1863. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



61 



an exceedingly thin film of the casein which is 

 one of the constituents of milk, and which has 

 sufficient tenacity to prevent the bubbles from 

 breaking when they reach the surface, or from be- 

 ing separated from the liquid. They consequently 

 accumulate as they successively rise to the sur- 

 face, forming the white foam which so frequently 

 flows over the edge of the vessel into the fire. — 

 Scientific American. 



WOMAN'S GARDENING. 



We have often commended "TAe Horticultu- 

 rist, by speaking of its contents, and for the gen- 

 eral ability with which it is conducted. We now 

 commend it by copying from its pages the follow- 

 ing article on Woman'' s Qardening, with the 

 remarks made upon it by one of the Editors. 



Why may not a Lady write for The Eorticultu- 

 rist'i Ladies write for other magazines, and re- 

 ceive applause either for the matter or manner, or 

 because they are ladies. I claim no applause for 

 either. Men think that the ladies like compli- 

 ments, and so they do when deserved, but fulsome 

 flattery is an insult to the sensible woman. I like 

 to be commended for my housewifery, cleverness, 

 and especially for my horticultural efi'orts, but 

 shall be content if you will allow me to sound my 

 own praise. Perhaps, too, I may succeed in im- 

 parting to others of my sex a tithe of the pleasure 

 it aff'Ords me to cultivate flowers, and fruit, and 

 vegetables, inducing them to spend more time in 

 the open air, and while inhaling nature's richest 

 perfumes, breathe her health invigorating atmos- 

 phere. 



My garden is not large, (about 100 feetjsquare,) 

 but it yields abundantly with moderate care and 

 labor. In the spring I hire a laborer for three or 

 four days to dig and manure it ; the planting and 

 after care I do myself, with a boy twelve years of 

 age, who also helps me churn the butter from two 

 cows, and does the chores. We raise all the veg- 

 etables we need for a family of six persons, and 

 the consumption is never stinted. We have all 

 the approved varieties of fruit, and some to spare, 

 and we have flowers in profusion during the whole 

 season. I need not name the vegetables ; you 

 can imagine that we omit no good ones ; and as 

 for the flowers, we grow every thing that is pretty 

 and attainable with a small income, and by ex- 

 changes with complaisant and admiring neighbors ; 

 but I can not forbear to name the fruits, among 

 which are ten varieties of Dwarf Pears, six varie- 

 ties of Dwarf Apples, seven Grape vines, Straw- 

 ben-ies. Raspberries, Blackbenies, Gooseberries, 

 Currants, &c. 



I ought to say something of the beauty of my 

 garden. We keep it cletm ; weeds are tabooed ; 

 it is a great offence for one to go to seed. We 

 can not boast of its paths, "streaking the ground 

 with sinuous trace ;" they arc, unfortunately, all 

 straight. We claim no originality for laying it 

 out, but we are proud of its productions : thei/ are 

 perfect gems of beauty. | 



Now, Mr. Editor, don't figufe in your own | 

 mind a dried-up lady, who cares no longer for her 

 complexion. I am still young enough to have 

 color in my cheeks, and this is how I keep it there. 

 Nor do I neglect my domestic duties. I keep 



one servant, who does the cooking, &c., and I find 

 time to sweep, dust, mend, darn, work the butter, 

 read the current literature, and entertain a few 

 friends, besides going to town once a week to do 

 the shopping for the family. To the oft-repeated 

 question, How do you manage to do all this ? I 

 answer, bi/ s>/dem. One thing at a time, and do- 

 ing that well. 



I must not forget to say that I have found time 

 to get you three new subscribers, and inclose the 

 names and the money, which I presume will inter- 

 est you quite as much as the description of my 

 garden. 



[Certainly ladies may write for the ITorticuliur- 

 ist. Ladies do write for it, though they do not 

 appear as such. We agree with all you say in re- 

 gard to "fulsome flattery ;" it is doubly weak ; 

 weak in the man who uses it, and weak in the 

 woman who shows herself susceptible to its influ- 

 ence. We never bestow praise excejjt when it is 

 deserved, and then we do it heartily. It is a 

 weakness of some women, however, (and men too,) 

 to mistake mere j)layfulness for fulsome praise. 

 You, of course, do not belong to that class. We 

 can not, however, after reading the account of 

 your garden operations, allow you the exclusive 

 privilege of sounding your own praise. There, 

 you see, you are trenching a little on our domain. 

 We must help you a little. Some have done well, 

 but you have excelled. We hope your example 

 may influence scores of your sisters to go and do 

 likewise. It would not only benefit them individ- 

 ually, but the human family at large, and we 

 should hear less talk about the degeneracy of the 

 present race. Would that we might do some- 

 thing, however little, to teach women a practical 

 love of fruits and flowers. No, we do not imag- 

 ine you to be a "dricd-up lady;" we know better. 

 No woman who passes a reasonable portion of 

 time in the garden ever can dry up. — Ed.] 



DEATH OP MR. JONAS WEBB. 



We regi'ct to have to announce the quite sudden 

 death of Jonas Webb, of Babraham, England, un- 

 der peculiarly melancholy circumstances. Mr. 

 and Mrs. Wkbb were visiting her brother, Mr. 

 Marshall, of Cambridge, where Mrs. W., who ap- 

 pears to have been somewhat unwell for several 

 weeks, became worse and died Nov. 5th, a day 

 which had been fixed for her son's marriage. The 

 shock was too much for Mr. Wkbb. He became 

 very ill, and died on the 10th, the day on which 

 the funeral of his wife took place. 



Mr. Wkbb had associated his name inseparably 

 with those of the most prominent breeders in the 

 history of EngUsh Agriculture. His success, ow- 

 ing to a rare combination of good business facul- 

 ties with matchless skill in theim])rovement of his 

 stock, was productive of very large pecuniary re- 

 turns to himself, as well as of great benefit to the 

 Hock-masters of every civilized country. It will 

 be remembered that the final disposition of the 

 Babraham South-Downs was decided upon last 

 year, resulting in a sale in 1861 of all, except the 

 iambs, for the aggregate amount of £10,926, and 

 in the sale of the" lambs in 1S62 for £j,72() — the 

 total selling value of the flock having thus been 

 £16,646, or more than $80,000. Mr. W. had 

 been in receipt of a large revenue from the flock 



