1871. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



533 



correctness of my theory. But muck in a crude 

 state, or fresh from the bog, will he of little henefit 

 on some kinds of lanil, while on others it will do 

 much good. Hence the different results of experi- 

 ments, and con.sequeutl.v different opinions of far- 

 mers on tlic subject. Muck is of httle if any use 

 as a manure, but as an absorbent it is valuable. 

 If drawn into the hog yard and left fur the hogs to 

 root over and mix witli straw and weeds that can 

 be pulled and thrown mto the yard, a great deal of 

 manure can lie made. c. 



Keene, N. 11., June 2S, 1S71. 



COLORIXG BUTTER. 



We that have white grass pastures this diy 

 weather cannot make as yellow butter as we wish 

 to, though we give our cows two quarts of corn 

 meal a "day. We want to inquire through the 

 Farmer for the best and healthiest coloring. Car- 

 rots and squash are not to be had just now, and we 

 are told that annotto is a deadly poison ; so what 

 can we use with safetv ? Will you please give us 

 the definition of annotto from Webster's Una- 

 bridged, a<id oblige, an Inquirer. 



Jaffrey, N. H., July, 1S71. 



Remarks. — The definitions of the word annotto, 

 or annatto, aunotta, anotta, arnotto, arnatta, ar- 

 notta, &.C., as it is variously written, as given by 

 Webster and Worcester, are nearly the syne; 

 Worcester cites Ure for authority, and Webster, 

 McCulloch and Loudon. AVcbster's definition is, 

 "A species of red or yellowish-red dyeing material 

 prepared from the seeds of a tree {Bixa orellana) 

 belonging to the tropical regions of America." 



Some dairymen, we know, have objected to the 

 use of annotto, but we were not aware that any 

 body considered the pure article at all poisonous. 

 Mr. 0. S. Bliss, of Georgia, Vt., Secretary of the 

 Vermont Dairymen's Association, says "there can- 

 not be any possible objection to its use. It is a 

 purelj' vegetable extract, and the Brazilians, who 

 manufacture it, make use of it to tint very many 

 of the most delicate and luxurious dishes served 

 at their repasts. We have a friend who has trav- 

 elled extensively in South America, and who is ac- 

 quainted with its nature and the process of manu- 

 facturing it. He speaks of it as analogous to our 

 butter m some respects, one of which is that the 

 reallj' pure article is of a comparatively imperisha- 

 ble or self-preserving nature, and that it imparts to 

 milk, butter and cheese, in some degree, this pre- 

 servative principle, while the impure grades, like 

 the less pure grades of butter, are lacking in this 

 principle, or rather that they have within them- 

 selves germs or spores of putrefaction and decaj', 

 which, after a longer or shorter time, grow and 

 spread, producing injurious results in the mass. 

 There are very low grades which are used for me- 

 chanical and manufacturing purposes only. From 

 what we can learn from various reliable sources, 

 there is not the least difflculty about getting a good 

 article of annotto if the purchaser is willing to pay 

 for it, and makes application for it to some well- 

 established regular dealer of good reputation. It 

 is said that there is very great difficulty in distin- 

 guishing the better from the medium grades, and 

 that the most prudent houses rely mainly upon the 



reputation of certain brands, and the character of 

 the parties from whom they make their purchases. 

 Many persons affect to be very averse to the use 

 of colored batter, but we have never seen one yet 

 who does not like good, rich-looking yellow butter 

 better than a poor, lardy, white article, and would 

 not eat a nicely colored article much more satis- 

 factorih' than the other, provided, of course, that 

 he docs not know that it is colored; and the 

 smartest of the class are unable to distinguish the 

 colored from natural butter of the same shade of 

 color. It is manifestly better policy for the pro- 

 ducer to conform to the public taste in this respect 

 than to attempt to educate it." 



COLORAD'O POTATO BUG. 



The Colorado bug that destroys potatoes, when 

 once seen will be remembered. As we have nothing 

 of the kind to compare them with in this section, 

 I will try to describe them so that all can recognize 

 them at "first sight. They are a round, oblong bug 

 a little smaller than a yellow-bird's egg ; both ends 

 ai-e nearly alike, saxe a little head on one end from 

 which the ten stripes start and run lengthwise of 

 the body. These stripes resemble those of the lit- 

 tle common potato bug, in color. They are a very 

 mean looking bug, and decidedly the filthiest pest 

 I ever saw of the bug or worm order. M'hen they 

 come from the ground they are of a bright orange 

 color, not unlike the little crabs often found in 

 ovsters. Some papers are recommending poultry 

 for their extirmination. Poultry will not eat them, 

 as they are very poisonous even to those birds 

 whose food consists of beetles. One bug will kill a 

 bird of that species in a few hours. As they are 

 verv voracious eaters, they void a great deal ; hence 

 they are very tilthy. They will crawl all about the 

 house m. quest of food, and they leave, their mark 

 on the carpet if yon chance to step on ' one. They 

 are not confined to the potato wholly for a living. 

 The tomato and all of the night-shade family and 

 most of the tender shrubbery about the house and 

 flower-garden furnish them with a living. The 

 only remedy known West is to crush, burn or poi- 

 son" them by sifting Paris green on the vines. To 

 burn them they gather them by holding a pan 

 under the vines and shaking them into it. t. b. 



Addison County, Vt., July, 1S71. 



Remarks. — From recent statements in western 

 papers it appears that poultry do sometimes eat 

 these insects with impunity and apparent relish, 

 though at first they generally refuse to do so. It 

 would seem also that extravagant statements have 

 been made as to their poisonous nature. 



IRRIGATIOX BY DAM FLOWING. 



Some time last vear, an address of Mr. M. J. 

 Harvey, of Epping,"N. H., was published in the 

 Farmer, recounting some of the means by .\\hich 

 farming could he made to pay. Among these, was 

 one which a gentleman present criticised, and Mr. 

 Harvev explained himself. It was in regard to 

 the benefit of irrigation, by throwing on water with 

 a dam. The water was to be thrown on in early 

 spring. It stayed on only two or three weeks, was 

 then drawn off, and the ground was left in a more 

 fertile condition, in consequence, I suppose, of the 

 sediment carried on and left by the water, or by 

 fertilizing matter which the water held in a state 

 of solution. That water directly from a spring 

 near bv, or water filled with muddy matter, should 

 fertilize somewhat, I have no doubt. In my case 

 I have a brook where u-rigation by ditching would 



