296 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTEE. 



indifferent, they have selected their originals I 

 and continued to breed solely with reference to 

 symmetry, size, and the propensity to early 

 maturity, As therefore not only good qualities 

 but the lack of them descend, it cannot be sur- 

 prising that many short-horns give but little 

 milk. 2d. From the emulation of breeders to 

 show the finest animal at the earliest age, a 

 system of pampering is begun at birth and car- 

 ried on until the animal is either sold or slaugh- 

 tered, which, 1'rom the premature development 

 of fat which it produces, tends to depress every 

 other vital function. This system, unfavorable 

 as it is for allowing the milk producing powers 

 to develop themselves in any individual sub- 

 jected to it, is fatal when pursued for generation 

 after generation. After a time, ''function," to 

 use the words ol Dr. Playfair, "begins to re-act 

 on organization," and a tribe of bad milkers is 

 formed, among which individuals may even 

 occur which will give no milk. Most sincerely 

 do I wish that the forcing system was utterly 

 exploded, injurious as it is alike to the short- 

 horns themselves and their reputation. If they 

 will not thrive on the ordinary keep of other 

 breeding stock, the sooner they are abahdoned 

 the better. But it is their pre-eminent merit 

 that they are t-he best thrivers in existence. As 

 milkers, when well selected and rationally treat- 

 ed, it is not easy to find cows which will excel 

 them. Sometimes even they will at one and 

 the same time give large quantities of milk and 

 carry a great deal of flesh, although this is not 

 in general desirable. 



When I think of the number of good milkers 

 I have known among the short-horns, and re- 

 member that it was an original charateristic of 

 the tribe, it appears to me of great consequence, 

 considering the national importance of dairy 

 produce, to use every exertion to render so va- 

 luable a quality permanent. Good milkers are 

 not over abundant among any variety of the 

 vaccine species, and are most scarce among ill- 

 bred mongrels. Mr. Atten, of Longcroft, had 

 two or three years a white cow of the name of 

 Penguin, descended from the stock of Mr. Ro- 

 bertson, of Ladykirk, which was an extraordi- 

 nary milker. Colonel Kingscote's cow Honey- 

 suckle, is remarkable even in his herd, where 

 .this point is so successfully cultivated, for the 

 same quality. Mr. Sainsbury is strenuous in 

 attaining high excellence here as in every other 

 point. Among my own cows, which are milk- 

 ing better this year than I ever knew them be- 

 fore, I may be allowed to name one which at 

 nine years old is a most extraordinary milker, 

 viz., Jessy, bred by Mr. R. Bell. She is by Na- 

 poleon (10552), dam by Cleveland Lad (3407), 

 &c, and has bred a prize heifer. She may 

 therefore, be cited as a proof that it is possible 

 to combine the quality for which I am contend- 

 ing with the best short-horn blood. 



In conclusion, I may add that I am preparing 

 for publication an article on the breeding of 

 „short-horns. and shall therefore feel obliged for 

 any communications from breeders containing 

 facts in reference to this or other points worthy 



of notice. I shall also be glad to show mysmall 

 herd to any breeder who may happen to be 

 visiting this neighborhood. They are as hard- 

 ly kept as those of any neighboring farmer, and 

 as my object is to make cheese, the calves are 

 weaned from new milk at an earlier age than is 

 usual among the breeders of short-horns. 

 [ WUloughby Wood, London Agr. Gaz. 



PRESERVING FRUIT BY HERMETICAL 

 SEALING. 



We are glad to see that year by year the old 

 practice of making large quantities of preserves 

 in every family is declining, and sweetmeats are 

 giving place to a more simple, healthful, and 

 delicious article, namely, fresh fruit preserved in 

 its natural state, by perfectly excluding the air. 



Fresh peaches, strawberries, &c, are certainly a 

 greater luxury in mid-winter than the same fruits 

 preserved with sugar, while the expense is less, 

 and the amount of skill required, no greater. 



The self-sealing tin cans, now extensively intro- 

 duced, are far superior to the old kind, as the 

 house-wife can put them up quickly and safely, 

 without the aid of a tinner ; they are as easily 

 opened as closed, and the same cans will do for 

 successive years. These self-sealing cans are 

 made in different ways. Some are sealed by 

 screwing a cork upon a rubber compress, and ap- 

 plying melted beeswax, others by warming the 

 cover and pressing it into a rim of cement, which 

 surrounds the top of the can, others again are 

 sealed with a peculiar kind of soft solder. 



The chief agent in the work of preservation is 

 heat. If after the application of heat for a certain 

 time, (by which process the air is expelled,) the 

 article be sealed up hermetically, it will remain 

 unchanged for an indefinite period. We will 

 briefly describe the method of putting up fruits 

 in this manner, as given by several manufacturers : 



First, select good fresh fruits or vegetables. 

 Sfale and fermented articles can never be pre- 

 served. Vegetablesfdecomposing quickly, such as 

 green corn, green peas, asparagus, si ould be pre- 

 served within six hours after being picked, parti- 

 cularly in warm weather. Berries always within 

 twenty-four hours. Peaches, quinces, apples and 

 pears should be peeled, and the seeds removed 

 before preserving. 



Vegetables should be partially cooked first. 

 Such as corn, peas and tomatoes should be boiled 

 a half hour ; asparagus, a quarter hour. To the 

 vegetables, add a half pint of the water they are 

 cooked in, to the quart. 



Fill the can with ripe fruit, adding, if desired, 

 a little sugar — simply enough to render the fruit 

 palatable — and set it in a vessel of water, (warm 

 or cold.) Let the water boil, and continue boiling 

 until the fruit is well healed through — say for half 

 an hour. Direction has been given to simply let 

 the water boil, but such direction is defective, 

 as at this time the fruit in the centre of the vessel 

 will be scarcely warmed. Should the vessel be 

 then sealed, fermentation will take place. The 

 heat must thoroughly penetrate the contents of the 

 vessel. As soon as the fruit is sufficiently heated, 

 seal the can, and the work is done. 



Another way is to make a syrup of two pounds 

 of sugar for every six pounds of fruit, using half a 

 pint of water for every pound of sugar. Skim 

 the syrup as soon as it boils, and then put in your 



