

 will be the most profitable course for him to pur- 

 sue ; depending wholly, of course, upon location, 

 markets, and the like, the object being merely 

 to ascertain with positiveness the proportionate 

 amount of each kind of meat in the carcass. 



Wm. J. Pettee. 



Salisbury, Conn., Jan. 8, 1862. 



PATENT OFFICE BEPORTS FOR 1860. 



Through the polite attention of the Hon. 

 Charles Sumner, we have received the Patent 

 Office Reports for the year 1860, — comprised in 

 three quite well printed volumes, two of which 

 are devoted to Mechanics, and the third to Agri- 

 cultural subjects. The second volume is entirely 

 made up of illustrations of the articles patented, 

 and contains four thousand three hundred and 

 sixty-two engravings, each in a very fine style of 

 the art. About nine hundred of these illustra- 

 tions relate directly to agriculture, the most nu- 

 merous of which are harvesters, harroivs, corn- 

 planters, plows and cidtivators, — there being no 

 less than ninety-seven of the latter. 



The third volume is entirely agricultural, and 

 its pages embrace many important subjects. The 

 preliminary remarks give a brief review of the 

 provisions made by several countries of Europe 

 for the promotion of agriculture, from which it 

 appears that a most lively interest is taken by the 

 leading governments there, and that the art is 

 greatly facilitated by the various aids thus aff'ord- 

 ed it. 



In the course of these remarks it is stated that 

 thirty-two thousand healthy Tea Plants have been 

 disseminated among gentlemen who had expressed 

 a desire to experiment with them, and that eight 

 thousand more will be distributed tliis Avinter. 

 Most of these plants were sent to persons south 

 of Virginia and Kentucky. The Superintendent 

 adds — "It is confidently hoped that by substituting 

 machinery and steam power for the tedious and 

 laborious Chinese mode of preparation exclusively 

 by hand, tea may be extensively manufactured 

 here, and even become an article of export." 



In speaking of our animals, the Superintendent 

 quotes a portion of a communication from Col. 

 Daniel Ruggles, U. S. A., in rejjly to a resolution 

 of inquiry respecting the buflalo, submitted to 

 Congress, as follows : 



"Perhaps no animal with which we are acquaint- 

 ed possesses such remarkable properties or quali- 

 ties. His migratory habits and fitness for great 

 extremes of heat and cold are the results of 

 'l»atural selection and the struggle for existence' i 



for untold centuries, by which he has anived at 

 a vigor of constitution, fleetness and muscular 

 strength, rarely, if at all, met with in the ox tribe. 

 These are qualities of great value, which cannot 

 be disregarded, and particularly when we consider 

 the direct and indirect advantages that judicious 

 crossings of domestic animals have bestowed upon 

 civilization to an extent not to be calculated. 



"A full grown, male bufi"alo will weigh from 

 1200 to 2000 pounds, and even more. In winter, 

 his whole body is covered with long, shaggA' hair, 

 mixed with much wool : on the forehead this hair 

 is a foot long. The Indians work the wool into 

 cloth, gloves, stockings, &c., which are very strong, 

 and look as well as those made from the best 

 sheep's wool. The fleece of a single animal has 

 been found, according to Pennant, to weigh as 

 much as eight pounds." 



The first paper is upon the operations at the 

 Oovernment Experimental Garden, — then follow 

 papers upon Fertilizers, Notes on the Recent Pro- 

 gress of Agricultural Bcience, on Observations 

 of English Husbandry, by Judge French, on Ir- 

 rigation, on Grasses for the South, on Cattle Dis- 

 ease, or Pleuro-Pneumonia, Bee Cidture, the Cid- 

 ture of Fish, on Insects Injurious to Vegetation, 

 Wine-Malcing, Grape Culture, in the open air and 

 in Graperies, on the Forests and Trees of North 

 America, a very interesting paper on Cidture and 

 Manufacture of Tea, one on Notices of Chinese 

 Agricidture and its Principal Products, and a List 

 of the Agricultural Inventions or Discoveries for 

 the year 1860. 



These articles are ably written, and perhaps oc- 

 cupy the space as well as anything that could have 

 been selected. The mechanical appearance of the 

 volume is superior to that of its predecessors, with 

 the exception that the type used is too small. Bet- 

 ter give us a less quantity on the good old "small 

 pica," or at least, "long primer" type, than crowd 

 in more matter on a smaller type. 



Screwing on Nuts. — We have sometimes 

 known nuts on threshing machines, circular saws, 

 &c., to be found so tight that no wrench would re- 

 move them. This was because they had been held 

 in the hand till they became warm, and being then 

 applied to very cold screws in winter, they con- 

 tracted by coohng after on, and thus held the screw 

 with an immovable grasp. Always avoid putting 

 a warm nut on a cold screw ; and to remove it, ap- 

 ply a large heated iron in contact with the nut, so 

 as to heat and expand it, and it will loosen at once 

 — or a cloth wet with boiling water will accom- 

 plish the same purpose. — Country Gentleman. 



To Stop Bleeding. — A correspondent of the 

 American Agriculturist writes that bleeding from 

 a wound on man or beast may be stopped by a 

 mixture of wheat flour and common salt in two 

 parts bound on with a cloth. If the bleeding be 

 profuse, use a large quantity, say from one to 

 three pints. It may be left on for hours, or even 

 days, if necess.irv- 



